Home Builders

[dhillis]

I have a question for you home builders, or people in the business.

After looking over our plans again this weekend my wife and I came across a discrepancy. We noticed that the plans for the house say that the living area is 2133 sq ft living area, the contract we signed states that the house is 2184 sq ft living area. I texted the GC while at work Monday to try and get an answer. He was out if town for a funeral so I gave him a few days. He said the difference is due to studs and Sheetrock on house plans, to which my response was the contract and the plans both use the verbiage living area. Is this typical business for this industry, or do I hold the builders feet to the fire and get some upgrades to the house for it? When calculated price per sq ft it's a $5000 difference.

[Notaguide]

My approach and only footage provided is the larger of the two numbers. Appraisal will be the same as well. Total square footage is paid to subs for total area including brick ledge if present. If your cost is something around $100 per square foot as you stated, your doing pretty good in my opinion. My cost analysis for a basic piling home just down the road in City by the Sea is bumping $180 sf for structure.

[lilbradford]

I have a question for you home builders, or people in the business.

After looking over our plans again this weekend my wife and I came across a discrepancy. We noticed that the plans for the house say that the living area is 2133 sq ft living area, the contract we signed states that the house is 2184 sq ft living area. I texted the GC while at work Monday to try and get an answer. He was out if town for a funeral so I gave him a few days. He said the difference is due to studs and Sheetrock on house plans, to which my response was the contract and the plans both use the verbiage living area. Is this typical business for this industry, or do I hold the builders feet to the fire and get some upgrades to the house for it? When calculated price per sq ft it's a $5000 difference.

If they told you the home was 2133 sq Ft and you based pricing off that, I'd be ******. It, did you already sign the contract? Once you sign it you are kinda stuck.

I work for a volume builder so I don't sell price per square foot, but our prints show square footage based on frame and square footage including masonry. Masonry is always the highest square footage since it's from the outter edge of the brick. So materials can cause a difference but whatever they quoted you on for your price that you agreed to is what I would ask for.

[dhillis]

If they told you the home was 2133 sq Ft and you based pricing off that, I'd be ******. It, did you already sign the contract? Once you sign it you are kinda stuck.

I work for a volume builder so I don't sell price per square foot, but our prints show square footage based on frame and square footage including masonry. Masonry is always the highest square footage since it's from the outter edge of the brick. So materials can cause a difference but whatever they quoted you on for your price that you agreed to is what I would ask for.

We signed the contract first. It had the basic floor plan and the sq ft of the house. We liked it and the price so went went with it. The contract was 2184, and the plans we saw later we 2133. We didn't buy the house on a "per sq ft" price, but we did sign the contract on the assumption it would have 2184 sq ft of living area.

[dhillis]

My approach and only footage provided is the larger of the two numbers. Appraisal will be the same as well. Total square footage is paid to subs for total area including brick ledge if present. If your cost is something around $100 per square foot as you stated, your doing pretty good in my opinion. My cost analysis for a basic piling home just down the road in City by the Sea is bumping $180 sf for structure.

We're actually closer to $96 sq ft, but we are doing flooring, painting, and a few other misc things ourselves to save money. No brick and Formica counters with plans to change later. So it's a budget home for sure. Lol

[dhall]

Must be a tract builder

[mikemorvan]

The living area equates to the heated / air conditioned space. It's pretty easy to figure out. Just take your plans make some rectangles and do the multiplication. Some builders will deduct the brick ledge off the slab in the living area calculation. To get that deduction just measure the linear footage of brick ledge and divide by two. 51 s.f. of brick ledge on the house you describe seems low to me, but hard to know w/o the plan.

At any rate, studs and sheetrock don't have anything to do with it. I'd get an answer that makes sense. Again, it's pretty easy to figure out. If the numbers don't add up, then you have a situation. What to do about it is a whole 'nother story. Good luck.

[Biscuit]

Is this a production builder or custom home builder?

Who provided the plan? Did builder have plan or did u have the plans drawn?

[TheGreyGhost]

I'm a builder and I will start with every builder had their own way of pricing a home. Very few price them by the square foot. I price my homes the old fashion way figuring all my material and all my labor. Once I come up with a total number then I divide by the living area to get a price per square foot. Saying all that unless he priced it by the sq ft then you can't take 51 sq ft and multiply it by the price per sq ft and be fair. Example a kitchen will cost way way more than a bedroom. You have plumbing, cabinets, countertops, appliances, tile backsplash etc. in a bedroom you have 4 walks and a closet. Your foundation cost and framing cost and floor covering based on the sq ft is about the biggest cost difference. So 51 sq ft times about $20.00 is your overall cost difference. One other example is a lot of cost will not change. Your plumbing, heat and sir, electrical framing material will not decrease in cost. Not enough sq footage to make a difference. I hope this helps.

