Custom Home Building Book by Fred Dickson Construction Management

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Custom Home Building Book $14.95 Click Book Cover above for Table of Contents & Sample Pages Click Below to Purchase Now After Purchase EBook will be Emailed to you	Custom Home Building Spreadsheets $4.95 Click Below to Purchase Now After Purchase, Spreadsheets will be Emailed to you

Introduction:

Adam and Eve were ready to start. They were excited. They had their house plan. They found a property. They wanted a price from me – a builder. So there we stood, together. I looked at their little house plan drawing and knew it was time for the “Sermon on the Lot.” It was time for Adam and Eve to start all over. It was a chance for Adam and Eve to do it right this time. All they needed was a little ….ok, a lot of guidance from me.

Adam and Eve start this journey with me from the very beginning. We start where man and woman must painfully start, with a budget and not with a building lot. This is not a magical budget, but a realistic plan that will set the tone for the entire house and maybe save their marriage in the end. Once Adam and Eve have their budget, only then can we begin the search for the lot.

Adam and Eve and I reluctantly agree on a budget, find the lot and build the house together – from start to finish. Sometimes it is easy and goes smoothly. Sometimes it is not as easy when Adam and Eve continue to overspend the budget. Eyes turn to me to help, but money does not grow on trees. However, with each step, Adam and Eve and the reader learn what it takes to build a custom home and many of the steps necessary to make it special. Most importantly, what it takes to do it right – to build a quality home.

The story is filled with tons of technical how-to and what not do’s! There are spread sheets for bidding and illustrations to explain the technical stuff. But the story of Adam and Eve reaches into the heart and soul of what it is like to go through the process of home building. In the end the reader may decide never to build a custom home. But they will learn what really lies ahead and will be prepared if they choose to move forward with building a custom home.

This is not a book that describes in great detail the many options for materials and procedures for building a custom house. Even though there is a great amount of information (and some very unique), it is the intention of the book to bring alive the building experience. That being said, in the appendix is a bid spreadsheet supplemented with a detail explanation of each line item with many of the building materials and procedures discussed.

About the Author:

Fred Dickson has had his own business of building custom homes for more than 30 years. He has built more than a 100 homes, bought and developed vacant land and remodeled countless numbers of other homes. More than eighty percent of the custom homes built by Fred, were also designed by him. He spent countless hours with each customer and their families expertly leading them through the construction process. He watched six projects end in divorce and witnessed first hand a great number of “strong” disagreements.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapters:

Starting Over
The Budget - The truth of it all
Buying the Lot - Where, oh where did the budget go?
House Plans - To Architect or Not to Architect? That is the question
Paying the Builder - Let the good times roll
Plans and Bidding - How many bids does one man need?
Footers and Foundation - Finally something concrete
Waterproofing, Draintile and Waiting - Where, oh where did the architect go?
Working Plans - Making working plans work
Framing - Does anyone speak English and I quit!
Product Selections - What? Where? When? How much!!!
Mechanical Rough-ins - It all flows downhill
Insulation and Drywall - Time to rock {another name for drywall} and roll
Cash Flow - Where, oh where did the money go?
Painting - Doing it right, inside and out
Tile, Hardwood, Trim and Cabinets - Delivery is when?!!
Driveway, Grading and Seeding, Mechanical Trims - Black earth and hot wires
Cabinets Revisited and Flooring - Being plumb and level
Final Clean and Moving In - Dog Thoughts
Cabinets Revisited Again and Done Deal - The End!

Appendix:
A. Illustrations:

Site Plan
Footer/Wall Section
Garage Slab Detail (door detail)
Typical House Section
Roof Overhang Detail
Electrical Layout for a bedroom
Cottage Foundation and Framing Plan
Cottage First Floor Plan
Cottage Truss Layout
Cross Sections A & B of Cottage
Cross Section of Exterior Door of Cottage
Cottage 2D Front Elevation
Cottage 3D Front Elevation

B. Spreadsheets & Other Documents

Sample Lumber Take-off by usage
House Bid spreadsheet with detail explanation of every line item
Bank Payment Schedule spreadsheet

C. Short Story (One Day in the Life of a Builder – Footings)

APPENDIX B Spreadsheets and other Documents

At this time the actual spreadsheets are not a part of the eBook but may be ordered separately.

