Another build season has passed and a new season is beginning, and I seem to be in the same place I was in 2023 with respect to starting construction. Things were derailed slightly in 2023 as I tried to navigate the bureaucracy and red tape of the permitting process. Recap: the goal was to get the rough driveway and septic in before winter of 2023 so construction could being spring of 2024. The permit for the rough driveway was denied because the inspector said he wanted a 50 foot offset from the property across from mine. Because the rough driveway permit was denied, that also meant I wasn’t able to get the septic system installed… at a minimum, there has to be a rough driveway in place in order to install the septic system. There is nothing in the code compliance regarding a 50 foot offset, but you don’t dare bring that up; why make things more difficult for future inspections. Fortunately common sense ultimately prevailed and I was able to get the rough driveway permit approved after agreeing to making a minor modification.
With the rough driveway permit finally approved, I was able to proceed with the septic system installation. Unfortunately, winter arrived earlier than anticipated and the trucks weren’t able to deliver the septic tanks due to the snowy conditions. Having to wait another year to install the septic system wasn’t a huge issue, it just meant a little more coordination would be required when the excavation for the foundation begins.
Months later, as winter began to fade and warmer weather arrived, the 2024 build season was about to begin. I emailed the builder to get an update on when construction might begin. A week passed and I hadn’t heard from him, but I wasn’t overly concerned because I figured he was busy since it was almost the start of the build season. I then called and left a voice message, asking he call me back so we could discuss the start of construction. Another week passed and I still hadn’t heard from the builder… now I was getting concerned. I went to his website only to discover that it was no longer accessible.
I had heard horror stories from others who said their builders would start their project, receive a few payments, then suddenly disappear. It looks as though my builder had now fallen into that category. When we last met, we walked my property and marked general foundation locations. We then went to one of his current builds so I could see his quality first hand. I even met another homeowner in the area that used him as their builder and they were happy with his work. I thought I had found a decent builder, so you can imagine my frustration and disappointment when I discovered he had disappeared. The only fortunate aspect to this situation was that I hadn’t given him any money since construction hadn’t started.
This now set me back to square one with trying to find a new builder. It also delayed the build process by another year. I spent several weeks searching online for builders and contacting a few of my future neighbors, asking who their builder was or who they might recommend. Several of the recommended builders I contacted indicated they were planning to retire and weren’t taking on new projects, or didn’t have availability until 2026. After several weeks, I eventually contacted a builder who was recommended by another builder who is planning to retire.
When I spoke with the new builder, I explained the situation and he informed me he has built three homes in the area where my property is located… and he also lives in the same area, only a couple miles from my property. During the course of our conversation, I told the builder about all of the preparation work I’ve already completed and that I was essentially ready to begin construction. He said he would go by my property to see first hand and then call me back to continue our conversation. The following day the builder called me back and said all of the preparation work looked good. He asked that I send him the architectural and engineering plans, along with copies of the approved permits and any other notes I had, and he would begin preparing an estimate.
Fast-forward to 2025, I’ve made a couple trips to the property to meet with the new builder, stake the foundation location, submit building permits, and got the well installed.
The well was a bit of an unknown concern. Because you don’t know at what depth you’ll reach a viable water source, the cost can’t be estimated. The cost is a combination of a fixed price for the first 100 feet, and then $85.00 per foot after that. I was mentally preparing myself for a total cost of close to $30,000.00 based on the neighbor’s well depth of 320 feet.
When the drilling was complete and I got the report, I was surprised to learn they reached a good water source at 197 feet and were producing seven gallons of water per minute. That was really good news because it saved me a significant amount of money.
All of the prep work is now done and I’m just waiting on the building department to approve my permit… which I’m hoping will happen in the next couple of weeks. Once that happens, it will be full steam ahead, and the builder said he will have the initial structure dried in before winter.
In the mean time, it’s back to navigating through more red tape as I coordinate for temporary utility services so the construction workers don’t have to rely on generators the entire time while working. The next major milestone will be the foundation… until then….