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| Difficult Sites |
| Planning For Surprises |
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| By Jim Cooper |
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Most of the people who come to me have a definite image of the
setting they want for their log home. For some, it's in a meadow
blanketed with wildflowers. Others imagine themselves in a secluded
forest glen. A few even envision their log retreat perched on a
rocky rim.
Whatever their dream location, too many people overlook the impact
that site selection can have on their budget. More than a few have
found themselves financially overburdened, not because of the design
of their log home but by where they chose to build it. Forethought
and sometimes hard compromises can make the difference between
coming home to a cozy log retreat and having to work long hours to
pay back cost overruns caused by unexpected site problems.
The first site consideration is so obvious that many people fail to
consider it at all: Make sure you own the land where you plan to put
your log home. Sound ridiculous? Errors in deed descriptions and
surveys do happen. If a recent survey has not been done on the
property, you may want to consider including a contingency in your
land purchase contract that allows you to back out without penalty
should a survey find the actual land boundaries to differ from those
presented to you. Many land buyers require the seller to cover the
cost of a survey or deduct it from the selling price.
This may seem like a remote problem, I assure you it is not.
Particularly along the eastern seaboard, where land records go back
300 years, errors made a century ago in locating boundaries may go
unnoticed. When we bought the site for our display home, we were
drawn by its unique blend of seclusion and accessibility--a rare
combination in the mid-Atlantic. The deed description was
straightforward and thorough. Using a transit and compass and
working from an established property corner, I laid out the
property. I'm not a surveyor, but I am familiar enough with compass
bearings that I knew I had a good approximation of the boundaries.
Even so, we added a contingency to our purchase contract, requiring
a survey to verify the property lines.
We hired a reputable surveyor and waited. Six months later the
surveyor said that he could not locate two comers and so could not
certify the boundaries.
"Why," I asked, "with a complete deed description is
it impossible to identify the property?"
"Because the deed description is wrong," was the reply.
Not liking that answer I called another surveyor. The second
surveyor had done work in the general area of our property and had
extensive notes. "Mountain ground," he said, "often
comes with this sort of problem. Old land records are notoriously
inaccurate; if a survey has not been done in the last 20 years,
there's a good chance for problems."
Months went by before the surveyor called and said he had completed
work and certified all boundaries. I raced to the site, only to
discover that the boundaries looked nothing like the deed
description. Even though the site was the same size, it did not
include the same land.
Our situation left us with several options. We could cancel the
contract, despite having invested a year and several thousand
dollars, and resume our land search. Or we could go ahead with the
purchase, adjusting our building plans to the different terrain. We
decided to go ahead with the purchase, but the more difficult site
added about $15,000 dollars to the final project cost.
This brings us to the second rule about budgeting for difficult
sites: When changing building sites, even within a single parcel of
land, be sure to re-evaluate construction costs. Moving a house
location from an area with deep soil and easy excavation to a rocky
site can change excavation and foundation costs substantially.
Another area of cost overruns caused by difficult building sites
concerns accessibility. Many people choose a log home site for
seclusion. This can mean a long, sometimes steep and winding
entrance road. Often, they fail to consider that, before the
driveway carries their vehicle to the privacy of their log retreat,
it must carry a variety of vehicles--construction and delivery
vehicles, well-drilling rigs, forklifts and perhaps a crane. When
choosing a site for your log home, consider the road requirements of
the most restricted vehicle that needs to reach the building site.
If you don't want to construct a road to handle something as big as
a log truck (usually a 40-to-50-foot tractor-trailer that must be
able to turn around!), then you need to figure a way to get the
materials it carries to the site and calculate the costs.
I once looked at a mountaintop site in Virginia accessible only by a
steep, winding road with two hairpin curves. I told the owners it
would be impossible to get log trucks within a mile of the site. The
steepness of the road and the sharp curves also made it unsafe (as
well as slow) to use the forklift for the last mile of hauling. A
helicopter was beyond their budget, as it is most log home buyers'.
The only way left, I call staging. Trucks would be unloaded in the
closest flat spot for which we could obtain permission. Materials
would then be reloaded onto a smaller flatbed truck for the trip to
the site.
Staged delivery involves considerably more cost than a simpler
unloading. In this example, two forklifts were required (add $325),
one to unload the log trucks and reload the smaller truck and
another to unload the flatbed at the site. Added to this was the
cost of renting the flatbed truck (another $150). Finally, there was
additional labor cost for the extra time required to get the log kit
to its final location (add $500). For the Virginia couple, the
difficult access added almost $1,000 to the project cost.
Most building sites, fortunately, are more accessible. If the trucks
carrying the log kit can't get right to the site, they can at least
get close enough for the forklift to carry materials the remaining
distance. Since the main cost consideration here is time, consider
possible sources of delay. Truckers generally have unloading time
limits beyond which the receiver has to pay additional (often $40 to
$50 per hour for each truck). Don't expect the trucker to pitch in
and help unload. In most cases, company policy forbids it even if
the driver wants to help.
Two common delays in wooded areas result from not making the roadway
wide enough and being unprepared to handle long beams. Since a
forklift carries its load crossways, the cleared area of the roadway
must be able to handle log and lumber lengths. If the log kit
includes a bundle of 2 by 4's in 16-to-20-foot lengths, there should
be at least six feet cleared of trees and obstacles on both sides of
the entrance drive. Otherwise, the forklift operator will use a
considerable amount of time threading his way through obstacles.
