022: Residential Construction Costs

Designing Your Own House explores why architects hesitate to design their own homes: pressure, endless choices, ego vs livability, money, and what it reveals. 

Being your own boss isn’t about starting a firm. It’s about control, momentum, money, and owning the tradeoffs shaping your career long before you noticed. 

Ep 193: The Client Experience, looks at why client relationships feel adversarial and why architects have more control than they think. 

<p>On today’s show we’re talking about how to make sure the budget for a construction project has integrity. I regularly receive questions from new developers looking to grow from buy-hold investment into new construction. The first thing I ask for is to see their budget and the ... Show More

<p>Thad Harker is a project advisor at Primus Dental, a design and build full-service construction company that has built close to a 1000 dental offices across the Midwest. </p> <p>Thad and I have a great conversation about dental office design and construction. He emphasizes tha ... Show More

<p>On today’s show we are breaking down the different types of construction contracts that you can sign. Now let me be clear, I’m not here to offer any type of legal advice. I’m merely sharing our experience when it comes to undertaking different types of construction projects. < ... Show More

<p>On today’s show we’re taking a closer look at modular construction and we’re going to be live on location at a modular construction plant.</p> <p>Modular construction comes in two principal methods. The first is where the manufacturer complete entire modules of the buildings. ... Show More

<p>On today’s show we are looking at the demand for construction materials and labor. The number of housing starts is way down nationally. This is true for single family homes and for multi-family apartments. So it stands to reason that there should be plenty of labor available f ... Show More

<p>On today’s show we’re talking about a strategy for creating value in expensive markets.</p> <p>In some of the most expensive cities in North America, cities are increasingly charging development fees or impact fees for new construction. These fees pay for paving new roads, for ... Show More

<p>What happens when things don’t go as planned in your design projects?</p><p>A contractor gets sick, a supplier raises prices, or a hidden problem adds unexpected costs—these surprises can cause major stress and financial loss.</p><p>Uncertainty is inevitable, but with the righ ... Show More

<p>On today’s show we are talking about getting a project through the approval process in city council. Every city’s municipal government is tasked with managing the city’s resources along with planning the city’s land use. </p> <p>Getting a project approved doesn’t happen by acc ... Show More

Whether its your hair and nails or your finances and taxes -or anything in between- You need to learn how to do things for yourself. This is to save yourself time, money, and most often- a headache. Its also a great way to show yourself that you are capable of comprehending thing ... Show More