To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!

Above 1200 Sq/FT New home, next chapter ....

Wokspaces above 1200 squarefeet.
To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!

ODIS

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 30, 2012
Messages
2,110
Location
Pacific Northwest
In case anyone is still following this thread ...... I have permits in hand for my retaining wall and building !! :rocker::beer:

Now to line up a concrete guy.

WONDERFUL!

I'm looking forward to the build. Should you need some help spending your $$, know a few guys on this board that would love to help out!

Congratulations Sir!
 

Jayman17

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 6, 2017
Messages
3,793
Location
Seattle, Wa
That's great TF, I'm sub'd so I see all your updates. Looking forward to your project starting. :beer:
Good luck finding a concrete guy, I know you had issues finding someone interested.

Jay
 
OP
T

Toolfool

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 22, 2011
Messages
4,981
Location
Tallahassee, FL
Thanks for the support guys.
I took a shot and called a concrete guy's ad on craigslist. He called back, said he'd get his crew started and come by, and HE DID !! Nice guy. Had a long chat about my expectations and he had no problem with anything. He was going to start going over the engineering docs I gave him and put together a bid ASAP. (fingers crossed).
 

shortykorte

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 1, 2014
Messages
8,034
Location
Tallahassee, Fl
What!!!! I thought I was being hired to do the concrete. Probably better this way, sooner the shop gets finished, the sooner I have a nice shop to play in. Win win.


Sent from my iPhone using Garage Journal
 
OP
T

Toolfool

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 22, 2011
Messages
4,981
Location
Tallahassee, FL
The concrete contractor I found on CL got a bid to me the SAME DAY. He was a couple thousand higher than the one other bid I had and didn't include as much ( dirt work, drainage, backfilling and final grading ). After no responses to texts and voicemails, the first guy got crossed off and the CL guy was hired ( more expensive, but he could start right away). We are under way. Turns out there were two stumps right where they needed to set batter boards, and the roots were in the way of the footing trenching, so first job (extra $) was dig out stumps.
Then they finished digging out the overall site and trenched for footings. Raining today, so they dropped rebar, hauled out the mini excavator, and went to get a skidsteer. Hoping to get better weather.
 

Attachments

  • 20210301_153559.jpg
    20210301_153559.jpg
    147.1 KB · Views: 247
  • 20210301_153602.jpg
    20210301_153602.jpg
    146.9 KB · Views: 238
  • 20210302_103549.jpg
    20210302_103549.jpg
    148.2 KB · Views: 248

cbacres

Well-known member
Joined
May 28, 2010
Messages
5,998
Location
SW Florida
That’s great you finally got a sucker, err a contractor to get you going. Looks like they got it together.
Once the concrete is done, you’re on the way.

Are you slabbing any conduits or plumbing? Future bathroom?

Glad to see you moving forward.

How does this work with your metal building schedule?
 
OP
T

Toolfool

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 22, 2011
Messages
4,981
Location
Tallahassee, FL
That’s great you finally got a sucker, err a contractor to get you going. Looks like they got it together.
Once the concrete is done, you’re on the way.

Are you slabbing any conduits or plumbing? Future bathroom?

Glad to see you moving forward.

How does this work with your metal building schedule?

No inside plumbing. I plan to run PVC pipe for DC, electrical conduit and a conduit for air line under the slab to tools and tables in the middle of the shop floor (did same in WA ).
Once my slab is done it will be four to six weeks until my building shows up. That's time to manufacture and gives the slab time to cure.
 

shortykorte

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 1, 2014
Messages
8,034
Location
Tallahassee, Fl
Glad you are finally underway. After today’s nice soaking, looks like we’ll have a week of good weather.
Will they do retaining wall first?


Sent from my iPhone using Garage Journal
 

meathooker

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 10, 2013
Messages
254
Location
Iowa
Thanks Odis.
I started shopping for the 4" and 6" PVC pipe and fittings to tight-line all my drainage and finding the prices are out of control. A 6" PVC 90 is over $30.00 !!! Some places it's over $50.00.

It’s insane for sure. I built my house 2 years ago. Paid around $45/ roll for Romex. A buddy bought some last week for $110!

Can’t recall if I asked this when you started your thread or just thought it but who the heck moves from wa to fl?!? Haha
 

Jayman17

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 6, 2017
Messages
3,793
Location
Seattle, Wa
TF, I'll bet you are glad to be underway. I hope once the rain is gone you get good weather until after the slab is poured.

Jay
 
OP
T

Toolfool

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 22, 2011
Messages
4,981
Location
Tallahassee, FL
Ok sun is shining, temps are perfect for outside work, let’s see some concrete.


