Are you going to be owner/builder or hire a GC? Where are you?

Hi Bren! It sounds to me like you will OBing, correct? We're doing the same thing. You're very wise to start planning so early! We've been researching, planning, and purchasing for 1 1/2 years and are just starting the build itself.

There are so many variables to the questions that you asked. A lot of it has to do with where you are building. I can give you a couple of general ideas based on the estimates that we were given, but keep in mind that they probably won't accurate for your area.

Anderson 200 series windows varied a good bit depending upon where we priced them. For example a 244DH2860 (2'8" X 6'0") was $329 at one dealer and the same window was $248 at another. It doesn't sound like much per window, but when you need 35 windows it adds up quickly! We didn't price Marvins...they're out of our budget range.

Are you wanting pre-hung interior doors or slabs? Wood or MDF? What sizes?

The size and type of French Doors will make a big difference.

The metal roof that we priced was approximately 2 1/2 times the cost of asphalt shingles.

Will your framer be hanging the Hardi? Ask them to include the labor cost in your framing bid. Your lumber supply house can tell you how much the prepainted Hardi is running per square. :o)

ElDorado is running $15.50 PSF installed here.

For a VERY rough idea on appliances you can check eBay. Keep in mind that some of the dealers sell scratch & dent and used items. For budgeting purposes I'd check out the ones from dealers selling only new items. I do suggest that when purchasing high end appliances you get them from a local dealer. You will get far better service if you ever have problems down the road. They might cost a little more than the prices you see online, but alot of our local dealers will match the prices for new items. Just ask! :o)

Actually if we can find someone to do it, we are considering having a contractor build to dried in stage and then we finish it out. We are in central Virginia and nicer homes are running more than $200 a sq ft and lots in subdivisions are more than $300,000. In a rural area we could get 2-3 acres for this price.
I thought if I could sit down and make a list of everything that goes in the house, I could have a general idea of what it will cost once we take over. I'm sure things will increase in price between now and when we actually build but I could add 10-15% for price increase just to be on the safe side.
Even though the exterior items would be part of the builders bid I would still like to get an idea of price for one item vs. another, since these are the items that will change his bid the most.
I was able to find some appliance prices last night by using the shopping feature on google.
I would think that the pre-hung doors would be a better choice for us. I would prefer a solid wood over MDF. I'm sure I can shop these on-line also and then use the price as my estimate, then buy locally.
I've come across those building cost estimators but they are way off for my area, even choosing their highest choices they still come considerable short on final construction costs.

Thanks for your replies and for the encouragement. It makes it seem more like this is something we can do when you see that so many other people are doing it successfully.

Bren

I remember doing this myself. While I do not know the prices of what you are looking for I can tell you what I did. I found a source to price by that I knew would be in line or higher in price than what I could find items for. For me in our area that source was Lowes. I then made a list of everything we would need as best I could. I remember coming up with a price of about $89,000, we finished at about $92,000. You can do this.

On your pre-estimate, include all taxes, build in 10% per year for inflation, and have a separate 20%-overall "surprise fund" for things like unexpectedly finding a boulder during excavation or the well going to 350' instead of the "usual" 100' or having all the cabinets walk off the site just before installation... you may not need the fund, but if you do, it's good to have it.

As you already know, labor is a biggie. If you can, have the builder's part include as much rough-in as possible, especially for plumbing and electrical. List the skills you have and apply that knowledge to the labor cost. You may find that it's faster and/or better to subcontract for things like tiling the bathroom, as opposed to a substantial savings if you do it yourself. Ceramic and stone tiling, plastering, and hanging wallboard are labor intensive but require a great deal of experience and skill; DIY in those areas quite often look DIY instead of professional. OTOH, you can quite likely do a quality job of installing light fixtures, staining, painting, and cleaning up the dust during the build. There will likely be many jobs you can't DIY with professional results, where you *can* act as apprentice. Sometimes labor is labor is labor and it doesn't matter whether the working body is a regular part of the crew or you-as-apprentice. Discuss this with your GC before signing anything. Some are extremely helpful in this regard, and some are not. If you are considering DIY any of the "skill matters" areas, show him the work you've already done -- there is nothing like seeing proof that you really can lay a straight line of tile to help him feel that his reputation won't be hurt if you lay -or help lay- the bath tile.