Accessory Building or whaW? Virginian Needs Advice.

[RiceD]

My Need Statement:
I'm looking for a fellow Virginian who might shine some light on what I can expect to pay for a Morton or other brand building. Non-Virginians welcome to comment too! But if you're a Virginian in or around Charlottesville, Harrisonburg, Warrenton (Richmond and DC area) you might be able to give me more specifics per our part of the country.

Initial Questions:
So I recently made visits tofour different owners to ask questions. They each gave me tours of their buildings. HOWEVER, unfortunately I just couldn't ask them about price. That question somehow feels rude. I know some of you had the same struggle didn't you? So here I am on a forum, asking for volunteers to weigh in.
Wanna share what you paid?
Give me an idea of how much I can expect?

Some Background:
So I picked up 25 acres. The land will eventually be a home site (I have an additional subdivide for family). I want to kick off the project like many on this forum, i.e., build a garage/apartment to help with the transition once we sell our current home. I'm not a wealthy man, so I see beauty in the utility of these kinds of buildings in that they can be whatever you want (shop, garage, cabana, guest house, hobby shop, man cave). I have quite a bit of equipment already and soon will need to store a tractor to boot. My current garage is 22x28 and is full. My definition of full is organized and useful. I can still get two cars in it, so that's good. But there's no more space for anything else. I should post a pic. Also have a 10x14 shed; FULL. Current space constraints gets me thinking a lot about size. Not sure how much I'll need.

Wants and Needs:

• Wood Frame
• 2000 sq ft ish
• Concrete pad
• I'd like turn key, but might need do some myself
• 800 sq ft apartment (things to keep in mind for code or quality)
  
  [*]Bathroom/Shower
  [*]Kitchen
  [*]Bedroom
  [*]Living Room​
• Well and septic (what did you do? Drainfield or septic tank?) Not sure if code will allow me to tie into drain field TBD
• Insulated / Whole thing
• I want this thing to have some pizazz so I'm looking to have some enhancers (cupola, Porch or overhang, nice paint and other options)
• CAVEATE REGARDING APARTMENT - I'm not sure what code will allow. I want to build a primary residence on my land one day, and can't afford to have this apartment count as "the official dwelling." Anyone deal with that before?

Garage scholars, sages!! Drop some science on me!!!

 

[RiceD]

Yeah, I figured I might have asked too many question here. It's a book. If one of you gray beards want to answer just one of these Q's, I'd read it, comprehend it, and learn sumpin.

 

[kd3pc]

Your first trip would be to the county, as the question of "living space" in a garage is usually not allowed UNLESS you have a primary dwelling already built....in the northern neck, Spotsy/Caroline County as well as most of SW VA and Roanoke Valley, you will simply not be able to get a permit to do so...

All the rest of the question will result in an answer of it "depends". Is the 800' part of the 2000' or added to it? Is the total sq ft on one level or two, given that many living spaces could be above.

If Morton does it, you can count on 25-30% premium over other builders, whether the quality is there or not is a post of it's own.

Morton to do this is easily $100-125 per sq ft or more, turnkey, finished to a middling level for the living space materials. Options and finishes beyond middling could easily double this, as pizzazz is expensive.

It is not unusual to have a stick built construction, locally done, 8' walls, standard roof, no drywall or ceiling, some insulation....and come in at $25-30 per sq ft. Then you get to permits, drawings, electric, HVAC, etc, etc. Per sq goes up, and up.

Based on some Morton horse and boat buildings I have been involved in, in these parts of the state you mention (and the ones I have built in, above) I would not be at all surprised to see close to $200 per sq, when you add septic, well, minor land prep, minor landscaping, etc, etc. On top of land costs.

Best of luck, If you're on the Keswick side of Charlottesville, the DC side of Warrenton, etc all bets are off, as those areas are premium to the already high costs I mention.

 

[RiceD]

Thanks KD for your input.That answer smacks of reality. I'm coming down from my cloud some now.

If I can't build a dwelling in advance of house, then bets are off on the apartment. However, I do have a subdivide. I'll look into the potential constraints here.

600-800 sq ft aprtmnt will be part of the 2000.

I'll price 1 and 2 levels when I look for quotes.

Your stick built standard quote seems like something I could work with. The need for water, electric, drainfield will "plus up" the price drastically. If I can justify and leverage that for our main home, it might be a go. Otherwise, I'll start with an accessory building with electric and leave it at that for now.

As far as pizazz, maybe if it's more than just a box. Some eaves and an overhang of some sort; a porch. I'll saw off someone's cupola, paint it, and put it on my building (not really).

Based on your comments, you know this area well. I see adds in the electric cooperative magazine advertising a 1500 two story morton type garage for around $22 per sq. www.cbgarages.com says they'll do cupola, 3 windows, entry door, 2 garage doors with glass windows, concrete floor, excavation, electric. The building must be a shell (no gutters, not insulation or finish work) is my assumption. And I don't know about how these companies operate - if fly by night crews, etc. But if I could use that price as a start, it may be I could find a do-able price for my budget. I can do the finish work or sub it time permitting.

 

[RiceD]

Got two 4 bedroom percs on land today. Next = survey... Then subdiv work. Then close! Then bids on barn. Most concerned to learn about labor warranty! Material warranty is all I read about.