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The Pretty Good House

prettygoodhouse.org

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Re: The Pretty Good House

#61

Post by quickthrowman »

bboygravity wrote: post #53
tibbon wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A good architect will be this third party and hold the GC's feet to the fire. The GC might not care about you and repeat business, but they will likely care a lot more about keeping a good architect & firm happier with a decent reputation. Plus, the architect is used to helping this process.

I thought architects are designers who are not experts on the technical details of things like constructions (strength, earthquake proofness, wind proofing), heating/cooling, humidity issues, electrical installation building codes, proper tubing, insulation materials, sound proofing etc. That's the experience / knowledge I'd want to hire for oversight. I don't see how a designer is the best person for that but then m…

> maybe my idea about architects mostly being desk-bound designers focused on estatics is totally wrong?

Yep, it’s totally wrong. No doubt there are some architects/engineers who focus strictly on design. An architect/engineer is generally “in charge” of a construction project in the US, at least for commercial construction, which is the segment where most of the architects work.

I’m just a lowly subcontractor PM but the GC generally works for the architect/engineer.

Edit: New building projects will have multiple drawing sets: architectural, structural, civil, landscape, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, low voltage systems, fire protection, as well as others depending on the project specifics, but all of these engineers are coordinated by the architect.

Re: The Pretty Good House

#62

Post by jdadj »

galenko wrote: post #16
carabiner wrote: post #11

I'm looking at building a home as a first time home owner in the next few years. One thing I'm wondering is how many headaches can I avoid if I just choose an expensive builder and not try to haggle or save a buck at every turn? I just want a 2-bedroom, 1,000 sq ft bungalow and am willing to pay 60-70% more than the average $/sqft in my city if they do a good job. I'd rather have a nice small place rather than a huge…

No. That’s still a lottery and you are basically saying I’m paying more, so I expect a better service. This does not guarantee results. At all. What you want is a third party. Someone who understands the trade and the codes and will check in on the building site daily and will make sure everything is being done correctly. And if it’s not, will stop work and put everyone in their place. I frankly have no idea what the…

The term you’re looking for in the US is “owners representative.”

Re: The Pretty Good House

#63

Post by gumby »

galenko wrote: post #16
carabiner wrote: post #11

I'm looking at building a home as a first time home owner in the next few years. One thing I'm wondering is how many headaches can I avoid if I just choose an expensive builder and not try to haggle or save a buck at every turn? I just want a 2-bedroom, 1,000 sq ft bungalow and am willing to pay 60-70% more than the average $/sqft in my city if they do a good job. I'd rather have a nice small place rather than a huge…

No. That’s still a lottery and you are basically saying I’m paying more, so I expect a better service. This does not guarantee results. At all. What you want is a third party. Someone who understands the trade and the codes and will check in on the building site daily and will make sure everything is being done correctly. And if it’s not, will stop work and put everyone in their place. I frankly have no idea what the…

That person is called a construction supervisor: someone hired by the owner who makes sure the contractor is doing good work and not ripping you off, as well as keeping the owner in line and making sure they don’t get in the contractor’s way, delay decisions etc.

Around here they aren’t interested in projects under $5M.

Re: The Pretty Good House

#64

Post by constGard »

danans wrote: post #50
constGard wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I might get a better answer on GBA, but any building performance folks you'd recommend connecting with in the SF Bay Area? I'm not in the building industry at all, but love hearing talks and daydreaming about changing careers. Finding some material for folks outside of the PNW, New England, and the South West would be amazing. Temperate climates like the bay seem especially challenging to get specific info for, so ma…

> I might get a better answer on GBA, but any building performance folks you'd recommend connecting with in the SF Bay Area? I'm halfway down that road, having completed a high performance remodel in the Bay Area, and contemplated a career shift into some adjacent field. High performance building is not as organized a movement here, but instead a patchwork of architects, contractors and consultants that I had to asse…

Would you be open to sharing some details about your project(s)? Things like costs, who you worked with, guiding principles, etc. would be amazing. I feel like maybe finding the kind of people that will do high performance work is just outside of my budget, so I'm curious what you did and with what resources.

Re: The Pretty Good House

#65

Post by carabiner »

lukewrites wrote: post #59
carabiner wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Looks cool, wish they were in the US. Here we have "kit homes," like this First Day Cottage that I really like: https://www.reddit.com/r/woodworking/comments/sibihx/first_d... The company that makes the plans is http://www.firstdaycottage.com/

I think Dvele ( http://dvele.com ) is one option in the US for this. I'd love to hear about others. They build in SD and ship in the lower 48 afaik. Would love to hear other options. Our budget to expand and my opinion of gc's after hearing an unending litany of horror stories are at the point that I'd be quite glad to pay a premium for a known, factory-made product.

