What is a Construction Bid Package? Or Construction Cost Analysis?
When I put together a construction cost analysis package I review all plans and put together a sub-contractor and material list complete with costs associated with every aspect of the project, this may include engineering, wells, septic systems, utilities and finishes: carpet, tile, hardwood flooring, or custom exotic wood cabinets. Every cost associated with taking your bare dirt to a turnkey home. My cost analysis packages are complete and ready to be taken to a building department for permitting and to the bank for a construction loan. These bids take a lot of time and effort to put together and may not be what you need.
Before asking for a Cost analysis, ask yourself: Realistically how close am I to building this home? If you want to determine when your budget might allow you to build, a ballpark estimate may be all you need. If I bid the project and put together complete material costs and labor, then you don’t build for 6 months or more the numbers may change dramatically and the analysis will be useless. The materials chosen may no longer be available or new technology may alter your choices. The cost of LED lighting is becoming more affordable all the time, what may have been unattainable in your budget might now be within reach. Don’t ask for a cost analysis until you are close to actually building your home. To get realistic costs it is best to have your lot chosen, soil conditions, proximity to utilites, drainage and many other factors will affect the costs.
Ask questions about your bid package to determine what you are actually getting. I have spent many long hours putting together a good cost analysis package for clients to have them go with another builder who gave them lower costs. Once they have committed to build with the other company, they are told that those were only estimated costs and once the plan reviews and material lists are created the number is magically inflated and my analysis would have been less. Read the fine print to find out what the actual numbers are before signing any contracts.
I strive to put together a very comprehensive package with realistic numbers. I typically ask for an amount to be set aside in escrow for my time and experience. This amount will vary depending on many factors, you are required to release the funds once I have completed the terms of the contract but you will be credited for the amount if you proceed with me as your builder in a timely manner.
I believe that unless you have realistic numbers, you cannot make a good decision in the building process. It does no one any good if I lead you to believe that your home may be built for $200,000 and the actual cost is $275,000. The difference in costs may make be the difference of your dream home or a disappointment. Knowing what you have to do to accomplish your goals gives you power to make decisions. It might mean working another year before you retire, it might mean putting off building for a year or sending the kids to a junior college instead of Yale. Whatever the decisions are, you will have the real information needed to make them.
The Cost Analysis that I provide WILL take you from dirt to dream home with NO suprises.
Charlie Kattnig – Apache Creek Builders serving most of Southern Colorado, including Pueblo, Hatchet Ranch, Locke Mountain, Red Canyon Park, Canon City, Florence and many other areas.
What is sick building syndrome and can an ERV help?
“Sick building syndrome” (SBS) is a combination of ailments (a syndrome) associated with an individual’s place of work or residence. A 1984 World Health Organization report into the syndrome suggested up to 30% of new and remodeled buildings worldwide may be linked to symptoms of SBS. Most of the sick building syndrome is related to poor indoor air quality. This syndrome is a phenomenon of tighter building techniques and higher energy standards.
According to an Energy Star site air leakage accounts for 25–40% of the energy used for heating and cooling in a typical home.” So how do we build homes that are both energy-efficient and do not cause SBS? The answer is pretty simple an ERV or an HRV- Heat Recovery Ventilator, which is a type of ERV.
Energy Recovery Ventilation Systems
Energy recovery ventilation systems provide a controlled way of ventilating a home while minimizing energy loss. They reduce the costs of heating ventilated air in the winter by transferring heat from the warm inside air being exhausted to the fresh (but cold) supply air. In the summer, the inside air cools the warmer supply air to reduce ventilation cooling costs. These systems may also reduce indoor humidity and improve overall indoor air quality.
Think of it as the best of both worlds, you have a system that works much like the old drafty house, constantly exchanging stale indoor air for fresh outside air. The difference is, now it is done on your terms with little loss of energy. Giving you a more comfortable and healthier living environment.
