Of course I would choose the strangest time I've ever experienced to build a home. We're facing unprecedented material cost increases and shortages. Conrad, our purchasing agent at Graystone, went above and beyond tracking down materials at the best price that he could manage to find. Still, if I had started last spring instead of this spring, the difference in cost is staggering. Everything has risen significantly. The 2x4s which were roughly $3 last year are over $10 this year. Advantech TechSheild was $30ish per sheet and is now $50ish per sheet, and that's IF you can get it at all (thankfully we were able to!) Plumbing pipe has gone up 18%, electrical supplies have rapidly increased and are facing shortages, drywall, windows, doors, I-joists, insulation, paint, appliances...you name it! Another issue that comes along with the cost increases are material thieves. A job site less than 15 miles from us had a thief show up and steal material in broad daylight. We're actually testing job site cameras that work on cell phone towers and give us real time motion alerts. They're also capable of time lapse videos and allowing the homeowner to dial in to see their job site in real time.
The framers started on 3/25. We've used the same framing company for a long time, probably 15 years or so. My framing super was Lorenzo - he's fantastic! His son will be equally so. He's following in his footsteps and did the punchout for me. It's so good to see young people taking up trades - they're seriously needed! The framing process is so exciting...you go from having a hole the the ground to having a home. During the framing process I identified some small changes that made a big impact and Lorenzo and his guys took care of it for me. One such change was pulling out a closet in one of the upper bedrooms to make the view from the bed look into the woods instead of the roof. Another was making a large linen closet out of dead space that had been slated for the HVAC trunk line that was eliminated when I went to two separate systems.
4/6/21 - I feel like I've learned a thousand little things that we do in the field to make things run smoothly. Marking stud locations on the floor to make them easier to find, door swing and sizes on the frame, etc. I understand Dad's purpose for having me be the "superintendent" on this one, but there is SO much to do and learn. I'm blessed that Armon Webb has my back. He's been one of our superintendents for more than 25 years and is like part of the family. I couldn't do it without him! Speaking of blessed, a sweet surprise arrived from a dear friend this morning. After seeing my post about blessing the house, my friend Christina sent this lovely blessing with the sweetest family memory.
4/9/21 - Framers finishing up, the roof going on, porch being poured and electrical meter being set. The most activity in a single day yet!
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