Determining the final cost to build any home is a confusing and often misunderstood process. Timber frame homes are no different in that aspect. While a budget will drive the design, style, and location of your new home, there are so many variables that it is almost impossible to get a finished cost prior to construction.
The timber frame package price is probably one of the easier costs to determine. Once the design is in place and the decision on the type of timber is made, the timber framer will calculate a price for the timber frame. The structural insulated panels are another fairly simple cost to calculate. With the type of SIPs and the design in hand, your timber frame company can calculate the price and give you a final cost.
From that point forward, the numbers are more slippery. A homeowner, armed with allowances and estimates, is still at the mercy of an ever changing material supply chain and some very emotional person choices. Reputable builders do their best to provide accurate estimates based on their clients’ choices. However, as they move forward, a new product or material can sway the owner. Some choices are simple as they don’t require soul searching…color choices and similarly priced materials. However, the decision to use standing seam roofing instead of a corrugated metal roofing can mean a major adjustment in the building budget. Appliances, flooring, and exterior finishes can also create changes in the bottom line.
When working with your timber frame designer and your builder, be realistic with your budget. If you know that you will never be happy with standard appliances, don’t budget $5,000 for your kitchen appliances. If you want natural siding (cedar shakes, rock, and cedar siding), take this into account. On the other hand, if you are working with a more modest budget, make decisions based on the importance of the material to you personally.
Allow plenty of time to work through your budget issues before you break ground. Once you are into the project, it is much more difficult to make these decisions and, at that stage, they are usually costly decisions. At Timber Frame Homes, Inc. we have three favorite words…plan…plan…plan.
But remember, however you build, Build Boldly!