There's https://www.bluhomes.com/ but they're very expensive. Node is making flat pack homes in Seattle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_P3lmp1KVOY

Re: The Pretty Good House

#66

Post by toast0 »

carabiner wrote: post #11

I'm looking at building a home as a first time home owner in the next few years. One thing I'm wondering is how many headaches can I avoid if I just choose an expensive builder and not try to haggle or save a buck at every turn? I just want a 2-bedroom, 1,000 sq ft bungalow and am willing to pay 60-70% more than the average $/sqft in my city if they do a good job. I'd rather have a nice small place rather than a huge…

Unfortunately, if you want it done right, you really have to be involved. Frequent checking on the work and hounding the people to fix it. Which also means you need to know enough about construction to ask the right questions to figure out what's right or not. It's very hard to effectively contract that out. If you can date/marry someone in construction/architecture, and let them supervise, it helps.

You can just pay more and get probably more quality materials, but not necessarily get better workmanship. Saving time by taking shortcuts is just going to happen unless you call them on it a lot.

One thing to keep in mind though, it's good to know what you want, but also be flexible, for example, if you can adjust a bit and get a standard size window instead of your specific window, it will reduce the cost now and probably in the future (unless standards change), doorways are similar... if you get a standard sized door, it makes life much easier.

Re: The Pretty Good House

#67

Post by danans »

constGard wrote: post #64
danans wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I might get a better answer on GBA, but any building performance folks you'd recommend connecting with in the SF Bay Area? I'm halfway down that road, having completed a high performance remodel in the Bay Area, and contemplated a career shift into some adjacent field. High performance building is not as organized a movement here, but instead a patchwork of architects, contractors and consultants that I had to asse…

Would you be open to sharing some details about your project(s)? Things like costs, who you worked with, guiding principles, etc. would be amazing. I feel like maybe finding the kind of people that will do high performance work is just outside of my budget, so I'm curious what you did and with what resources.

Sure, I've temporarily put my linked in URL on my profile. Reach out to me there.

Re: The Pretty Good House

#68

Post by ghouse »

reef84_ wrote: post #57
bboygravity wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I thought architects are designers who are not experts on the technical details of things like constructions (strength, earthquake proofness, wind proofing), heating/cooling, humidity issues, electrical installation building codes, proper tubing, insulation materials, sound proofing etc. That's the experience / knowledge I'd want to hire for oversight. I don't see how a designer is the best person for that but then m…

No, architects are the ones who know. Source - construction oversight guy.

Not all architects know. Source -- Am in month 21 of a construction project. Have caught more than a dozen mistakes made by both the architect and the GC's subcontractors.

Re: The Pretty Good House

#69

Post by masklinn »

poutine wrote: post #19
galenko wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No. That’s still a lottery and you are basically saying I’m paying more, so I expect a better service. This does not guarantee results. At all. What you want is a third party. Someone who understands the trade and the codes and will check in on the building site daily and will make sure everything is being done correctly. And if it’s not, will stop work and put everyone in their place. I frankly have no idea what the…

This is what a builder would do in North America, they're the general contractor and will generally budget for you, manage the project and the trades. They'll ensure quality and be your point of contact. Typically where I'm at they charge 15% of the total time and materials of the build.

The builder / GC is in charge of the construction, so when incentives diverge they’re not on the side of the owner. They’re the second party.

That’s why you need a construction supervisor, a third party that’s on your side (if you don’t have the skills, knowledge, or time, to be the supe).

Re: The Pretty Good House

#70

Post by dmckeon »

pilingual wrote: post #35
carabiner wrote: post #11

I'm looking at building a home as a first time home owner in the next few years. One thing I'm wondering is how many headaches can I avoid if I just choose an expensive builder and not try to haggle or save a buck at every turn? I just want a 2-bedroom, 1,000 sq ft bungalow and am willing to pay 60-70% more than the average $/sqft in my city if they do a good job. I'd rather have a nice small place rather than a huge…

Sometimes the builders are also the carpenters. I would go with one of those because they will do arguably the most important part right, and they will likely have worked with the foundation team before. Electricians and plumbers often have to be certified so there is less concern there. Getting educated so you can ask questions and observe that they properly seal the house for air and moisture is a good idea. PGH is…

Matt's channel seems to focus on innovative technology. For a slightly more traditional approach to a "spec" (speculative) house-building process, see the "Essential Craftsman" series of 150 videos by Scott and Nate Wadsworth https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRZePj70B4IwyNn1ABhJW...

Scott is the builder, and Nate, his son, the videographer and editor. The subject matter is clearly and honestly explained, and the video, sound, and editing is generally professional quality. From survey and site prep all the through to finish and completion, I would recommend it to anyone in the US considering a bespoke or custom home.

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