Today the county came for their first inspection and
we passed with flying colors.
We are officially an "active" construction site.
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| Our "homemade" permit posting. |
Thursday, April 30, 2015
Tuesday, April 28, 2015
I'm a lumberjack and I don't care
We got the final big tree along the driveway down last Friday
afternoon. It was the one which they didn't feel safe climbing, so
we rented a lift, pieced out the 2 large branches and then fell
it. Talk about precision, that sucker came down right smack in the
middle of the driveway. No pictures, as I was actually helping this time, but here is a picture to go with this entry's title!
Also, that evening, both our Excavator and Concrete contractors came by the property to sign contracts. The only thing that came up is that depending on the soils the concrete might end up being taller on the foundation of the porch. Of course this would mean more $, but it's a wait and see situation. Worse case scenario, we end up with a bunker room under our front porch.
Saturday was a wash out, but Sunday morning we were able to get our silt fence put up.
Our original site plan had 250 feet+ of silt fence along each side of the driveway. I had contractor quote $1.50 per foot. So the original estimate was $750! In speaking with the county and our site planner I questioned the need for it. In the end they were able to eliminate approx 175 along the east side.
A few internet searches later I was able to determine that we could purchase the silt fence at Menards for $25/100 feet and rent a trenching machine for $120/3 hours.
Add in some sweat equity and a surprise visit from Grandma to keep the kiddos occupied and our total cost was $220, a huge savings over hiring the contractor!
In other news, I had a small victory last Friday...it started a couple weeks ago when I had found some new information from a county meeting stating that the fair market value of an acre had been revised and thus the school district impact fees were also affected. Given we had paid the impact fees back in February, in preparation for the permit submission, I contacted the district, attached the appropriate paperwork and advised that I expected a refund for my overpayment. The overpayment amount was close to $300. A week later they contacted me to advise that payments are based on when they are paid, and therefore I would not be getting a refund. I rebutted with the information that had I paid on the day our permit was ready, then I would not even be having this discussion and that I felt I was being penalized for paying early. After that round, came another via phone and I finally received the call Friday afternoon that they would be returning my overpayment afterall. There is more to this story, having to do with the fact that the district really had no clue about the impact fees and changes to them, until I brought it to their attention. The moral of the story, $300 is no small change and my daddy taught me to fight the good fight. I made him proud.
One last picture from our work this past weekend...found on the property. Freaky? or Freaky cool?
Also, that evening, both our Excavator and Concrete contractors came by the property to sign contracts. The only thing that came up is that depending on the soils the concrete might end up being taller on the foundation of the porch. Of course this would mean more $, but it's a wait and see situation. Worse case scenario, we end up with a bunker room under our front porch.
Saturday was a wash out, but Sunday morning we were able to get our silt fence put up.
Our original site plan had 250 feet+ of silt fence along each side of the driveway. I had contractor quote $1.50 per foot. So the original estimate was $750! In speaking with the county and our site planner I questioned the need for it. In the end they were able to eliminate approx 175 along the east side.
A few internet searches later I was able to determine that we could purchase the silt fence at Menards for $25/100 feet and rent a trenching machine for $120/3 hours.
Add in some sweat equity and a surprise visit from Grandma to keep the kiddos occupied and our total cost was $220, a huge savings over hiring the contractor!
In other news, I had a small victory last Friday...it started a couple weeks ago when I had found some new information from a county meeting stating that the fair market value of an acre had been revised and thus the school district impact fees were also affected. Given we had paid the impact fees back in February, in preparation for the permit submission, I contacted the district, attached the appropriate paperwork and advised that I expected a refund for my overpayment. The overpayment amount was close to $300. A week later they contacted me to advise that payments are based on when they are paid, and therefore I would not be getting a refund. I rebutted with the information that had I paid on the day our permit was ready, then I would not even be having this discussion and that I felt I was being penalized for paying early. After that round, came another via phone and I finally received the call Friday afternoon that they would be returning my overpayment afterall. There is more to this story, having to do with the fact that the district really had no clue about the impact fees and changes to them, until I brought it to their attention. The moral of the story, $300 is no small change and my daddy taught me to fight the good fight. I made him proud.
Tuesday, April 21, 2015
"That costs what!?"
So, as I had mentioned in my last entry, the bids are coming in, sure and steady. Which leads me to the title of this post..."That costs what?!" You can hear me now, right?
If you are interested, please read, if not skip to the very end for a happy ending.
We had divided our budget into categories:
1. LAND-
Speaks for itself. And we got a good deal.
2. PREP-
Architectural fees
Soil tests
Septic design/Site plan
Impact fees
Permit fees
Insurance
Surveys
We had not anticipated that the drawings would cost us so much, so for this bucket we are over budget. Still, we didn't throw in the towel, because proportionally speaking, this bucket isn't a big one.
