COLORADO Folks!! Help in home construction project

[awbowhunter]

So I am looking at relocating to Colorado with my company for work. I'll need to be within 2 hours of Denver. I am looking at buying land and building a home mostly myself. Something similar to a Morton home. Large shop area with living space attached.

Can I do most of this myself in Colorado?
Acting as a general contractor? What parts of this will I have to use someone who is licensed?

Also interested to hear any suggestions on metal building companies you might suggest for a project like this.

I am assuming with the cost of homes on the front range, this may be my best bet to get what I want at a reasonable price. I want the building to be able to house toys and room for a hydraulic lift to work on my vehicles, plus have living quarters attached. Thanks for any info and suggestions!!

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[Phaseolus]

Sounds like you will need to be east of Denver on the great plains, unless you have a boatload of money. Think of thr Fort Morgan area. Lots of wind and big thunderstorms out there but few people. Great goose hunting.

 

[Bronc]

Every city, county, etc generally has there own codes and permit process. The owner can usually act as there own contractor and perform the work themselves. Most municipalities require an engineer for items such as foundation, structure, septic systems, etc.

 

[CJF]

As a home owner you can pull all the permits and do the work yourself or hire it out to a contractor....first call is to the county permitting department. I fully agree with everything Bronc said.

 

[Whaledriver]

I did a 28x30 pole barn type build. I live up in the hills and saved some money versus a stick build. I did all the gc myself. Not hard. Usually each county has their own build department in Colorado. They will spell out the requirements. I used an engineer that drew up my plans for me. I was able to customize some aspects this way, versus a cookie cutter metal building. I used attic trusses and it gives me a 14x29 room with 8 ft ceilings for the upstairs. The electrical will be inspected by the state versus the county.

 

[WV Mountaineer]

Rethink this a bit. You can buy a 30 by 60 metal building for less then $30000. You’ll have concrete, mesh, rebar, and labor for the pad to add to that. And, you are going to have to have some pour that large of a slab for you. You’ll knees help to get the walls and such stood on your building to. I’d figure $15,000 to $20000 on top of the $30000 you paid for the building.


now that you’ve got every mans dream for a workshop and garage, you can build a modest home for $85,000 that would be clean, efficient, and nice. You’ll have $150,000 in your homestead This way.

 

[Eagle]

Rethink this a bit. You can buy a 30 by 60 metal building for less then $30000. You’ll have concrete, mesh, rebar, and labor for the pad to add to that. And, you are going to have to have some pour that large of a slab for you. You’ll knees help to get the walls and such stood on your building to. I’d figure $15,000 to $20000 on top of the $30000 you paid for the building.


now that you’ve got every mans dream for a workshop and garage, you can build a modest home for $85,000 that would be clean, efficient, and nice. You’ll have $150,000 in your homestead This way.

Not possible in CO, at least, not the 85k for a "modest home". No idea on the pole barn building cost, but you can anticipate roughly $200/sqft anywhere near denver, unless perhaps you're in a hell hole.

 

[WV Mountaineer]

I just bid a modest home for $87,000. About $110 per square foot. That was W.V. and, there is good money in it. What most home owners fail to consider is their choices and how that relates to final costs.

 

[SonnyDay]

You could consider southern Wyoming as well... Cheyenne/Laramie areas. Commute can be hell during peak rush hours, but if your work hours are flexible, it may be an option that would allow you to stretch your budget. Awesome country up there, too.

 

[spike camp]

I just bid a modest home for $87,000. About $110 per square foot. That was W.V. and, there is good money in it. What most home owners fail to consider is their choices and how that relates to final costs.

Isn’t that like a 600 sf home, if you’re making any money off the build?

 

[Btaylor]

Isn’t that like a 600 sf home, if you’re making any money off the build?

He did say modest.

 

[TBHasler]

Look into containers...container home build next to or integrated with steel building would be cool.

 

[WV Mountaineer]

Isn’t that like a 600 sf home, if you’re making any money off the build?

Yes. The actual square footage is 740. The actual square foot price was $117. The way the couple was looking at it is if they have other buildings on site to store stuff besides in their home, how big of a house do they really need? And with metal building being so affordable, it makes their choice to do this much easier.

The bigger the house, the more expensive to heat and cool, the more to be burdened to keep house clean, the higher your taxes are, etc... It’s not for everyone but, for those it is, it’s a much cheaper way to live.

On what’s it worth, my labor is the same on standard builds. Meaning, the square foot price of any size house is affected by the design, their choices of vanity, cabinets, doors, windows, siding, flooring, etc... They tell me what they want, we settle on a design, I give them a budget to not surpass per item in their choices, and we go. If they exceed any limit, a change order is done and a price change accompanies it. So, the finished square foot price is higher.


anyways, total tine to finish will be about three weeks. And,, if I could get 12 of these a year, I’d be very happy with that money.

 

[tdhanses]

Not possible in CO, at least, not the 85k for a "modest home". No idea on the pole barn building cost, but you can anticipate roughly $200/sqft anywhere near denver, unless perhaps you're in a hell hole.

That’s if you hire it out, the op plans to do it himself. No way it’s $200sqft building yourself.

 

[Eagle]

That’s if you hire it out, the op plans to do it himself. No way it’s $200sqft building yourself.

Read it again, he said acting as a GC, he can do that, but good luck with getting subs lined up and on time and all the other headaches associated with that.

 

[PathFinder]

Unless it's your only option to go to a western state, I'd stay away from the CO front range personally. I just moved here in October and I'm making plans to leave as soon as I don't need to work all year anymore.

 

[spike camp]

Yes. The actual square footage is 740. The actual square foot price was $117. The way the couple was looking at it is if they have other buildings on site to store stuff besides in their home, how big of a house do they really need? And with metal building being so affordable, it makes their choice to do this much easier.

The bigger the house, the more expensive to heat and cool, the more to be burdened to keep house clean, the higher your taxes are, etc... It’s not for everyone but, for those it is, it’s a much cheaper way to live.

On what’s it worth, my labor is the same on standard builds. Meaning, the square foot price of any size house is affected by the design, their choices of vanity, cabinets, doors, windows, siding, flooring, etc... They tell me what they want, we settle on a design, I give them a budget to not surpass per item in their choices, and we go. If they exceed any limit, a change order is done and a price change accompanies it. So, the finished square foot price is higher.


anyways, total tine to finish will be about three weeks. And,, if I could get 12 of these a year, I’d be very happy with that money.

I doubt any county on the front range would even allow a metal building to be used for residential purposes.

It’s awesome you’re able to swing those numbers in WV but unfortunately, they’re totally unrealistic on Colorado’s front range imo.

 

[Farmerlentz]

I just bid a modest home for $87,000. About $110 per square foot. That was W.V. and, there is good money in it. What most home owners fail to consider is their choices and how that relates to final costs.

I'm a builder in Wyoming. Materials will alone will cost 110 a foot

 

[WV Mountaineer]

I'm a builder in Wyoming. Materials will alone will cost 110 a foot

We have contractors here building turn key, middle of the road homes, for $120 square foot. I never realized material costs being that much more out that way.

 

[spike camp]

We have contractors here building turn key, middle of the road homes, for $120 square foot. I never realized material costs being that much more out that way.

Labor too...
Hacks can easily get $40-50 per hour.

Actually, everything is more expensive!
From permits, to material to engineering.