Sent from my iPhone using Garage Journal

I'm with you.
Supplier delivered block, sand and portland yesterday. Contractor showed up this morning and found the entire back wall area still too sloppy to dig. Sunk in over his boot. Have to be patient, we ARE in the South.
 

Attachments

  • 20210304_092544.jpg
    20210304_092544.jpg
    149.4 KB · Views: 206
  • 20210304_092532.jpg
    20210304_092532.jpg
    146.8 KB · Views: 196
  • 20210304_092529.jpg
    20210304_092529.jpg
    147.7 KB · Views: 227
Last edited:
To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!

Bob Heine

ALLIANCE MEMBER
Joined
Oct 24, 2009
Messages
10,703
Location
Boca Raton, Florida
John, I just found your new thread. House looks great and I know beauty is skin deep. You are used to working on high-end custom homes so the typical Florida home is pretty ugly underneath.

I don't know if every move to Florida includes a gotcha in the closing on their home but it's way too common. Our first house closing was supposed to have the $575 Title Insurance fee (never heard of Title Insurance before) paid by the seller but someone put it on my side of the deal. Our real estate agent (owner of the agency) discovered the error and split the cost with the seller's agent so I wasn't stuck with it. I think he felt guilty because I wanted to have a lawyer represent us at the closing. His response: "No need for a lawyer when you have Title Insurance." Most stories I hear don't end as positive.

Helped an elderly woman friend of my mother who was dying of cancer by agreeing to be her estate representative (needed to be Florida resident). Went to sell condo and discovered it had a 99-year lease on the land under the buildings. Before the developer doubled the annual fee I could have sold the place for $60K. One family member refused to let me sell for less than $90K. Once the lease was disclosed, no one would even make an offer. Legal fees and court costs to get the condo association out of the lease cost $15,000 per unit and three years to resolve. Eventually sold place for $50K after draining most of the remaining assets in the estate to pay monthly carrying costs. My fee for three years work came to about $2 an hour but the Ahole brother who got greedy lost about 75% of his inheritance. Sadly, so did the two poorer family members in the will.
 

Bob Heine

ALLIANCE MEMBER
Joined
Oct 24, 2009
Messages
10,703
Location
Boca Raton, Florida
John, if you can, make friends with one of the people in your local building department. Start off by explaining you "don't know nothin' about birthin' babies or building stuff in Florida. If you tell them about building in Washington State or New York, your inspections will stall or they will find a problem with missing skink traps or excess sky hooks.
 
OP
T

Toolfool

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 22, 2011
Messages
4,981
Location
Tallahassee, FL
Good to have you stop by Bob.
Funny, I have been starting every inquiry with "Hey, I'm new to Florida and I'd like to find out .....". Only after someone starts to feed me a line of BS do I bring up that I was a "carpenter" in Washington, so I have 'some' knowledge of what we're speaking of. In general, the County employees have been helpful (slow, but helpful). Looking forward to experiencing inspectors (I have this personality problem where my brain says, "Let it go ", while the mouth says "Who the F... do you think ...".).
 

Bob Heine

ALLIANCE MEMBER
Joined
Oct 24, 2009
Messages
10,703
Location
Boca Raton, Florida
John, I've lived in Florida for 45 years and I still start every official inquiry with "I'm new to Florida and I'd like to find out....". Worked great for my Concealed Carry Permit (8 days start to finish).
 

LXCam

ALLIANCE MEMBER
Joined
Apr 23, 2013
Messages
19,089
Location
AZ
Well I’m happy to finally see you get this rocking John, congrats my friend.

"Let it go ", while the mouth says "Who the F... do you think ...".).

I had to laugh at this. I’m currently looking into building in a fairly upscale area and last month reached out to a realtor who seems to have their name plastered on all the empty lots. So like you guys, I play dumb but request a copy of the CCnRs n other obvious BS plus the list of approved builders for this community. Sure as **** it doesn’t take long before the BS starts. At first I was nice about my responses and gave some hints I might know a thing or two about construction. But it escalated to the point of “listen here *******, get me somebody who knows wtf they’re talking about”

:).
 
OP
T

Toolfool

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 22, 2011
Messages
4,981
Location
Tallahassee, FL
Well I’m happy to finally see you get this rocking John, congrats my friend.



I had to laugh at this. I’m currently looking into building in a fairly upscale area and last month reached out to a realtor who seems to have their name plastered on all the empty lots. So like you guys, I play dumb but request a copy of the CCnRs n other obvious BS plus the list of approved builders for this community. Sure as **** it doesn’t take long before the BS starts. At first I was nice about my responses and gave some hints I might know a thing or two about construction. But it escalated to the point of “listen here *******, get me somebody who knows wtf they’re talking about”

:).

Atta boy.
 