When a building cannot breathe, problems occur. These problems may be mold, chemicals, dust, germs or other contaminants. These contaminants come from our carpeting, furniture, pets, children, tracked in on our shoes, trapped humidity, cleaning supplies and a myriad of other sources. ERV’s and HRV‘s are types of Air Exchange Ventilators or AEV‘s – none of these units will lower your utility bill, but many Regional Building Codes require certain cfm (Cubic foot per minute) of air to be exchanged. Because HRV’s and ERV’s salvage most of the heat from the indoor air going out and transfer it to the outdoor air coming in they are more efficient than other varieties of AEV’s.
ICF homes are so well insulated and have almost no air infiltration, we will not build without an ERV. In fact our homes would not pass our local building codes without one. There is no longer a need to open a window to get fresh air and forget to close it when you leave for work, worrying all day about your air conditioner working to keep your home cool with the windows open. You may still open the window if you wish, but you won’t NEED to.
Charlie Kattnig – Apache Creek Builders - Building quality, energy-efficient ICF homes for every budget and lifestyle serving most of Southern Colorado, including Pueblo, Avondale, Rye, Walsenburg, Canon City, Penrose Hatchet Ranch….
What does an ICF home look like?
An ICF home looks like an any home, if you can imagine it we can build it. ICF construction can also look like a multi-story skyscraper. The sky is literally the limit when it comes to ICF’s. They can take any exterior or interior finish that a standard wood frame house can. An ICF home looks like a lower energy bill and a more comfortable living environment. It looks like lower insurance premiums and special mortgage rates.
Chances are that unless you watched an ICF home being built you would have a hard time to pick it out from the house next door, until you were inside. Typically ICF homes have thicker walls so that will look like wider window sills and a place to put your plants or for your cat to sun himself. They are quieter so you might wonder why your neighbors are complaining about the kids next door.
The benefits to using ICF‘s :
- e-star rated
- green building material, environmentally friendly
- save an average of thirteen trees per house
- homes are six times quieter than ordinary wood frame homes
- have a three to four-hour fire rating
- provide 25% to 50% energy savings
- homes have lower insurance costs
- homes qualify for energy-efficient mortgage rates
- have an R-50 wall insulation value
- require smaller HVAC units
So basically anything you could want in a lumber-framed home you can have in an ICF home only better. An ICF home looks like your dream home.
Charlie Kattnig – owner – Apache Creek Builders, serving Pueblo, Avondale, Walsenburg, Colorado City, Rye, Canon City, Florence, Wetmore, Westcliffe and most of Southern Colorado. Specializing in building in rural areas.
Frame Construction and ICF’s a side by side comparison of two nearly identical homes and energy consumption
What are the real benefits of ICF’s (Insulated Concrete Forms) compared to stick built homes? In a side by side comparison for energy consumption preliminary data shows that the ICF home is consuming almost a third less gas than the lumber-framed home next door.
The Greenbuild 2010 Legacy Project is interested in comparing “apples to apples” to get real data on energy consumption. The homes have identical floor plans, 1,300 square foot, one story with 3-bedrooms, 1-bath, ranch style homes. The windows, doors, mechanical systems and interior finishes are the same.
Home A is built of LOGIX ICF’s with fiber-cement siding and a metal roof. Home B was built using conventional lumber-framing and spray-foam insulation with vinyl siding and concrete tile roof. Both homes were built by volunteers with donated materials in November 2010 as a demonstration project that benefited Habitat for Humanity Lake County.
According to U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) about a quarter of the heating losses and gain in a new home is due to air leakage through the thermal envelope. Tighter homes consume less energy and are more comfortable due to less air-infiltration and fewer drafts. They are also more durable reducing the flow of moisture and lessening the risk of condensation within the exterior envelope.
A blower door test was conducted on both homes, this is a test used to determine the tightness of a building. Overall the ICF home tested 2.4 times air tighter than the lumber-framed home. Remember the wood-framed home was insulated with spray-foam insulation which seals much better by filling in gaps than a fiberglass batt insulation. However, the spray-foam insulation cannot match the performance value of ICF’s. Wood-frame construction will always have gaps where panels meet and at each butt joint, ICF’s by comparison have no gaps or joints in the wall structure. Another factor in traditional wood-frame construction is that you have long joints where dissimilar materials meet. The concrete slab has to tie to the bottom plate of the wood-frame wall and it’s very difficult to get a good seal there. On the other hand ICF’s have 100% continuous insulation on both sides of the wall and you complete the air seal with the concrete pour.
