Basic Building Costs - estimating ??

[Torg]

Hey - I am looking at a new project (replacing our house) to hope to start in a year or maybe 2 tops.  We build a yurt a few years ago - and it was a learning experience.  Well now that my wife's father passed away a couple years ago we have moved into the existing doublewide (1970's - lots of issues).  We are now in a position to replace this house.  We are still very price conscience and want to do lots of the work ourselves.  

 

Here is the question… I need someone to bounce ideas off of - to get some basic (big round numbers) costs figured out.  This is just for budgeting / banking figures that we need to plan for.  We are planning on a geodesic dome … will order the kit that all build the shell.  We will have to provide the foundation / subfloor etc., roofing… plumb/electrical etc. etc.

 

- Of course we will have to have the septic system tested by the state ( known existing costs) and permitting (went through this with the yurt electrical system - wired myself).  

 

So - I am looking to get some round numbers for the building of a foundation (contracted) and hooking up of the major part of the electrical panel / gas).  All services exist in the current old doublewide… but will need to be re-established during the building process.  I am not looking to nail down said contractors - just to get some figures when figuring out our total costs (+20-50%).

 

--- so if you can point me in a good direction I would appreciate it.

 

-d

[Guest]

Is the house a yurt? Or is there a house in the mix too?

[Torg]

the Yurt ( which we build a few years ago and lived in) will still be used.  The house is an old double wide trailer.  We want to replace it with a geodesic dome ( stick built for the most part).  It will require a foundation… etc.

 

-d

[InfestedKerrigan]

Where do you live?

[Torg]

South of portland… Hubbard.  Near aurora - south of wilsonville on i5… north of woodburn :)

 

this is more of a "discovery" mode at the moment… I will need to contact the county about the dome as an "ok" structure.  Then their is septic system eval ($$)… way before possibly buying the Geodesic dome "kit".  Ahead of all of that is knowing the rough total costs - so we can visit with the bankers.  The land is ours… has power …etc.

 

-d

[InfestedKerrigan]

Are you familiar with Pacific Domes?  They're down here in Rogue Valley, Ashland I believe.  If you haven't already, I'd dig through their resources and see if there is anything in it that may help your approach to the city.  I've met the owner a couple times, worked on her house when I was still doing HVAC, and she had one set up in the "backyard."  Driving around, you see them set up all over the valley down here.

[InfestedKerrigan]

You could potentially plum your own Grey Water and leech field.  City/Country ordinances permitting.

[Torg]

in our yurt… we have a composting toilet… and the grey water we are sending it to a leeching tank/area (which I need to update).  In the house (dome) we are looking to go as traditional as possible.  We are not in city limits - so its a county review of our current septic system and field…which should be ok.  

 

I will check out Pacific domes.  I have been looking at Timberline Geodesic domes out of cali… steel connectors - 2x6 construction good ply for the shell.  But we purchased our yurt through Pacific Yurts down i cottage grove… its a great set up.  We would love going through and oregon co. if it fits our needs.  I will check them out.  - thanks!

 

-d

[Torg]

Ok - just looked… nope Pacific Domes are similar to yurts… in which they are a simple fabric membrane.  Ok for not following building codes - but not ok to live in as far as I can tell.  I researched things pretty far on yurts when we built one of those … and you can't live in them in this state.  R value … is a problem - then the rest of the issues with it as well.  What we are looking at is from TimberLine … http://www.domehome.com.

 

they look kinda like this...

 

 

so  - aside from the shape - its stick built - with solid walls (2x6) on the outside.. standard framing for interior walls.  The shell is self supporting.

 

-d

[Guest Mr. Bigglesworth]

So will you have a second story loft with that?

[Torg]

Yes - total 1500~ sq ft. With second story. We will use our yurt as a master non-attached suite. - giving us about 2000 sq ft.

-d

[Guest]

Needs a moat and drawbridge, but I like the look.

 

Though on a side note, two next to each other would be humorous from above...

[Torg]

The yurt will sit about 12 feet away. ????