Lumber take-off in sequence of use
Bid Master (How to use)
Bank Draw Schedule

Lumber Take Off

Below is the sequence of framing material as I order it. This will cover almost all of the items you will need to frame a house. If you follow this list, the material will be in the order that the carpenter will use it. Also, by using this list for bidding from different lumber yards, you will easily be able to compare bids.

I am also providing this same list as a spreadsheet (not included in the eBook). This will allow you to change, edit, add or subtract items as you wish. Make sure you save the original and use a copy to do your editing.

Framing material takeoff for:
Date:

Basement (For Rear Framed Wall)		Remarks
Sill Insulation
Sill Plate treated
Exterior Studs
Fire Blocking
Top Plates
Sheathing
Headers
House Wrap
Concrete Blocks
Interior Walls
	Sill Plate Treated
	Studs
	Top Plate

1st Floor Deck
Glue
Joists
Sill Plate Treated		For Foundation and Steel Beams
Band Board
Subfloor
Joist Hangers
	Single
	Double

1st Floor
Exterior Walls
	Sill Plate
	Studs
	Top Plates
	Blocks
Bearing Walls
	Sill Plate
	Studs
	Top Plates
	Blocks
Interior Walls
	Sill Plate
	Studs
	Top Plates
	Blocks
Headers
Sheathing
House Wrap
Misc Bracing Mat

Garage
Exterior Walls
	Sill Plate
	Studs
	Top Plates
Sheathing
Headers
Tie Down Straps
2nd Floor Deck
Glue
Joists

Band Board
Subfloor
Joist Hangers
	single
	double

2nd Floor
Exterior Walls
	Sill Plate
	Studs
	Top Plate
	Blocks
Bearing Walls
	Sill Plate
	Studs
	Top Plate
	Blocks
Interior Walls
	Sill Plate
	Studs
	Top Plate
	Blocks
Sheathing
Headers
House Wrap
Wall Bracing

Roofing
Soffit/Facia Material
	Blocking
	Subfacia
	Continuous Vent Strip
Sheathing
Overbuild
Plyclips
Rafters
Truss Bracng

Interior Trim/Doors
Doors
Baseboard
Plinth Blocks
Casing
Crown Molding
Flex Casing
Sill Material

Decking (Exterior)
	Screws
	Posts
	Railing
	Joist
	Decking
	Concrete
	Hardware
	Stair Material

2. Bid Master

How to Use the Bid Master

First, open up the spreadsheet entitled Bid Master (not included in the eBook) and save a copy as “my bid master” or any name you choose. This way you will keep the original with all the line items. Many of these items you will not need with your bid. When you get through with editing and making your changes to this copy, save it again but this time save it under the job name you want to reference it to. Now you will have three copies of the Bid Master: 1) the original that came with this book, 2) a duplicate copy called “my bid master” and 3) the copy intended for the job you are bidding.

Once you have your own copy, delete any rows you do not need. Make sure you delete the entire row by highlighting the entire row and deleting it. If you only delete the one block and then move the rows up, the formulas at the end of the spreadsheet will not be associated with the correct line item. After you have deleted a row, you can then move up all the items below and start reducing the size (total number of items) of the bid and make it easier and quicker to use. For example: if you do not need “demolition” then delete that entire row and move the other rows up.

You can add more columns if you are getting multiple bids and want to track them all. Right now it is set to print in a “portrait” mode, but if you are adding more columns and keeping the remark column, you might need to change to “landscape” mode.

The only equations or functions are at the end. The spreadsheet sums up the total job cost and then inserts any of the last items for a grand total. Of course you can change and edit any of this to make it work for you. If you have added more columns for additional bids, you can simple copy the formulas from the original columns and paste it at the end of the new columns.

