Popular Mechanics and MSN give 5 reasons why architects are worth the money:
Did you hire an architecture for your most recent job? Hit us up with a comment to share your experience.
Out of the 80+ projects I’ve built in the last 10 years – this floor plan easily makes the top five list. Designed by Locati Architects and built in the Black Bull Golf Community, this plan really hits a note for a smaller home with more than enough space to accommodate the crowds, yet not too large for the retired couple. Take a look at the photos – the home speaks for itself.
Although we are seeing quite a drop in local building costs – the national average is still elevated over 2008.
With steel leading the way again this month, Engineering News Record reports the following figures for April 2009:
| 20-CITY: 1913 = 100 |
April 2009 Index Value |
% change Month |
% change Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Construction Cost | 8528.39 | -0.1 | +5.1 |
| Common Labor | 18015.79 | 0.0 | +5.4 |
| WAGE $/HR. | 34.23 | 0.0 | +5.4 |
| 20-CITY: 1913 = 100 |
April 2009 Index Value |
% change Month |
% change Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Building Cost | 4761.05 | -0.1 | +4.1 |
| Skilled Labor | 8112.22 | 0.0 | +4.1 |
| WAGE $/HR. | 45.02 | 0.0 | +4.1 |
| 20-CITY: 1913 = 100 |
April 2009 Index Value |
% change Month |
% change Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | 2713.54 | -0.3 | +3.8 |
| CEMENT $/TON | 100.91 | -0.8 | -0.4 |
| STEEL $/CWT | 44.83 | -0.2 | +8.4 |
| LUMBER $/MBF | 411.60 | -0.7 | -4.2 |
This pretty much sums it up in six short segments.
Free green building advice – It comes at a good time: When the new-home construction market begins to recover in the next two to three years, sustainable, green construction could outpace conventional methods, with the value of green building construction starts reaching between $96 billion and $140 billion, according to McGraw-Hill Construction’s “2009 Green Outlook: Trends Driving Change” report.
BuildingGreen’s new greenbuildingadvisor.com is a one-stop database of green-building expertise. Nearly 1,000 construction drawings and other resources, including notes on building codes, installation videos, and products, detail ways to achieve sustainability for various home types and climates.
Is there a benefit to the Owner as bids fall below cost? Will the contractor be able to complete the project for the contracted price?
What a difference a year makes. In the second quarter of 2008, construction starts had moved slightly off the record-run rate of the previous three years. The economic bloodletting set off by the sub-prime meltdown did not really spill over into construction until the second half of the year.