[solocam_aggie]

I'm a builder and I will start with every builder had their own way of pricing a home. Very few price them by the square foot. I price my homes the old fashion way figuring all my material and all my labor. Once I come up with a total number then I divide by the living area to get a price per square foot. Saying all that unless he priced it by the sq ft then you can't take 51 sq ft and multiply it by the price per sq ft and be fair. Example a kitchen will cost way way more than a bedroom. You have plumbing, cabinets, countertops, appliances, tile backsplash etc. in a bedroom you have 4 walks and a closet. Your foundation cost and framing cost and floor covering based on the sq ft is about the biggest cost difference. So 51 sq ft times about $20.00 is your overall cost difference. One other example is a lot of cost will not change. Your plumbing, heat and sir, electrical framing material will not decrease in cost. Not enough sq footage to make a difference. I hope this helps.

This is good.

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[mikemorvan]

I'm a builder and I will start with every builder had their own way of pricing a home. Very few price them by the square foot. I price my homes the old fashion way figuring all my material and all my labor. Once I come up with a total number then I divide by the living area to get a price per square foot. Saying all that unless he priced it by the sq ft then you can't take 51 sq ft and multiply it by the price per sq ft and be fair. Example a kitchen will cost way way more than a bedroom. You have plumbing, cabinets, countertops, appliances, tile backsplash etc. in a bedroom you have 4 walks and a closet. Your foundation cost and framing cost and floor covering based on the sq ft is about the biggest cost difference. So 51 sq ft times about $20.00 is your overall cost difference. One other example is a lot of cost will not change. Your plumbing, heat and sir, electrical framing material will not decrease in cost. Not enough sq footage to make a difference. I hope this helps.

You sir do it right.

[lilbradford]

We signed the contract first. It had the basic floor plan and the sq ft of the house. We liked it and the price so went went with it. The contract was 2184, and the plans we saw later we 2133. We didn't buy the house on a "per sq ft" price, but we did sign the contract on the assumption it would have 2184 sq ft of living area.

Gotcha, I'm that case I would just approach it with your salesguy or whoever and ask why there is a discrepancy. He may just tell you the plans showed with no brick ledge which could be the difference on the whole home.

[dhillis]

I'm a builder and I will start with every builder had their own way of pricing a home. Very few price them by the square foot. I price my homes the old fashion way figuring all my material and all my labor. Once I come up with a total number then I divide by the living area to get a price per square foot. Saying all that unless he priced it by the sq ft then you can't take 51 sq ft and multiply it by the price per sq ft and be fair. Example a kitchen will cost way way more than a bedroom. You have plumbing, cabinets, countertops, appliances, tile backsplash etc. in a bedroom you have 4 walks and a closet. Your foundation cost and framing cost and floor covering based on the sq ft is about the biggest cost difference. So 51 sq ft times about $20.00 is your overall cost difference. One other example is a lot of cost will not change. Your plumbing, heat and sir, electrical framing material will not decrease in cost. Not enough sq footage to make a difference. I hope this helps.

I understand this. But at the same time, if you contract says 2184, and the plans the buyer gets say 2133, wouldn't you expect it to be brought up and for it to be a problem for the buyer?

[dhillis]

Gotcha, I'm that case I would just approach it with your salesguy or whoever and ask why there is a discrepancy. He may just tell you the plans showed with no brick ledge which could be the difference on the whole home.

When contract says living area, would that include the brick ledge? I wouldn't expect the brick ledge to be included in the living area. If the contract said 2184 sq ft under roof or something to that extent, I'd understand and it would make sense.

[TheGreyGhost]

Yes the descripency in sq ft should be brought up and resolved before construction begins. There could be an actual difference in sq footage or it could have been a typo error. The actuall plans being used should be recalculated and you and your builder should agree on the sq footage. He may need to adjust his price accordingly. My only point was you really can't take the price per square ft and multiply it by 51 sq ft. I'm not arguing for the builder. Did not mean to leave that impression.

Someone ask is the brick ledge included in the living area sq ft. Unfortunately it is. Even your tax appraisal will be done that way.