The R-value of the lumber-framed home was 20.13 and the ICF home was 24.63, this isn’t a huge difference and both homes far exceeded the 16.17 R-value required by the local code. This project demonstrates that R-value isn’t the only thing to consider, air-infiltration is also an important factor in the efficiency of a home.
Read more on this project in Concrete Homes Magazine March 2012 and in upcoming articles here.
Apache Creek Builders – Charlie Kattnig owner and ICF Builder in Southern Colorado including Pueblo, Westcliffe, Rye, Colorado City and surrounding areas.
www.apachecreekbuilders.com 719-251-3003
Is ICF (insulated concrete forms) used only for foundations or can you build an entire building from it.
ICF’s make great foundation walls but it isn’t necessary to stop there. ICF construction is great for single story and multiple story residential projects as well as commercial buildings, with proper bracing and engineering you can build as high as you want with ICF’s.
With the added insulation factors of ICF construction in my opinion there is little reason to build with wood frame construction. ICF is a “green” product, it is light-weight, easy to haul, there is little waste, Improved fire and tornado resistance, improved sound-proofing and many other benefits.
Some mortgage companies are even offering special loans based on the idea that the homes utility bills will be so much less than a standard frame home that you will be able to qualify for a higher debt to income ratio. The time-frame required to build an ICF home and a stick built home are very similar.
Channels are cut into the interior side of the ICF to run your electric and plumbing. Drywall is attached to the ICF using the blocks ties, these are typically placed every 8″ versus wood studs at 16″ giving you plenty of attachment points. Hanging pictures, curtains, cabinets etc. are very easily dealt with. The cost of wood stud construction versus ICF is nominal and when considering the energy cost savings there really is no reason to continue to cutting down forests to build homes.
Charlie Kattnig owner of Apache Creek Builders would be happy to discuss your project to determine how ICF’s can benefit you. Serving South Eastern Colorado including Sikes Ranch, Hatchet Ranch, Colorado City, Rye, Pueblo and other areas
How do I know if I have chosen a good builder?
Choosing a builder is the most important decision you need to make in building a home. This choice will determine how enjoyable the entire process will be. The right builder can help you through the financing hurdles as well as choice of materials and design/build process. Even if you already have a house plan, you need to know it will work on the lot you choose, the builder can help you with that as well.
So how do you choose a builder? Referrals are always good. If you know someone who was happy with a builder then that would be a great place to start. Some builders understand septic systems and well water concerns, others may only understand city utilities. If you know you want to use a product like an ICF then asking the manufacturer for a referral is the best idea. Your friends may have had a great builder, but if he doesn’t understand or have experience with the product you are using, he probably isn’t the best choice. Check with various manufacturers like Fox blocks or Reward Walls these will have names of builders in your area that are using their products. Checking in with your regional building department lets you check on a contractor’s license and insurance as well as if they have had any major issues on inspections. It is common to occasionally have an inspection by the building department rejected, they will list the issues that must be corrected, the important things to look for is how often these occur and if the were fixed promptly. Some building departments have more information than others. Pueblo Regional Building Department does a great job. You can search by name or address, you can see all the homes a contractor has built over a certain period of time, when they were started and when they were completed and the permit progress throughout.
There is something to be said for choosing a huge national builder, they typically build in a neighborhood and all the homes will be built in the same general time frame and with the same general look. The downside is they have usually found ways to take shortcuts in the building process to save money, but they rarely pass those savings to you. You typically have very few choices to make. 3-6 floor plans and a choice of carpet color and countertops etc. For some people this is comforting. Few choices mean few arguments with the spouse and you know what you will be getting because it looks identical to the homes already built.
When choosing a smaller builder, who specializes in building, YOUR dream home within YOUR budget, working with you to ensure the choices YOU make are appropriate, built wherever YOU want it, makes the process a little more difficult. Do you want hardwood, carpet or tile floors? Do you want granite, Corian or poured concrete countertops? Do you have that special keepsake from your trip abroad that you want to incorporate into the design of your home? A deck or a patio? A city lot or acreage? There are many decisions to make and it may seem overwhelming, but the right builder will sit down and talk to you about your lifestyle. Do you entertain? Do you enjoy Bar-b-que outside or gourmet cooking in your kitchen? With these facts he can help you make these choices and make your home fit You. You can choose the building materials so it is more energy efficient and it won’t look like every other home on the street.
