Cost
At Highland Homes, we work hard to build the timber-frame, log or stick-built house you want at a price that fits your budget. We’ll guide you through the design phase, helping you select the plan and components that meet your needs. We’ll even help with lot selection, as location (distance from suppliers), steepness of the lot and the likelihood of underground rock all can have a significant impact on your final cost.
Because each lot and plan is unique, accurate pricing can take weeks, depending on the size and complexity of the project. Each component must be specified, counted and priced. Each subcontractor must review your plan in order to bid on it. Up here in the high country, the good subcontractors are very busy. Based on their workload, it can take a while before they can give your plan the time it deserves.
Unfortunately with custom building, there’s no quick way to get an exact price. Square-foot prices are wildly inaccurate. A small home with a professional-quality kitchen can have a higher cost per square foot than a much larger home with less expensive components. At Highland Homes, we don’t give “guesstimates” or “ballpark prices” because typically they’re based on lots that haven’t been purchased and plans that haven’t been drawn.
All this being said, we’ve got options to speed things along, even for the client who wants to start building tomorrow.
Highland Homes can work on cost plus, flat fee or contract price basis. With cost plus, we add a certain percentage to all the costs of the project. With a flat fee, we build your home for a fixed fee, regardless of the cost involved. Of course, the larger and/or more complex your house, the larger the fee. In these first two cases, we utilize “open bookkeeping,” which means we provide owners with copies of all contracts and invoices for hard and soft costs. When working cost plus or for a flat fee, we can literally start tomorrow.
When we build on a contract price, no open bookkeeping is involved. We agree to build a certain house for a specific amount. Realistic allowances are provided for items such as flooring and appliances.
If your temperament and/or budget doesn’t allow for the uncertainty that comes with having allowances as part of the contract, then we have several alternatives: first, we can build in enough of a cushion in the cost that there is no way we could exceed it. If you go this route, then you’ll probably end up paying more than you need to. A second option would be for you to purchase a completed spec house that has its price already established. A third option would be for you to purchase a spec house that’s in the process of being built. Since most of the uncertainties occur early in the construction process, these issues would be resolved and any possible price fluctuation would be minimal.
No matter which cost option you select, at Highland Homes we’re committed to providing you with the most value for your money.
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