3. DRIVEWAY/SITE PREP-
Tree removal/stump grinding
Culvert
Silt fence
Excavation
Gravel
We put in a lot of sweat equity with the tree work and we certainly owe many favors now to family and friends, for their assistance with that part. But the culvert prep, silt fence and excavation costs were not budgeted for adequately, so alas here we are slightly over, as some of these items crept up on us.
Keeping score? Between 1 and 2&3 we are even/on budget
4. HOUSE BUILD-aka the "Big" Bucket
Ok, so here we have it. The true test of our budget.
Many of the line items are within expectation, some even less (yay!) but we currently have several that are in need of some major improvement.
However, this is also the category you don't want to cut corners on. It's the Foundation (literally)!
It's also the:
Framing (walls, floors, roof trusses-materials and labor)-how can wood cost so much-we just cut a bunch of it down!
Windows-glass? really? that much?
Exterior doors
Exterior lighting
Siding/soffit/fascia/trim
Gutters
Roof-sorry steel roof, we really wanted you, but you just got cut from the budget
Plumbing
Septic
Well-please say prayers that they find good water sooner than later
Electrician
Electric service
Gas service
HVAC-2 units, ouch
Insulation
Drywall
P.S. Don't forget to budget for the generator, high lift, dumpster and the porta potty. Geez.
5. HOUSE FINISH
Fireplace
Flooring
Interior doors & trim
Interior light fixtures
Kitchen (cabinets, appliances, fixtures)
Bathrooms (yes, yes, yes)
Laundry room/mudroom
This bucket is less than half the #4 bucket, and I feel pretty good about our ability to meet budget. In this case, the finishes can be adjusted if necessary. And we can really shop for bargains. For those that know me, not usually my forte, but I'm about to get really good at shopping...
When all is said and done, with the house, we are over budget. No surprise there. I'm still working on fine tuning the bids with all the trades. A side benefit of this all, is my negotiating skills are getting quite the work out, so I guess that will help in my day job. I NEED my day job.
But wait, I'm not finished...
6. OUTBUILDING/DETACHED GARAGE BUILD
Oh yeah, remember that extra building we are putting on the property to store all our toys (numerous motorcycles, dirt bikes, quad, trailer, classic car project)? This is really what started the whole journey. I remind myself daily that this thing HAS to be built. We were thinking about expanding our garage at our current home, when we found our land and said, shoot, we'll just build a new house and put up a separate garage for all this stuff. Well, it went something like that.
So, we budgeted for it, of course. But as boys will be boys, with their toys, and exciting new places to put, and work on, their toys, this also is coming in over budget. Don't worry, I'm really good at crushing dreams.
So, if you've made it to the end of this entry, congratulations, you are now rewarded with the news:
If you skipped ahead, then well, I guess I can't blame you, this is a very happy ending. Now go back and read what I'm going through so next time you ask me how the house is going, you'll really know, how the house is going.
G'night all.
If you are interested, please read, if not skip to the very end for a happy ending.
We had divided our budget into categories:
1. LAND-
Speaks for itself. And we got a good deal.
2. PREP-
Architectural fees
Soil tests
Septic design/Site plan
Impact fees
Permit fees
Insurance
Surveys
We had not anticipated that the drawings would cost us so much, so for this bucket we are over budget. Still, we didn't throw in the towel, because proportionally speaking, this bucket isn't a big one.
3. DRIVEWAY/SITE PREP-
Tree removal/stump grinding
Culvert
Silt fence
Excavation
Gravel
We put in a lot of sweat equity with the tree work and we certainly owe many favors now to family and friends, for their assistance with that part. But the culvert prep, silt fence and excavation costs were not budgeted for adequately, so alas here we are slightly over, as some of these items crept up on us.
Keeping score? Between 1 and 2&3 we are even/on budget
4. HOUSE BUILD-aka the "Big" Bucket
Ok, so here we have it. The true test of our budget.
Many of the line items are within expectation, some even less (yay!) but we currently have several that are in need of some major improvement.
However, this is also the category you don't want to cut corners on. It's the Foundation (literally)!
It's also the:
Framing (walls, floors, roof trusses-materials and labor)-how can wood cost so much-we just cut a bunch of it down!
Windows-glass? really? that much?
Exterior doors
Exterior lighting
Siding/soffit/fascia/trim
Gutters
Roof-sorry steel roof, we really wanted you, but you just got cut from the budget
Plumbing
Septic
Well-please say prayers that they find good water sooner than later
Electrician
Electric service
Gas service
HVAC-2 units, ouch
Insulation
Drywall
P.S. Don't forget to budget for the generator, high lift, dumpster and the porta potty. Geez.
5. HOUSE FINISH
Fireplace
Flooring
Interior doors & trim
Interior light fixtures
Kitchen (cabinets, appliances, fixtures)
Bathrooms (yes, yes, yes)
Laundry room/mudroom
This bucket is less than half the #4 bucket, and I feel pretty good about our ability to meet budget. In this case, the finishes can be adjusted if necessary. And we can really shop for bargains. For those that know me, not usually my forte, but I'm about to get really good at shopping...