Charlie Kattnig owner of Apache Creek Builders serving city as well as country living. We understand the water concerns of Southern Colorado and how to drill wells and install septic systems.
At what point are repairs on your home more than it’s worth
There is a point when you need to say “it’s not worth it” in home repairs. I am working with a couple in Canon City, Colorado, whose home was damaged by flooding caused by a neighbor’s actions. They are suing the neighbor and his insurance company and originally they just wanted their home back to normal. Due to the nature of the damage which is movement of the foundation, causing interior and exterior damage all the way to the roof. The cost of repairing the home will reach nearly the amount the home is currently worth.
Once the repairs are completed they will still have a 30+ year-old home, worth no more than it was before. The windows will still be old and inefficient, the walls will still be poorly insulated by todays standards, they will still have a formal living room that gets little use, because it is inconsistent with their current lifestyle. The exterior will look like a home that was built in the 70′s.
Each solution has it’s pro’s and con’s, they must choose the best option for them, I can only lay out the options.
Doing the repairs will require the least amount of inconvenience for them. They can live in the home and while some furniture and knickknacks may have to be packed up and moved it will not require them to relocate.
Knocking it down and rebuilding means they will have to relocate for 6 months, rent and two moves, but they will have a new efficient home in their own neighborhood. The neighborhood is filled with dated homes that will bring down the resale value of their new home and the floor plan will be somewhat limited by the existing footprint.
Selling the home for a discounted price and buying another home, means they can move quickly and put their home on the market, then hope they can find a buyer willing to take on and repair the issues. The problem here is, piece of mind, they know the problems their old home has, can they trust buying another home. Yes, having a home inspection would help to ensure the home won’t have issues, but after what they have been through will that be enough to assure them?
Selling the home and building a new one in a new neighborhood, they could stay in the damaged home until the new one is built and move in to a brand new, energy-efficient home that is everything they choose with a much smaller energy bill. At their age this will most likely be the last home they purchase. They will still need to sell their damaged home and hope for a buyer that is willing to do the repairs, but the piece of mind knowing it is a new home with warranties might be worth it.
A decision can’t be made until we know what happens in court with the insurance company, but these are things they need to think about to make an informed choice. There is never just one answer, Which would you choose?
Charlie Kattnig owner of Apache Creek Builders serving Southern Colorado offering remodeling services as well as building energy-efficient homes
Zombie safe housing??? ICF’s homes provide a safe haven
Reward Walls, a national manufacturer of ICF’s, state in their blog that ICF Homes (insulated concrete forms) are Zombie proof. I have always known that ICF homes performed great during hurricanes and other severe weather, but I never considered the benefits during a zombie attack.
Their theory is that being strong, the homes can withstand the brutal punishment inflicted as the zombies try to get at you as well as possible grenades launched by neighbors trying to destroy the undead. They are sound proof, so the zombies won’t be attracted by your screams of terror. They are airtight so the undead will not be attracted by the smell of living flesh and you won’t have to smell their decaying flesh. Last, but certainly not least, they are energy-efficient. Why would that matter? Well if there is a zombie attack that takes out the power grid your home will be able to maintain a comfortable temperature or even be able to be more easily powered by a back up generator until the National Guard can come to the rescue.
I never took any of these things into consideration when determining the benefits of ICF construction, but I must say they have put forth some good arguments.
Insulated Concrete Forms provide very safe and comfortable living conditions throughout the most severe weather conditions including hurricanes, tornadoes and extreme temperatures, so it stands to reason they would be able to withstand zombie attacks as well.
Charlie Kattnig owner (with a sense of humor) of Apache Creek Builders serving all zombie prone areas of Colorado
How do I build my own home? Do I really need to hire a builder?
