About Brian McElroy Expertise I am a home builder in the Tampa Florida area specializing in energy-efficient homes built with precast concrete wall systems that are hurricane resistant to 235 mph. I have researched and used many methods of new home construction and find this the most cost-effective, environmentally-friendly method of home building for this area. I am also investigating other alternative methods to improve my products. I am a member of the Florida Green Build Coalition, EPA Energy Star Program, and have other affiliations involving energy savings, safe building practices and quality construction practices.
Experience
Past/Present clients Broad spectrum of happy homeowners.
Question I am going to build a house for my family. I am inquiring if you have an easy formula or a site where I can obtain calculators to build a house. Or if there is a program that is inexpensive of free that I can put the dimensions into and get a material list. I have my plans drawn up, but I hate taking it to the local lumberyard and wait on a material list from them. There are only two that I know of that will even do this. Of course after getting the list, I then have to do some price shopping. I would like to be able to come up with my own material list, if its not too difficult.
Thanks for your time,
Robert Smigiel
Answer I wish there was an easy way. I use a special spreadsheet program in Excel, but it is mostly budgets for line items rather than true calculations. Theway most builders do it...they have about 30 sets ofplans and they send them outto the subcontractors they wish to use. They get bid prices and start building a total budget from that. There are a lot of items that you may not be able to get an exact number for, for example, lumber, steel, and drywall prices are changing every week. What I would do, is prepare a guesstimate based on the prices you can get, and guess a little high on the rest. Then you will not be suprised. I would be glad to share my spreadsheet with you. I do not know what part of the US you are in, but mine primarily works for homes buyilt in Florida south of Ocala. Let me know if I can assist further and best of luck with the venture.
