Answers
New construction and building
Lots, budgets, builder contracts and permits — the decisions that are cheap on paper and expensive after the slab is poured.
8 questions
- What do I check before buying a lot to build on?Before you close, not after: zoning and the real setbacks, utilities at the street against well and septic, the soil, and the flood zone. Order a boundary survey, a topographic survey and a soil boring, and keep a due diligence period in the contract.Read the answer
- What's a realistic per-square-foot build cost right now?Per square foot is the most abused number in building. Ask instead for a line-item budget with the allowances called out, and site costs separated entirely — fill, clearing, septic and long driveways are site-specific and belong nowhere near a per-foot figure.Read the answer
- What should I put on my 11-month warranty list?Walk it like an inspector and submit in writing before month eleven, not month twelve. Expect drywall cracks at door and window corners, nail pops, doors that no longer latch, grout and caulk failures, settled grading and any window that leaks in driving rain.Read the answer
- Block vs wood frame in Florida - does it matter?Both are code-legal and both work. Block is the Florida default for the first floor — better in wind, no termite food, generally better insurance treatment. Frame is faster, cheaper, easier to insulate and far easier to renovate later.Read the answer
- Any new communities near Sanford with sane HOA fees?There are a few, and the number to compare is not the monthly HOA fee but what it covers and whether a CDD sits on top. A $60 monthly HOA with a large annual CDD assessment on the tax bill is not a cheap community.Read the answer
- How much can you actually change a builder's floor plan?With a production builder, almost nothing structural — the options list is the options list. With a semi-custom builder or one working on your lot, you can usually move non-bearing walls and extend the footprint. Changes on paper are cheap; changes after the slab is poured are brutal.Read the answer
- Which renovations actually need a permit?It varies by jurisdiction, but the general shape is: structural work, most electrical, new or relocated plumbing, HVAC changeouts, roofing, window and door replacement, decks over a certain height, larger sheds, pools and fences. Paint, flooring and like-for-like cabinets usually do not.Read the answer
- Architect first, or go straight to a design-build firm?Hire an architect separately when the design is the hard part — a difficult site, a heavily custom house, historic review, or when you want competitive bids from one set of drawings. Go design-build when the construction is the hard part, which covers most additions and whole-house remodels.Read the answer