Many people assume that a builder makes huge amounts of money on each home they build and that by acting as their own General Contractor (GC) they will be able to put this money into their own pocket or use it as sweat equity in their home. This is rarely the case.
Regardless of how much you know about the building process, it requires a lot of time and attention to detail to build a home. You need to hire subcontractors and schedule them in such a way that they are the most efficient and not in each others way. Most subcontractors base their bids on who they are working with. If they know the builder is knowledgable their bid will be less than if they are working with someone they don’t know. Many of the best subcontractors won’t work with a homeowner acting as their own GC. If they do, they charge a premium, because they know, they will most likely be making extra trips and will have scheduling nightmares.
A quality GC knows weeks ahead of time their schedule and can schedule each trade to within a few days of actually needing them. A homeowner acting on their own, building one house, does not have the benefit of understanding how long it will take to prepare the foundation before calling in the framers, or how long it will take the framers before calling in the plumber or electrician. This problem is compounded because the electrician, plumber or other trade is more likely to put off the homeowner building one house to take care of the builder who keeps him in business.
Ultimately, if there is any cost savings it is minimal and in many cases it costs a homeowner more time and money to build their own home than it does to hire a qualified builder. The builder knows the best subcontractors and products to use and how to schedule them, as well as how to get the best price from them. Many marriages have been ruined by the process of building or remodeling a home, it can be very stressful. A quality builder can make the process enjoyable, the experience of a lifetime, not a reason for a divorce.
Another consideration; no matter how great your architect is, most likely there will be changes to be made in the field. You need to understand what must be done to fix the issue without creating more problems. What looks great on paper and what works well in real-life are rarely the same.
I know you are thinking “of course, he says that, he’s a builder” and it is true that I would like to build your dream home for you. That doesn’t change the facts that I have laid out here. My job as your builder is to get you the best product for your money, using my knowledge and connections. I know what works and what doesn’t. I can help save you money and avoid costly mistakes. Your home will be completed on schedule and within your budget. If you make changes, after we get started I can help you understand how that will affect your costs and schedule, together we can determine if the changes are necessary.
Charlie Kattnig owner of Apache Creek Builders serving Colorado including Pueblo, Colorado City, Rye, Walsneburg, Cripple Creek and more. I specialize in building in areas that other builders won’t and I understand septic and well water systems.
Radient heat, passive solar, high-efficiency, ICF’s, active solar; why can’t I have it all?
There are many home designs and systems that are highly efficient and make a lot of sense. That is until they don’t. As a builder I have clients who come to me with the latest and greatest designs and systems and ask me to incorporate these into their home. It is my job to make sure that these systems work together to become a cohesive unit.
The thing about energy-efficient systems is that while there are many great systems, there must be a consistent plan that utilizes the best systems that work well together and suits your goals and lifestyle.
For example: Passive solar isn’t truly passive and for many people it does not fit into their lifestyle. The simplest explanation of passive solar is that it relies on the placement of windows to allow heat in during the winter months and a floor or wall that creates thermal mass to absorb the heat and radiate it after the sun goes down. The problem with this system is that, if you are not home when the sun goes down to pull the shades and keep that heat in the home, those windows become a detriment to your system by becoming a point of heat loss.
My goal as a builder is to create the best design, utilizing the best systems in such a way that they incorporate your lifestyle, your budget and work well together to create the most energy-efficient home for the money. A home you will be able to live in comfortably without any extra effort on your part on a budget that suits your needs.
I can use any system you want and I can make it work, but I ask you to remember that you hired me for a reason. I am working with your best interest in mind. I will listen and take your suggestions into consideration, but sometimes the system you found online does not work well with your design or your budget, no matter how good it sounds.
If you have taken time to find a quality builder, whether it is me or someone else, you need to trust that they know what they are doing and listen to them and the reasons they are giving you for not wanting to use a certain system. If you hire a builder that agrees with everything you say and uses whatever you ask him to with no questions. I would say he does not have your best interest in mind and most likely your home will come in over budget and you will not be as happy with the end result.
Charlie Kattnig owner of Apache Creek Builders serving South Eastern Colorado including Pueblo, La Junta, Fowler, Walsenburg, Colorado City, Rye and more
