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Since we are approaching 2022, I thought it would be nice idea to start a new thread for all people looking to build a new house in Puna ... and hopefully those that recently built could chime in and give feed back of their time/cost/experiences
For example
- did you go with kit home from HPM or custom plans
- how long to get permit
-cost/time to prep a raw lot
- cost/time for septic system install
since licensed plumber and electrician are required in HI, what was lead time to get one
cost/time to get grid power hooked up to the lot if you did that.
start to finish, how long did it take
Every large project like building a house on an empty lot goes in phases.
Would be great to get an idea of the time and challenges to build in the Puna area at the current time ..
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Expect 3-5 years, cost 20-30% over your budget. Even if you use "pre-approved" HPM plans. There's a reason so many builds are "unpermitted".
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Rather than repeat myself, see these 2 threads for some good discussion from Punaweb members and my advice for building and recommendation for a good builder. Some of your questions will be answered:
https://punaweb.org/forum/showthread.php?tid=21410
Seeking Home Builder in HPP (punaweb.org)
We already had plans, though I wish I had met Sam Berg/Construction 3, our builder before they were finalized. It would probably have cost less and been a better home.
It took about a 11 months from the time they broke ground until we moved in. They lost about 4 weeks to some really nasty winter rain.
We did go over budget, but it was because of poor planning and decision making on our part, and all those "Oh, that would be nice" things that we added as we went along. BUT, we knew the cost of all change orders ahead of time and there were no extra or hidden charges. Sam is a good man.
Though more expensive than doing it yourself, the nice thing about a contractor is that they know the process, get all the permits, and take care of all those little details (and there's a LOT of them) for you. You just sit back and watch them build.
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(12-03-2021, 02:46 AM)Aloha Chasthanks for your replyWhat did you cost per sq ft of house end up being?Chas Wrote: Rather than repeat myself, see these 2 threads for some good discussion from Punaweb members and my advice for building and recommendation for a good builder. Some of your questions will be answered:
https://punaweb.org/forum/showthread.php?tid=21410
Seeking Home Builder in HPP (punaweb.org)
We already had plans, though I wish I had met Sam Berg/Construction 3, our builder before they were finalized. It would probably have cost less and been a better home.
It took about a 11 months from the time they broke ground until we moved in. They lost about 4 weeks to some really nasty winter rain.
We did go over budget, but it was because of poor planning and decision making on our part, and all those "Oh, that would be nice" things that we added as we went along. BUT, we knew the cost of all change orders ahead of time and there were no extra or hidden charges. Sam is a good man.
Though more expensive than doing it yourself, the nice thing about a contractor is that they know the process, get all the permits, and take care of all those little details (and there's a LOT of them) for you. You just sit back and watch them build.
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12-03-2021, 12:59 PM
(This post was last modified: 12-03-2021, 01:04 PM by Chas.)
I went back and calculated it at $115 per sq/ft. The contract was signed in Feb of 2019.
A couple of things to keep in mind: 1) I'm sure costs are higher now, maybe significantly. 2) Our house was a mix of Living, Open and Lanai areas. Per ft costs will vary according to this mix.
Edited to add: Mix was: 40% Living area, 40% Open area, 20% Lanai area.
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12-03-2021, 04:25 PM
(This post was last modified: 12-03-2021, 04:28 PM by tikicarver.)
(12-03-2021, 12:59 PM)Ya I know cost/sq ft is very rough estimate. But it is what builders like to talk in. Just to give you a comparison. In your same timeframe, 2019, I was researching building on a vacant lot in Kaneohe area on Oahu. At that time it would cost about $750,000 to buy 50year old, single wall construction, house that was less than 1000 sq ft. So my logic was if I could find a lot for around $300,000 ( there were some) and I built a small new house for around $200-250K, I would be way ahead of the game. I would have a brand new modern construction house for much cheap then a buying a piece of crap eaten by termites...LOLI went to a few house building seminars the local builders have to find clients.Bottom line they all quoted about the same$200-300 / sq ft of house , NOT including the house of hooking up utilitiesSo I would say $115 is really good..The problem with my plan..... the vacant lot prices are too high on Oahu. No one really wants to give you a loan for vacant land. So you have to have a lot of cash. usually like 50% of the cost for a down payment. Even then they want to see that you have plans to build. You can get combination loans like land /construction. But again they want plans and budgets. So basically to go that route you need to know what you are going to build and have it all budgeted out by a contractor they trust, just to get a loan to buy the lot. That might work if all lots were flat and lever, then you could come up with something that would work on any lot. But that is not the case in Hawaii. To me they force you to work the process backwards. You need to have the land before you can make detailed plans of what to build on it.So my new plan...buy a lot in the Puna area. Build a house on it and then retire there...Chas Wrote: I went back and calculated it at $115 per sq/ft. The contract was signed in Feb of 2019.
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Call Argus Johnson at Argus Lumber 808-933-9441, he could give you the closest estimate.
I'm helping a friend with financing his build. Applied for the permit in Sept 2020, got the permit Dec 8 2020. Final inspection is Dec 7th.
Argus provided the architect, engineering and blueprints. Walked the plans through planning and got the permit for $3500.00.
3 bedroom 3 bath enclosed 2 car garage and 4 good sized lanais. 2 story 2300 sq ft.
