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  1. #31
    Grand Master Know It All Hummer's Avatar
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    All excellent advice here. I would add one thing: photograph everything, every phase of construction, every excavation, the septic and sewer lines, every wall, floor and ceiling, insulation, roof panels, even the people working on the job. If it's a slab on grade, shoot the pipes with reference locations before it's buried. Photograph every wall as the rough plumbing goes in; all walls and ceilings where electrical wires, junction boxes, switches and outlets are or should be. Wherever you can, use a tape measure in the photos for spacial reference. You can't imagine how valuable this can be down the road if you have problems or want to make changes in the future.

    I built our own home with help of a good framer and his son. I contracted the concrete work, the septic, electrical, plumbing, insulation, drywall and cabinets, but we did everything else including windows and doors. I installed the phone, security and sound system wires, the evaporative coolers and ductwork, did additional insulation and all the paint work. I also installed the 850 ft. utility trench for power, natural gas, water, phone, irrigation lines and remote electric power for the irrigation pumps. We did it all on 20 acres of farmland for $119K, total. The house was featured in a building magazine for it's innovative design. The house is unique, simple and efficient. It's light and bright with lots of large windows, and we love living there.

    I photographed our home building project with 35mm film, before digital cameras. We put together two albums of printed photos of the construction project, all the walls, sewer, people, everything. I subsequently digitized all the images. It's the best family album we have, and the most useful. Take lots of photos, you can't take too many.

  2. #32
    Iceman sniper7's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by fly boy View Post
    Do you have allowances for items that can be adjusted?

    I.e. $20,000 for a septic system, $15,000 electrical etc. but I only need $15,000 for septic and put the other $5,000 towards electrical upgrades?
    Depends on the contract. Usually each allowance is a use it or lose it. We only had allowances for items we wanted to pick to customize, so flooring, countertops, cabinets and appliances.
    Appliances we ended up asking for a credit off the purchase price and bought our own. We went through costco and got free install and a lot better warranty than anywhere else we looked. If you go this route make sure you bring up install as your builder may say you are responsible for getting them delivered and installed.
    Another item I would suggest upgrading is garage door openers. I got the chamberlain ones that are wifi controllable, belt drive for quiet, much nicer than the cheap contractor grade they typically install. They said they wouldn't install but I could pay the door guys to do it and they gave me a credit for the included door opener.
    Well then they installed their openers....so I had to uninstall those and install the ones I bought myself....that is after one of the ones they installed ripped out of the wall and ruined 2 panels of the door that took 2 months before they got it repainted. That is one example of the types of headaches you will deal with!

    And I second what Hummer says about pictures. Take a ton! It will help later on if you have any issues, or want to see where studs are at for hanging something, or where wiring runs etc.
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  3. #33
    Little Dragonfly fly boy's Avatar
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    Good Call on the Quiet openers... I will see if we can work that into the deal.

    As for appliances, that was contracted in we must use their appliances. But they are Stainless, whirlpool and top grade (I'm guessing he's getting a major discount since he's building a bunch around the city). We plan on visiting at least once a week to check the progress - I will make sure I take pictures the whole time. I also want to have them plum in a gas outlet out back so I can hook up a grill on the back patio.

    My Father-in-law can have a septic system priced out and Cost for me, so I was hoping the contractor can install what I want for septic vs. what he would choose. Or maybe off-set with putting a fence up and I pay the difference on Septic.
    Last edited by fly boy; 06-14-2017 at 12:12.

  4. #34
    Iceman sniper7's Avatar
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    Negotiate everything in writing. Be it a contract amendment, an email that is digitally signed and agreed to. Something that can hold their feet to the fire.
    All I have in this world is my balls and my word and I don't break em for no one.

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  5. #35
    Little Dragonfly fly boy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by sniper7 View Post
    Negotiate everything in writing. Be it a contract amendment, an email that is digitally signed and agreed to. Something that can hold their feet to the fire.
    Met with the contractor on Monday and brought with me a list of questions and some good comments here that I made sure I checked.

    -I will have a set of blue prints once they are completed
    -I upgraded R38 to R49 for only $200 more
    -We get to make our master bath customized without having to buy the "luxury package"
    -I asked about a well - thankfully.... they estimated $23,000 for a well, and if it goes over I would be out of pocket... not any more - if its over, I don't pay extra.
    -We made changes to the plans an had to initial, he initialed, and we both have a copy

    I have to meet again once framing is closer to being done and talk electrical. WHAT do I need to worry about for electrical placement, or gauge?
    Last edited by fly boy; 07-14-2017 at 13:56.

  6. #36
    Iceman sniper7's Avatar
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    Electrical will have to be up to code which is going to be high quality. One this to do is add as many outlets as you want. I put outlets behind tvs for easy plug in to hide cords, more down low (a 4 pack outlet) for any cords for your entertainment stuff so you don't need a surge protector.
    If you want can lights now is the time to do them.
    Make sure everything is LED or make sure you can buy the bulbs or cans or lights so they are LED to start.
    If you are into any welding or bigger air compressor get a 220 or two of them put in your garage. If you ever want to buy an electric car make sure there is power there for it so you aren't plugging it into a 110.

    Think about your furniture, in the living room do you have or want a couch that uses power for outlets USB or power recline. If so get an outlet put in the floor under where it will sit.
    Make sure your wife is happy with enough outlets in the kitchen to plug stuff in.
    Have them put in ceiling fan ready mounts in all bedrooms and anywhere else you might consider putting a fan.or spend the money now and get the fans you want as they have to put something there so it might as well be them doing the work.
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  7. #37
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    Think about adding in a cat6 LAN, or better. Wireless is great, but you will want lan outlets for your access points, and get some of the regulars of the air, like tv, gaming gear. Think about a server room location. Where will all the switches, routers and backups be? Are you going with a upc? Does your AP require an outlet or can it do poe?

  8. #38
    Machine Gunner
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    Comment on radon install. Is it included? Can you have them preinstall a pipe up to the attic and maybe out through the roof? Have an outlet in attic for fan. If you can avoid the bs of post construction radon mitigation do so now.

  9. #39
    Iceman sniper7's Avatar
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    Oh and make sure they have at least a couple wires running from basement or other location that utilities can use (direct tv and Comcast etc) so they are drilling into your house and running wires from outside.
    All I have in this world is my balls and my word and I don't break em for no one.

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  10. #40
    Iceman sniper7's Avatar
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    And if you want to run a camera system or speakers or ??? Now is the time to do that. You can even ask if you can just run the wires yourself while it is framed up.
    All I have in this world is my balls and my word and I don't break em for no one.

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