Below is a copy of the Bid Master with all my comments to help you with your own bid. I have deleted the “Budget” column to make it fit this page and a little easier to read.

BID MASTER WITH COMMENTS

SUB_CODE_TITLE		REMARKS
		*Turnkey means all Material and all Labor*
Building Permits		Check with county for permit fees
Water Tap Permit		Water and Sewer permit fees
Misc Permits and Fees

Plan Costs/Architect Fees		Add printing cost to this
Specs/Plats/Blueprints		More copying cost
Engineering - Structural Steel		If you need a structural engineer to review and stamp your plans
Architectural/Engineering Extr		More architectural fees and site engineer for site plan

Lot Clearing		This bid should include removing all stumps and debris
Fill Dirt and Material		You might need to import material for backfill or other uses
Site Survey		Lenders require foundation wall check and final house survey
Rough Grading		This is for any special grading prior to excavation
Sediment Controls		Plans for this should be prepared by the site engineer
Demolition		If you need to knock down old structures and have them removed

Sanitary Toilet		Porta-John Usually a monthly rental - allow plenty of months
Dumpster		I use five or six on a typical large custom home at $500/load
Temporary Electric		Try not to need this. Most subs have their own power. Get permanent power ASAP
Individual Well		Drilling the well. You might need equipment or clearing/grading to get the rig in.
Water Service		Public water or cost to run well line and pump
Septic System		Try to get this done well before final grade
Sewer Service		Usually do this with water service if both are available
Propane Tank		Buy this. Do not rent a tank so you can pick your supplier
Gas Service		This is for gas hook-up. Can be expensive for long runs to a house
Electric Service		Same thing as gas service. Make sure you get plenty of Amps. Expensive to go back.
Telephone Service		Usually done with the electic service but you need to make sure
Other Utility Connects		Satallite, etc
Utility Connections		Any other special fees or hookups. Gutters might have to be connected to storm drain.

Earth Hauling		Exporting and soil from site
Excavation & Backfill		Digging and backfilling the foundation - watch out for rock and water clauses
Foundation Turnkey		Total cost of the foundation (footers and walls and parging if a block wall)
W.P. and Draintile turnkey		Water proofing and draintile
Termite Protection		I usually treat the subsoil below the slab - not the exterior of the house

Beams, Steel		Structural steel
Posts, Steel		Steel post as needed
Structural Steel-Extras		Any special steel for fireplaces, brick, etc
Framing Materials		This is all the framing material, house wrap, etc. except the roof trusses
Materials-Roof Truses		Roof trusses with necessary hangers and straps
Building Supplies		Nails, joist hangers, tie down straps, etc
Framing Labor		The cost to do ALL the framing including punch-out items
Framing Labor - Extras		Allow for any special framing not on the plans

Slab Contract Turnkey		All the flat work including wire, plastic, steel, concrete and labor

Gutters And Downspouts		Allow for any special drainage here such as underground pipes, etc
Metal Roofing		Any metal roofing or special flashing

Plumbing Turnkey		This is for all the labor and material, gas hookups, etc but not the actual fixtures
Plumbing Fixtures		All the faucets, steam shower, instant hot, disposal, tiolets or the like
Bathtubs and Showers		Whirlpool, tubs, shower basin, etc
Plumbing Extras		Any special plumbing

Electrical Turnkey		Labor and material but no fixtures except utility lights
Electrical Extras		Yard lights, future pool electrical, etc

HVAC Turnkey		Heating, cooling, venting fans, venting hood
HVAC- Extras		such things as laundry chute

Security System		This can be part of your fire alarm system
Intercom
Phone/TV Prewire		Run a few extra lines to the attic
Central Vac

