How can building costs be reduced?

Value Engineering Reducing Square Footage. One way to dramatically reduce costs is to just reduce the square footage of the entire home. ... Choosing a Stock Design. ... Reducing Lineal Feet of Logs. ... Opt for a Simple Roof System. ... Use Drywall on Interior. ... More Modest Kitchen. ... Don't Take a Bath on Your Bath. ... Avoid Change Orders.

nahb.org - 8 Strategies for Reducing Construction Costs - NAHB

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In addition to being a motivation for much of what we do, money is energy. It enables us to go places and do things, including taking care of our families or buying and building a new home. Most of us have a finite amount of this energy, mainly through long years of hard work, patient savings and perhaps the sale of a conventional home. Now you’re ready to use all that energy to create your dream home. But is it enough? Where can you conserve? That’s why the Log and Timber Homes Council created this Buyer’s Guide, to help consumers make wise choices on the Perfect Path to Your Dream Home. Begin by sitting down with a lender who specializes in log and timber homes to discuss financing options. By being pre-qualified by your lender, you will how know exactly much energy you have to work with.

How Much Do Professional Builders Spend?

What to the pros typically spend on new home construction? Are there any ballpark figures out there that can help you see if anything is out of line? Indeed there is. The total cost of an average new home in the U.S. breaks down thusly, according to the 2004 Cost of Doing Business Study: The Business of Building, published by BuilderBooks.com, a division of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). Finished lot costs 20-25% of the total selling price, with half of that reflecting infrastructure costs, such as utilities and driveway. Building materials, everything from foundation and flooring, to porches and roofs, cost 25-30% of the total.

Onsite labor costs 20-25%.

General overhead is about 6%.

Financing costs are about 2%.

Thinking of being your own general contractor to save money? Small-volume builders (constructing an average 4.9 homes a year) who built exclusively on their clients’ land had average gross profit margin of 18.9% and an average net profit of 4.8%, according to the study. If you decide to build your own home, you won’t earn all of that 4.8%. You will pay far more for labor, since subcontractors will see you as a one-time job and price their services accordingly. You will also pay more for specialty tools needed in log construction. Professional log and timber home builders pro-rate their tools costs over several jobs. You will also pay more for insurance, since insurance companies will see you as a greater risk. It’s also almost guaranteed you will make costly mistakes that pros won’t, which will cost you more in time, materials and labor.

Value Engineering

Want to do more with less? This is called value engineering. Your log and timber home producer and builder have an assortment of cost cutting tricks. Use their expertise. Simply communicate that you need to save money on your budget. They can provide all kinds of helpful advice, including:

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