When all is said and done, with the house, we are over budget. No surprise there. I'm still working on fine tuning the bids with all the trades. A side benefit of this all, is my negotiating skills are getting quite the work out, so I guess that will help in my day job. I NEED my day job.
But wait, I'm not finished...
6. OUTBUILDING/DETACHED GARAGE BUILD
Oh yeah, remember that extra building we are putting on the property to store all our toys (numerous motorcycles, dirt bikes, quad, trailer, classic car project)? This is really what started the whole journey. I remind myself daily that this thing HAS to be built. We were thinking about expanding our garage at our current home, when we found our land and said, shoot, we'll just build a new house and put up a separate garage for all this stuff. Well, it went something like that.
So, we budgeted for it, of course. But as boys will be boys, with their toys, and exciting new places to put, and work on, their toys, this also is coming in over budget. Don't worry, I'm really good at crushing dreams.
So, if you've made it to the end of this entry, congratulations, you are now rewarded with the news:
PERMITS WERE ISSUED ON MONDAY!!!!!
If you skipped ahead, then well, I guess I can't blame you, this is a very happy ending. Now go back and read what I'm going through so next time you ask me how the house is going, you'll really know, how the house is going.
G'night all.
Saturday, April 11, 2015
Unofficially officially Permitted
Another couple weeks had gone by, since we applied for our permit. At first I was persistent, checking in and asking questions, to either keep us at the front of their minds or to annoy them enough, that they would review our stuff, just to get me to go away.
When that didn't seem to work, I laid off, we had our hands full anyway, of reviewing contractor bids.
We also spent a day looking at cabinets, appliances, fixtures and flooring, etc.
When I checked in again I was advised that we were about a week away from the 3rd step of the review. As you will recall, the process is zoning review, stormwater review, building plans review.
That was before Easter. We also had our stumps ground down that weekend. This will be the first of many heavy equipment pictures to come!
Checking in again come to find out plans are set to be reviewed on Thursday.
Furthermore I am provided with the draft review letter which has the zoning and stormwater comments on it. I am advised that I can't resubmit anything until the final review, but can start working on what's needed. This is all coming from the contact at county that our architect had referred us to, whom I've been impressed with. I give him kudos for how well he has handled my persistence!
Reviewing the letter, zoning passed, which we kind of knew since we got our address. But stormwater failed. They would like us to provide supporting evidence for the engineering report (from 06 from seller) that no drain tiles are likely present on our parcel. We start gathering information, mostly consisting of historical aerial views of our lot, as visuals are evidence enough to show any drain tiles. We found some pretty cool pictures, like the one below from 1946!
Then Wednesday comes the news, that our reviewer had a conflict and the plans would be reviewed by someone else. This was much to my dismay, as I thought it would slow down the process again.
However, much to my excitement, Friday morning comes and we receive the final review letter, and...
THERE'S NO CHANGES NEEDED TO OUR BUILDING PLANS!!!!!
So, as we had already been gathering all the stormwater evidence, I quickly resubmit that and receive another awesome reply, that the evidence appears to be "highly sufficient", and the official review will be done within 4 days time.
That is why I am considering us Unofficially Officially Permitted.
It's just a matter of days now folks...
When that didn't seem to work, I laid off, we had our hands full anyway, of reviewing contractor bids.
We also spent a day looking at cabinets, appliances, fixtures and flooring, etc.
 |
 |
 |
When I checked in again I was advised that we were about a week away from the 3rd step of the review. As you will recall, the process is zoning review, stormwater review, building plans review.
That was before Easter. We also had our stumps ground down that weekend. This will be the first of many heavy equipment pictures to come!
Checking in again come to find out plans are set to be reviewed on Thursday.
Furthermore I am provided with the draft review letter which has the zoning and stormwater comments on it. I am advised that I can't resubmit anything until the final review, but can start working on what's needed. This is all coming from the contact at county that our architect had referred us to, whom I've been impressed with. I give him kudos for how well he has handled my persistence!
Reviewing the letter, zoning passed, which we kind of knew since we got our address. But stormwater failed. They would like us to provide supporting evidence for the engineering report (from 06 from seller) that no drain tiles are likely present on our parcel. We start gathering information, mostly consisting of historical aerial views of our lot, as visuals are evidence enough to show any drain tiles. We found some pretty cool pictures, like the one below from 1946!
Then Wednesday comes the news, that our reviewer had a conflict and the plans would be reviewed by someone else. This was much to my dismay, as I thought it would slow down the process again.
However, much to my excitement, Friday morning comes and we receive the final review letter, and...
THERE'S NO CHANGES NEEDED TO OUR BUILDING PLANS!!!!!
So, as we had already been gathering all the stormwater evidence, I quickly resubmit that and receive another awesome reply, that the evidence appears to be "highly sufficient", and the official review will be done within 4 days time.
That is why I am considering us Unofficially Officially Permitted.
It's just a matter of days now folks...
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