09-04-2015, 06:23 PM
Rob, I don't know your building experience but post and pier is definitely less cost. I don't get how the numbers suggest different. Either way, it's what you prefer as a homeowner anyway so 5-10,000 one way or another shouldn't matter in the end.
The new post and pier code requires the sheer walls to be 1 foot "in the ground". That means, in HPP, you have to jack hammer 1 foot down for each corner sheer wall. This is new and a real pain. Easy when you are up Hamakua and can spend 3 hours with a shovel to dig it out. Not so easy in HPP. Mainland codes adopted here.
You can go 4 feet above grade (above your sheer wall top - basically 5 feet above the ground) with post and pier and remain hassle free. I went 47 inches and can park a car under my house. Great for storage and can walk under the house without too much of a hunch. Above that and you need a whole different set of hardware and plans. Better off building a 2 story slab at that point.
As far as contractor versus owner-builder goes you should decide what you are willing to pay for. If it's worth the peace of mind to pay someone 35-50,000 for turnkey then that's your best bet. I decided to save that money and separately hire the electrician, plumber, drywall guys, etc. I painted and laid floors myself. If you have a "handy", RELIABLE connection, you can pay them 1/4 of a contractor to do those things to finish the job. It can be a crap shoot if you don't have the right connects.
But with access like this site, you should have no problem getting competent people to do the work for fair wages. Wish I had this resource 10 years ago rather than getting run through the ringer 3-4 times and out the other end a few times wiser.
The new post and pier code requires the sheer walls to be 1 foot "in the ground". That means, in HPP, you have to jack hammer 1 foot down for each corner sheer wall. This is new and a real pain. Easy when you are up Hamakua and can spend 3 hours with a shovel to dig it out. Not so easy in HPP. Mainland codes adopted here.
You can go 4 feet above grade (above your sheer wall top - basically 5 feet above the ground) with post and pier and remain hassle free. I went 47 inches and can park a car under my house. Great for storage and can walk under the house without too much of a hunch. Above that and you need a whole different set of hardware and plans. Better off building a 2 story slab at that point.
As far as contractor versus owner-builder goes you should decide what you are willing to pay for. If it's worth the peace of mind to pay someone 35-50,000 for turnkey then that's your best bet. I decided to save that money and separately hire the electrician, plumber, drywall guys, etc. I painted and laid floors myself. If you have a "handy", RELIABLE connection, you can pay them 1/4 of a contractor to do those things to finish the job. It can be a crap shoot if you don't have the right connects.
But with access like this site, you should have no problem getting competent people to do the work for fair wages. Wish I had this resource 10 years ago rather than getting run through the ringer 3-4 times and out the other end a few times wiser.