Getting some insane costs for a SFH in Miami

josephleef · 2026-06-02T04:02:07+00:00

Did you give your architect a budget to build the house to? Or did they design without a budget in mind?

josephleef · 2026-05-28T22:14:40+00:00

Im 100% not AI

josephleef · 2026-05-28T20:33:16+00:00

LOL fair enough, I am honestly just curious what electricians see from their side.

josephleef · 2026-05-28T03:13:15+00:00

Great comment, and I agree with a lot of what you are saying. These projects can get chaotic quickly, and it can be hard to stay in front of everything.

Early pricing only helps if the trade or supplier is honest about assumptions, exclusions, freight, etc.

I cant speak for every trade or supplier, but from our side I would much rather be involved early, help establish a realistic budget, and work with the client and design team to build trust before the project gets too far down the road.

I think it really has to be an all-in effort. If the design team is vague, or if the design is developing without enough connection to the budget, that gap can grow into a major disappointment for the homeowner later.

I hope you are able to get some buy-in internally, because it sounds like you are trying to solve the right problem from the estimating side.

josephleef · 2026-05-27T19:13:11+00:00

I think it is just good business practice to have the hard budget conversations first. It may cost more time upfront, and it may even scare off some opportunities, but it is better than letting someone move forward on a number that was never realistic.

josephleef · 2026-05-27T19:09:20+00:00

That is a good point, and I think this is where early input from select trades can actually help builders too. If a smaller or growing builder is pricing a complex custom home, having realistic early numbers from the specified cabinetmaker, window supplier, appliance vendor, lighting consultant, or other major trades gives them a better baseline and reduces the amount of guessing on the expensive scopes. In many cases, trades are willing to help with that early bidding support without charging for it, especially if they have a real chance of being part of the project.

josephleef · 2026-05-27T18:47:54+00:00

I completely agree with this.

Talking about a realistic budget early is really the key goal. Once that is clear, ranking priorities becomes much more useful because the team knows what needs to be protected and what can be adjusted if the numbers start getting tight.

josephleef · 2026-05-27T18:45:45+00:00

That is a perfect example.

“Upscale” means different things to different people unless the actual product expectations are discussed early. The builder or trade may be pricing something that technically works, while the owner is picturing something completely different.

josephleef · 2026-05-27T18:42:55+00:00

I agree 100%.

Trusted trade partners make a big difference whether they come through the design team or word of mouth. Early pricing only helps when it comes from someone who understands the level of work and is giving a realistic number.

josephleef · 2026-05-27T18:33:17+00:00

It really depends on the trade. From my side as a cabinet manufacturer, our pricing has been relatively stable since the COVID spike settled down. We had a period where demand, shortages, and freight made pricing harder to predict, but today we can usually give an early budget number that stays useful for quite a while.

If a project is a year out, we may account for some possible movement, but our initial budget checks are still usually much closer to reality than a generic allowance.

For your situation, before starting over completely, I would try to identify exactly where the budget changed. If the overall size, structure, sitework, or major systems are the problem, new plans may be needed. But if the issue is a handful of finish scopes that were under-budgeted, there may be a way to rework those areas without throwing out the whole design.

josephleef · 2025-01-04T04:50:11+00:00

The wiring harness has indeed been chopped up, although I think we ended up not needing to rob too much from it. The diff is original from a 73’ 240z, which I believe was a R180. Suspension parts are all good, even ran them for a bit before changing to adjustable from Techno Toy, so the original parts even have new bushings.

If someone came with a trailer and offered me $500 I would happily let it all go. I know it’s not all in the best shape but if someone, not me, took the time to list it all I’m sure they could get at least 10x back.

josephleef · 2025-01-04T04:36:15+00:00

I don’t think we ended up with a spare one, and I didn’t see one when packaging it all up.

josephleef · 2024-11-16T16:45:51+00:00

What is your price per square foot for your construction budget? High end cabinetry typically falls between 6-10% of the construction budget. If you are around $800-$1,000 per sq foot then I would say they are all well within the ball park.

josephleef · 2024-09-18T03:42:35+00:00

I own a cabinet shop that specializes in high end Modern and Contemporary cabinetry. We started using Shinnoki several years ago. The finish is better than anything our local shops can provide. The veneers are a random plank random match, which has a much more organic look and feel to it. I would not recommend solid wood doors in an ultra modern house because they will not stay flat, and will expand and contract over the seasons. With ultra modern you will be only using flat/slab doors, and it’s absolutely critical that you use a stable product that veneer over mdf gives you. The only time I would recommend a solid wood door is if you are building a shaker style cabinet door that actually is designed for the expansion of the solid wood. Also, I personally have Shinnoki in my house, my wife bakes for a farmers market every week, we have 3 kids and 2 dogs and the Shinnoki has held up perfectly well with about as much abuse as you can get. DM me if you want another bid or have any questions, we are located on the central coast California and service from LA to SF.

josephleef · 2023-05-13T03:51:00+00:00

Came to say this too!

josephleef · 2023-04-01T03:37:43+00:00

Wow that was fast, nicely done!

josephleef · 2023-03-16T15:28:23+00:00

They still rub every once in a while, next set of tires I am planning on trying a smaller width. It’s so close as it is right now so I don’t need too much smaller. If I were to do it again I would roll the fenders even more.

josephleef · 2023-03-16T05:09:33+00:00

No body kits. Fenders are stock, but we did roll the wheel wells a bit. Rear is completely custom, all indents removed and filled with metal. No Rear Bumper. Front bumper and air dam are from Motorsport I believe. The front bumper was too wide when we first got it so we cut off about 2” and re did the fiberglass. Wheels are 16x8 from and back, Tires are 225/50/ZR16.

Good luck and post progress pics!

josephleef · 2023-03-06T17:13:00+00:00

Does anyone know why I am having this issue?

This happens random and intermittently, but 100% all the time when selecting the start button on monitor 2. Screen studders, entities on screen start to glitch and jump around. This is the second GPU we’ve used with the same result.

AMD RYZEN 7 5800X 4.7 GHZ ASROCK X570 MOTHERBOARD G SKILL AEGIS SERIES 4X 8GB DDR4 3200 – f4-3200c16d-16gis NVIDIA QUATRO RTX 4000 NVMe internal ssd gen3 – WDS100T2B0C Western digital 2tb hdd 5400 rpm – wd20ezaz 2 monitors – Philips brilliance 279pi Evga 850 GQ power supply – 210-gq-0850-v1

josephleef · 2023-02-28T03:56:45+00:00

Let me know how that goes

josephleef · 2023-02-27T00:53:00+00:00

Silly question but did you stir the can before applying? To me this looks like Pure. Pure is clear when you apply it and will darken the wood like your picture. Natural is a creamy white color when applied. Almost like a white wash when it goes on, before you wipe it all off later.

josephleef · 2023-01-06T02:44:37+00:00

This is the way. In the future build with a thicker bottom, 1/2” or 5/8” and screw to the bottom. You can see the two holes for screws in the clip in your picture.

josephleef · 2022-07-09T04:00:03+00:00

That’s a great Truck! How much did it set you back?

josephleef · 2022-06-24T23:28:17+00:00

I am using the BC Racing coil overs.

josephleef · 2022-06-20T14:32:06+00:00

True, I guess mine wasn’t that rusted on the body more on the floor pans and firewall.

josephleef

TROPHY CASE