Because few woodlot owners want to clear a 40-foot wide swath
through their forest, long beams requires different treatment. I
unload with extendable, or "reach" type, forklifts, which
are faster, more maneuverable and easier to handle. When it comes
time to move a long beam, I simply secure it with a nylon strap like
that used by crane operators. I hang the beam from the forks and
extend the arm so the beam can be swung to an angle that will allow
it to fit into the roadway.
Wooded lots present challenges besides the roadway. Most people
seeking the solitude of woods do not want to site their log home in
a large clearing. For me, building in the woods often becomes a
battle to make the home owner understand the hidden costs of working
around trees that crowd the building site. It's made more
complicated because my sympathies are usually with the trees. On our
own display home, I pressed my luck in leaving several trees very
close to the house. People commented on the beauty of large trees
overhanging the deck and complimented me on saving them instead of
"butchering" the landscape like many builders. I
appreciated the compliments, but they did not offset the $1,000 I
had to spend safely removing the trees that died a year after the
house was up. It's far cheaper to remove trees before the foundation
is started than after the house is completed, when the job may
require a crane and much more experienced and costly labor. A good
rule to follow is to clear enough of the foundation site to allow
the bulldozer or loader to have free access around the entire
foundation without encountering any trees.
Storage conditions near the site can affect the time required to put
up your log house and therefore its final cost. (Contracting with a
builder by project cost does not eliminate additional construction
loan interest that may be due if the project takes a month or more
longer than anticipated.) When choosing a house site, look at where
the logs and other materials can be stacked. If workers have to lug
heavy materials a considerable distance or climb carrying heavy
loads, work will move much slower. If long beams that must be set
using a crane are part of your plan, make sure there is a place for
the crane, including room for it to reach and swing the beam into
position. Most builders can readily determine this if you ask them.
In mountainous areas, some of the most beautiful and popular log
home sites are generously endowed with surface and hidden rock. Be
aware that most subcontracts with excavators, foundation
contractors, septic contractors and well drillers do not include the
costs of dealing with subsurface rock in their bid price, simply
because there is no way to know in advance what to expect. A
"rock clause" makes the home owner or builder liable for
additional labor and material costs brought on by striking rock.
There are several methods of dealing with subsurface rock, and each
affects the project budget differently. Shale, fractured or loose
rock can often be worked out with the machine doing the excavation.
If little additional time is required, charges will be minimal. A
large vein of rock might require bringing in heavier machinery or a
specialized machine such as a "ram hoe" (a back hoe with a
large jackhammer mounted on its arm). Additional expense for these
machines can run from several hundred to several thousand dollars,
depending on the extent of the rock. For solid rock, the remedy
might be to blast or "shoot."
Blasting costs range from moderate to very expensive. In some
situations, blasting may cost more than the entire amount budgeted
for the foundation. In remote areas, it's sometimes possible to find
someone experienced with dynamite who will charge minimally to blow
up a few boulders. Beware! Usually, these people are unlicensed,
unregulated and uninsured. What's more, blasting a foundation is
very different from blowing up stumps on the back forty. Licensed
and insured explosives experts are costly. If you believe that you
may encounter a serious rock problem, contact an expert and discuss
prices before making any final commitments on your project.
Additional foundation costs of from $5,000 to $15,000 are not
uncommon when blasting is involved.
Steep slopes make for spectacular log home sites. They can also
create impressive hidden costs. Generally, however, increased costs
will show up as an accumulation of smaller charges from extra time
required or extra equipment rented. The costs originate from the
increased difficulty of getting material to the building site. When
I think of steep sites, I recall the morning I spent frantically
locating a second bulldozer to help move a 50-ton crane into
position to set a pre-cast concrete foundation. The obstacle was a
short, steep slope. I had been negotiating it with a pickup, and
dump trucks loaded with gravel had handled it with difficulty. But
the crane simply wouldn't budge. I already had one bulldozer
standing by in case the crane needed a boost. However, one was not
enough. After several hours the second bulldozer arrived, and the
two of them--one pulling and one pushing--jockeyed the crane into
position. It looked like a couple of circus workers trying to get an
elephant up a ramp. I came out of it with an extra cost of about
$250 (not including the bulldozer I already had on standby).
Low-lying or marshy areas present potentially costly complications.
First, many of these areas are considered
"wetlands"--areas that are ecologically valuable and are
afforded special regulatory protection. Exemptions, additional
permits, fees and often special engineering and environmental impact
studies may be required to obtain a building permit. Even where
permission can be obtained, costs can be hefty.
In my area, land prices are high and so people often settle on some
amazing building sites. I once had a hopeful couple show me a
low-lying acre in an expensive subdivision. It collected run-off
from surrounding yards and was constantly wet. The county had
approved it as a building lot, and the developer had produced the
necessary engineering study. They wanted a log home in the worst way
and asked what I could do. The engineering study specified the site
improvements required, including excavating the entire area to a
depth of eight feet and hauling in fill dirt, setting the house on
concrete piers sunk 18 feet in the ground and installing an
elaborate drainage system. At a cost of nearly $30,000, they would
have a lot ready to build on! The lot was selling for about $15,000
less than other ready-to-build sites, but it was clearly no bargain.
These are some of the principal sources of hidden costs and budget
overruns that can be affected by choice of land and building site.
By discussing them, I don't mean to frighten you or discourage
building in spectacular or unusual settings. I simply hope that by
being forewarned you can avoid the unpleasantness that can result
from unexpected costs of your dream home. |
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