PugetDude

ALLIANCE MEMBER
Joined
Mar 13, 2013
Messages
22,278
Location
Superstition Mountains, AZ
Well I’m happy to finally see you get this rocking John, congrats my friend.



I had to laugh at this. I’m currently looking into building in a fairly upscale area and last month reached out to a realtor who seems to have their name plastered on all the empty lots. So like you guys, I play dumb but request a copy of the CCnRs n other obvious BS plus the list of approved builders for this community. Sure as **** it doesn’t take long before the BS starts. At first I was nice about my responses and gave some hints I might know a thing or two about construction. But it escalated to the point of “listen here *******, get me somebody who knows wtf they’re talking about”

:).

I'm betting it was a really short escalator. :lol_hitti
 
OP
T

Toolfool

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 22, 2011
Messages
4,981
Location
Tallahassee, FL
Concrete contractor showed up with a four-man crew today. One guy showed up early and began bending "pencil" rebar (new name to me) to build cages spec'd by the engineer, who had done different drawings for the 6" tall sections and the 4' tall sections. After they got rolling I went out to check in. Noticed right away that they had laid two stacked horizontal runs of 1/2" steel with cages every three feet. I pointed out that four sticks was spec for the 4' tall walls and should be six sticks in the 6' tall areas. "Uh-oh, didn't notice that." I stepped away to let them catch up. About an hour later I checked again. They were tying in the vertical rebar and complaining about having to put one every 16". I pointed out that 16" was for the 4' tall walls, spec is for a vertical every 8" in the 6' tall walls. Not a happy bunch. It was in the drawings I gave the boss to bid from, now he's complaining that he didn't notice that. They got it done, inspection tomorrow, pour on thursday. Waiting to see if he brings up "extras".
 

Attachments

  • 20210309_165614.jpg
    20210309_165614.jpg
    148.4 KB · Views: 275
  • 20210309_165624.jpg
    20210309_165624.jpg
    149 KB · Views: 275
  • 20210309_165643.jpg
    20210309_165643.jpg
    147.1 KB · Views: 265

Jayman17

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 6, 2017
Messages
3,793
Location
Seattle, Wa
TF, That looks like a rebar picket fence. :lol_hitti
You would think your guy would have read the plans. :headscrat. Nice catch.

Jay
 

rmack898

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 23, 2007
Messages
3,142
Location
Honu Grove NE Florida
Glad to see that you’re making progress.

I gave my concrete contractor the drawings for my foundation and he bid it at 50 plus yards, it turned out to 72 plus yards. He never said a word and just ate his mis-calculation. I hope you’re guy is a stand up guy.


Sent from my iPhone using Garage Journal
 
OP
T

Toolfool

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 22, 2011
Messages
4,981
Location
Tallahassee, FL
Concrete crew had a big pour in Eastpoint yesterday. I was home when inspector showed up. We chatted awhile and he pointed out where some of the rebar was touching dirt ( I had seen it, but thought it was acceptable in Florida, like the poor workmanship I've been seeing). He was about to fail me, but I told him I'd make sure they fixed it before pouring.
 

ODIS

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 30, 2012
Messages
2,110
Location
Pacific Northwest
Concrete crew had a big pour in Eastpoint yesterday. I was home when inspector showed up. We chatted awhile and he pointed out where some of the rebar was touching dirt ( I had seen it, but thought it was acceptable in Florida, like the poor workmanship I've been seeing). He was about to fail me, but I told him I'd make sure they fixed it before pouring.

Wow! You get to pay them and manage them. Heck of a deal!
 

shortykorte

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 1, 2014
Messages
8,034
Location
Tallahassee, Fl
Unfortunately We can’t control who moves to Florida. Lol. Good to hear the inspector was willing to work with you. Pour still on for tomorrow?


Sent from my iPhone using Garage Journal
 

cbacres

Well-known member
Joined
May 28, 2010
Messages
5,998
Location
SW Florida
Yep, Florida, home to lots of folks from somewhere else.

Me, I’m a Florida cracker *** native!:lol_hitti

Good deal on the inspection. In my thirty years of dealing with inspectors here, I’ve had very few flat out inspection fails. They see you as the owner being involved and have lots of skin in the game.

Look forward to seeing mud in the hole. It’s always nice to get that first pour done.
 
OP
T

Toolfool

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 22, 2011
Messages
4,981
Location
Tallahassee, FL
Retaining wall footings poured today.
 

Attachments

  • 20210312_130401.jpg
    20210312_130401.jpg
    147.6 KB · Views: 217
  • 20210312_120456.jpg
    20210312_120456.jpg
    146.8 KB · Views: 196
  • 20210312_150628.jpg
    20210312_150628.jpg
    149.1 KB · Views: 184
To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!
Top Bottom