Roofing - Turnkey		material and labor plus all flashing and clean-up

Masonry-Chimney Turnkey		Build the chimney and add exterior stone, brick or what ever
Msnry-Brick Veneer Turnkey		Exterior of the house
Msnry-Stone Turnkey		Exterior stone on the house
Prefab Fireplaces Turnkey		The fireplace unit and installation. Gas and electric will be by others
Fireplace Surrounds		Mantel, wood trim, precast stone, etc
Fireplace Face		tile, marble,stone, brick that faces out the fireplace

Windows		Lots of choices but only one chance to do it
Skylights		Urge use of a raised curb but I am not a fan of skylights of any kind
Front Door		Many choices but wood doors can be very difficult to maintain
Exterior Doors		These are all the other doors going to the outside and intothe garage
Garage Doors		Prefinish doors are much easier to care for. Add the cost of the openers and installation

Stairs and Rails		Allow for installation and order on time. Straight is much less then curved.
Iron Rails		Basic styles are very affordable and offer a good alternative. Include installation

Insulation - Turnkey		Do it right!
Insulation - Extras		For sound proofing, energy seal and so on

Siding - Turnkey		This is for wood and vinyl siding including soffit, fascia, shutters
Exterior Trim Matls		Specialty trims and moldings for the exterior of the house
Exterior Trim Labor		Labor to install the trims and moldings
Exterior Trim - Turnkey

Paint - Exterior Turnkey		Read Adam and Eve book
Paint - Interior Turnkey		Read Adam and Eve book
Painting-Extras		faux finishes and that kind of stuff

Drywall - Turnkey		This includes any concrete board, drywall, glue, screws, labor, point-up and CLEANUP

Stucco - Turnkey		This is the budget for any EIFS on the house

Carpet - Turnkey		padding, carpet and installation
Vinyl Floor - Turnkey		material and labor
Ceramic - Labor and Material		Wall and floor tile for baths - protect this when it is finished
Cer Tile Floor Turnkey		This is for any major floor areas of ceramic tile
Hardwood - Turnkey		I would never provide the material but many of my customers do and save a few dollars
Marble Floor-Turnkey		Material and labor for marble or stone floors
Flooring-Extras

Trim Carpentry Matls		All the interior trim except the fancy stuff (base, casing, crown, chair rail, etc)
Trim Carpentry Labor		The labor and misc material to install all the trim
Interior Doors		All the interior doors usually prehung with casing applied, but not always
Specialty Trim		Fancy moldings, large crowns, head pieces,….
Trim Carpentry - Extras		Labor for the special trims
Columns Matl		Interior columns - I like fiberglass instead of wood usually
Columns Labor		Labor to install and columns
Hardware Matls		Door knobs, towel bars, tiolet paper holders, medicine cabinets, window hardware, etc
Hardware Labor		Labor to install all of the above stuff
Tools and Supplies		You might need to rent or purchase some tools or special supplies


Marble Tops Matl		This is for vanities - cultural marble tops are usually installed by the cabinet installer
Marble Tops Labor		See above
Marble Tops Turnkey		This is for custom marble tops when installed by the fabricator
Granite Tops Turnkey		Mainly for the kitchen, but where ever needed.
Cabinets Material		All the cabinets, trims, door and drawer hardware - complete
Cabinets Labor		Labor to install all of the cabinets
Bathroom Cabinets		Bathroom vanities are separate from the kitchen cabinets - need to add labor to this
Built-ins		Custom built-ins or store bought - add labor for this below
Cabinets Turnkey		This is a material and labor package for the cabinets - becoming more popular
Total Appliance Package		Includes range hood, ovens, cooktops, dishwasher, microwave -install by cabinet guy
Water Soft/Filters		You might need this

Lighting Fixtures		All the light fixtures wiith BULBS. I let the electricianprovide all the recess fixtures

Fine Gradeing		This is done just prior to seeding and usually by the seeding contractor
Seeding		Includes the fertilizer, lime and seed - if you have time, test the soil before
Sod		Nice for small areas, but when you are seeding acres it is a bit expensive -needs water!

