 Ask Bill
Dear Prospective Clients,
Building or renovating a home requires good communication and a high
level of trust between the client and the builder.
A successful project involves thousands of questions; the answers help to
shape a great design and a finished product that satisfies your needs.
Great building projects and lasting friendships often begin with a single
question. So lets get started!
E-mail your question to
bill@billeich.com or click on "contact us" at the
left to reach any of the Bill Eich team.
Frequently Asked
Questions
updated April 26, 2005
Q: How long does it take to build a new home ?
Q: How much per square foot does it cost to build a new
home ?
Q: What if we want to do our own painting and select our
own subcontractors?
Q: Do you build your basements with poured concrete or
permanent wood foundations?
Q: Do you build homes on slabs?
Q: What is the value of finishing a basement?
Q: Do we need to hire an architect before we come to
you?
Q: How long does the planning of a new home
take?
Q: Do you charge for consultations or design services?
Q: How long does it take to build a new home?
A: It varies and mostly depends on the size of the home
and the level of finish. A typical ranch home with a finished lower level will
take approximately four months to complete. Of course, there are always factors
that can change that, including weather, material selections, and Owner
involvement.
Q: How much per square foot does it cost to build a new
home?
A: That is a difficult question. Many things affect the
square foot price of a home including landscaping, appliances, style of home and
the types of finishes that are specified. For example, we could build two homes
side by side that are the exact same size and they could have very different
prices. One may be finished with asphalt shingles, vinyl siding, laminate
countertops, vinyl bathroom floors, and an unfinished garage. The other one may
have steel shingles, stone veneer, quartz countertops, ceramic tile bathroom
floors and a heated garage. It’s easy to see why this is a difficult question
to answer without going into a bit more detail.
Q: What if we want to do our own painting and select our
own subcontractors?
A: We are happy to work with our clients if they would
like to be involved in certain aspects of finishing their homes. We are also
very open to using your chosen subcontractors. Because we do work regularly
with a handful of subcontractors that we have built a relationship with, we
would typically suggest getting bids from your choices as well as ours. Then we
will compare the bids and together make the best decision for you.
Q: Do you build your basements with poured concrete or
permanent wood foundations?
A: We do both, based on our clients floor plan,
preference and budget. In some cases, a permanent wood foundation is less
expensive, in others, a poured concrete may be the least expensive choice.
Factors, other than cost that play a part in this decision include complexity of
design, finishing the basement, time and availability of subcontractors and
exterior finish. Many of the people on our staff choose to build wood
foundations vs. concrete, (or have lived in both) and will tell you the wood
basements are much more comfortable, not to mention easier to finish off.
Q: Do you build homes on slabs?
A: We are building many homes on slabs today because the
Frost Protected Shallow Foundation technique that we use makes them a
comfortable and affordable option.
Q: What is the value of finishing a basement?
A: With our Building Science approach, we can create a
basement area that is as warm, dry and comfortable as the rest of the home.
When you add some nice windows for egress and natural light, you have a valuable
living space that can be finished for one third the cost of the main floor
space. We can give you more home for your money.
Q: Do we need to hire an architect before we come to
you?
A: It’s not necessary, but some of our clients do choose
to work with an architect. We have a staff member with a degree in Architecture
and a current member of AIBD (American Institute of Building Designers) and I
have a degree in Construction Engineering. We work together to create designs
that are cost effective, functional, unique and very personal to fit your
needs. We work hard on floor plans to make sure that our homes are livable and
comfortable.
Q: How long does the planning of a new home
take?
A: Every home and every client is different. The time
line for planning varies with each job as some clients will come with plans,
some come with pages torn out of magazines, some come with nothing. Sometimes
we are able to work through a design quickly, other times there is a lot of
modifications that have to be made and that adds time to the time line. For
most clients, planning will take one to two months.
Q: Do you charge for consultations or design services?
A: We do not charge for consultations. We would welcome
an opportunity to visit with potential clients regarding their projects. At
that time, we can visit with you about budgets, discuss ballpark figures and
look at similar projects that we have completed. That will help us all decide
if the project is feasible or not. When you decide you’d like to proceed with
the project we do charge a $750 planning deposit. The plans and specifications
that we create in this process are distributed to our material suppliers and
subcontractors for bids. The bidding process typically takes two to three
weeks. After analyzing the bids, we will present you with a firm contract
price. If the contract price is over budget, we will work with you on a new
design until we come up with a plan that fits your needs and is within your
budget. The planning deposit is applicable to the contract amount but
non-refundable if you choose not to build the home. We own the plans and
specifications that we create in this process and they are not available for any
one else’s use.
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