To All:
I am a registered builder in New Jersey who has a daughter living in Palo Alto, CA. She is looking to demolish her two bedroom cottage and construct an upscale stucco sided home with a basement. I am trying to pin down some of the subcontractor costs in California. The quotes she is getting from her architect are out of sight. For example, around here, sheetrock (including the finishing) is quoted at $8-$10 per board (4×12). Out there, she is getting a cost estimate at $84 per board.
Is there some general reference source I can contact in California to get a profile on building costs for various subcontractors.
Many thanks,
Sixtnpenny
Replies
One thing you learn quick here is that prices vary a lot around the country. one doesn't go live and buildin one of the most expensive polaces on earth and then expect costs to be the same as elsewhere. markets vary.
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You must be mistaken,
"sheetrock (including the finishing) is quoted at $8-$10 per board (4x12)"
I believe you have your numbers wrong.
There are lots of variables that determine pricing, but $84 per 4x12 is just about average in my area.
Exactly where is your area?
I live in west PA. Around here you can get Hang and finish for about $.70-.75 a sqft. The closer you get to the city it sometimes goes up to $1.00 sqft. That $84per board seems high to me and that $8-10 seems really low. That said I really have no idea what anything costs in California or New Jersey. I would call some drywall suppliers or contractors out in Palo Alto and they can give you a ballpark figure.
Around here, I charge between .32 and .40/sg.ft. That's residential. If you can find a drunk drywaller who needs money real bad, you can get it for .25 sq.ft. If you figure your hours involved, your barely clearing minimum wage for that rate. Well, close enough.
Those numbers are for cost of board,hang and finish. Are your numbers including board and stocking as well as hang and finish? If so where are you from?
Try this site.
http://building-cost.net/
It will give you the a guestimated price of a house in different locations and breaks it out into material and labor and major sub's if I remember correctly.
$8- $10 for a 4x12 board of rock is materials only. No matter what state your in. $70 to $85 for materials, labor, ready for paint is about right for the New York New Jersey Metro area. What part of New Jersey are you in that makes this price seem out of sight?
Your daughter can expect to pay between $300-400/SF for her new house. The combination of impact fees, seismic codes, insurance rates, and crackdowns on what total % of a project a GC can subcontract have driven costs through the roof there. I've put estimates together for projects in California, and can tell you that prices are 2.5-3 times what they are here in NJ.
Bob