Mirrors/Shower Dr Mtl		Bath mirrors and shower doors - often provided turnkey
Mirrors/Shower Dr Lbr		Labor to install the shower doors and mirrors
Finish Hardware		Any special hardware not included in anything else
Shelving		Can be part of the wood trim or installed as a separate item
Built-ins Installation		labor for any built-ins or special cabinets

Misc. Labor		A number for extra help if needed
Interior Bldg Clean		rough clean of the site and house - will need to do this a few times
Final Bldg Clean		final clean just before move in
Weather Protection		Plastic and other stuff to protect the materials
Trash Haul		If you need to haul trash instead of using the dumpster - usually at the end of a job
Plant Landscaping		Make sure everything else is done on the outside and you have running water
Driveway Turnkey		Good discussion of this in the Adam and Eve book
Temp Road		Often needed/required for access to the site and keeps dirt off the road
Patio Slab		Do this before you final grade and use control joints!
Patio Stone/Brick		If on slab, work design with control joints
Sidewalk Slab		Again, do before final grade and use contol joints
Sidewalk Stone/Brick		See comment for patio stone
Fence Turnkey		Need a fence?
Ornamental Iron Work		Exterior rails, gates, so on
Deck Matls		Often included in the framing package - I highly recommend synthetic materials
Deck Labor		I usually have the framing carpenter do this including the piers
Retaining Walls		Add any outside piers, landscaping walls, etc to this one.
Misc 1
Misc 2
Misc 3
Misc 4

Warranty-Subcontractor		This is a line item for any warranty work you might pay out of pocket


OTHER COSTS		Any other odd cost you might think of
OVERHEAD AND FEES		Any cost you might want to add such as interest, financing cost, settlement,etc
CONSTRUCTION COST
MARKUP		This is for builders use - this is the percent of profit or dollar markup

TOTAL JOB COST		Bottom Line

3. Bank Draw Schedule

The “Bank Draw Schedule” is shown below and enclosed as a spreadsheet (not included in the eBook). Open it and save a copy for your use. Keep the original safe and sound. To use this spreadsheet, simply insert the amount of the loan in the column for “Draw Value” and the values will automatically be distributed. You can alter the percentages or add and subtract items as you wish. The way it is now has been widely accepted by lenders and works well for the borrower.

In the below example I used $489,900 as the bank construction loan value. Typically a bank will do seven “draws.” Therefore it is necessary to combine a number of these individual items into one bank draw request.

Draw Schedule for:
Date:			Draw Value	$489,900
					VALUE	%
Item	%	VALUE	PAID- TO-DATE	THIS REQUEST	REMAINING	REMAINING
Excavation	2	9,798			9,798	100%
Footings	2	9,798			9,798	100%
Foundation	6	29,394			29,394	100%
2nd Floor Walls	17	83,283			83,283	100%
Roof Truss/Sheathed	5	24,495			24,495	100%
Roof Shingled	2	9,798			9,798	100%
Doors & Windows	5	24,495			24,495	100%
R.O. Electric	5	24,495			24,495	100%
R.O. Heating	5	24,495			24,495	100%
R.O. Plumbing	5	24,495			24,495	100%
Basement Slab	2	9,798			9,798	100%
Drywall	5	24,495			24,495	100%
Water Connection	1	4,899			4,899	100%
Sewer Connection	1	4,899			4,899	100%
Siding/Brick	8	39,192			39,192	100%
Soffit & Ext. Trim	1	4,899			4,899	100%
Ceramic Tile	2	9,798			9,798	100%
Cabinets & Vanities	5	24,495			24,495	100%
Interior Trimmed	4	19,596			19,596	100%
Painting	3	14,697			14,697	100%
Floor Covering	4	19,596			19,596	100%
Elec/Plumbing/Heating	6	29,394			29,394	100%
Appliances	2	9,798			9,798	100%
Driveway/Landscape	2	9,798			9,798	100%

TOTAL	100	489,900	0	0	489,900	100%