My Custom Home Build. All done. 061722

063021 Update:
We are under contract with a builder for the house. Signed contract and paid deposit this morning. We will be paying cash so no bank involvement is necessary, which allows them to get to work almost immediately. They are submitting for permits next week. Ground breaking estimate is Aug 1. My wife has to have a meeting with the designer at their office next week to pick out colors and styles so they can order. Woohoo!

Steel building update: These steel building guys are shady AF. My sales guy, Juan Cortez @ Viking Steel Structures, straight up ghosted me after I paid my deposit. I do not recommend this company as a building seller at all. The guys at the builders have been helpful. Tracking my order. Letting me know status and what is causing delays. They were waiting for Juan to give them some information since the 18th. The builders were getting no response via email or calls to Viking Steel Structures. They asked if I could try to contact them from my end to see if I could help. I called the Viking 800 number and kept going straight to voice mail. Sale guys # went straight to voice mail. Emails were unanswered. I finally tried hitting 0 for the operator on the 800 number and got to a real person. After explaining that something is FUBAR with my order the lady agreed to get on Juan to have him fix his end. It took another day but the actual builders contacted me again today to let me know they have what they need. My order is being processed into their system and I will be contacted next week to verify everything is good.

I'm ready to have a workshop again. I'm bored here at our rental. I don't have room in the garage to do any projects so I haven't started anything new. BORED! I need a project! lol.

CHRIS
 
I'm working with the guys that are going to be manufacturing my garage now. Two phone calls and a few texts and I have verified the size, height, colors, and door locations. It now needs to be processed so that a certified drawing can be generated. After I get it, I can have my concrete guys pour the pad. The manufacturer needs to see a photo of the install site before it goes into production...so I'm still at the point where they need something from me but I can not provide it until they give something to me. Chicken or egg? lol.

My wife went to the home builder's office and worked with their design team and picked out exterior stuff. Siding type, shake type, brick and stone type, metal roof type, people and garage door types, window types, and colors/textures for each.

The last sentence in my previous post stated that I'm pretty bored now. Well I picked out a project for me to take up my idle time. I ordered a kit car frame and now I get to spend time researching, tracking down, and collecting parts for the build! :D Of course there is a several month lead time on the frame being delivered, so hopefully it works out that my garage is completed in time to roll it in there.

CHRIS
 
"These steel building guys are shady AF. My sales guy, Juan Cortez @ Viking Steel Structures, straight up ghosted me after I paid my deposit. I do not recommend this company as a building seller at all. They were waiting for Juan to give them some information since the 18th. The builders were getting no response via email or calls to Viking Steel Structures. They asked if I could try to contact them from my end to see if I could help. I called the Viking 800 number and kept going straight to voice mail. Sale guys # went straight to voice mail. Emails were unanswered."



If this is the Viking company in NC I think I would have taken a road trip for a face to face with Juan. I know everyone's situation is different but damn..........

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7/30/21: Big update! Not really. lol.

I finally got the site specific drawings for my building/workshop. I sent them to the concrete guys so they can give me a current quote. I think this concrete phase will happen pretty quickly. The drawing called for 18" deep footers. The gable ends with the garage door openings were 18" wide. The side walls were 12" wide. There were also some rebar call-outs for the footings. The dead area in the side walls is pretty deep. 12" total depth from edge of concrete to inside wall. There's a lot of room between the inside wall and the metal skin of the building. Heck, I can do 12" deep shelving on the entire exterior walls!

Our home builder and the site super made it to the property for the site survey. It's "roughly" marked for the permitting process. He's getting us scheduled for earth moving work. There are some trees and some stumps that need to be removed from the house site.

My wife ordered a run in shed with stall and tack room for her horse area. It's a custom build unit that is hauled in on a trailer and set on site. It has a hefty lead time on it as well. We need to get the pasture area marked and have someone come out and give us quotes on fencing it for us. We both can and have put up slick wire, electro-braid, and split rail fencing before...but we absolutely suck at the hard corners and dips and elevation changes. The bracing never works out in our favor. lol. We want a pro to take care of it for us so it won't look like poopoo in a few years.

CHRIS
 
CHRIS_WNC said:
7/30/21: Big update! Not really. lol.

I finally got the site specific drawings for my building/workshop. I sent them to the concrete guys so they can give me a current quote. I think this concrete phase will happen pretty quickly. The drawing called for 18" deep footers. The gable ends with the garage door openings were 18" wide. The side walls were 12" wide. There were also some rebar call-outs for the footings. The dead area in the side walls is pretty deep. 12" total depth from edge of concrete to inside wall. There's a lot of room between the inside wall and the metal skin of the building. Heck, I can do 12" deep shelving on the entire exterior walls!

Our home builder and the site super made it to the property for the site survey. It's "roughly" marked for the permitting process. He's getting us scheduled for earth moving work. There are some trees and some stumps that need to be removed from the house site.

My wife ordered a run in shed with stall and tack room for her horse area. It's a custom build unit that is hauled in on a trailer and set on site. It has a hefty lead time on it as well. We need to get the pasture area marked and have someone come out and give us quotes on fencing it for us. We both can and have put up slick wire, electro-braid, and split rail fencing before...but we absolutely suck at the hard corners and dips and elevation changes. The bracing never works out in our favor. lol. We want a pro to take care of it for us so it won't look like poopoo in a few years.

CHRIS
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@Alabamacoastie may have somebody for fence
 
080221-
I called the County and asked about the well and septic today and mentioned our ag use/ farm tax thing to the nice lady. She said that I didn't have to go through permitting for an ag use well or septic.

The septic guy that I spoke with today said that he preferred to go ahead and have the County inspect his septic work. I already have an approved permit for both (from early on during the PANDEMIC!!!!) with the County so it sounds like it would be just as easy to have them come out and inspect both and have that on the books.

I left messages with a couple of well guys. One is on vacation and will set up an appt to view the site when he gets back in a few days. The other hasn't returned my call yet.

My wife spoke with two fence guys. One is coming out on Thursday. The other is coming out next week...but he said that he has a 3 month backlog currently. He can't keep any help. Nobody will even show up for work.

Concrete guys should have a quote for me this evening.

I'm seeing that there is an advantage to Ag use stuff.

CHRIS
 
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CHRIS_WNC said:
080221-
I called the County and asked about the well and septic today and mentioned our ag use/ farm tax thing to the nice lady. She said that I didn't have to go through permitting for an ag use well or septic.

The septic guy that I spoke with today said that he preferred to go ahead and have the County inspect his septic work. I already have an approved permit for both (from early on during the PANDEMIC!!!!) with the County so it sounds like it would be just as easy to have them come out and inspect both and have that on the books.

I left messages with a couple of well guys. One is on vacation and will set up an appt to view the site when he gets back in a few days. The other hasn't returned my call yet.

My wife spoke with two fence guys. One is coming out on Thursday. The other is coming out next week...but he said that he has a 3 month backlog currently. He can't keep any help. Nobody will even show up for work.

Concrete guys should have a quote for me this evening.

I'm seeing that there is an advantage to Ag use stuff.

CHRIS
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So I just went through this and spoke with the Rutherford permitting people as well

Unless something changed you don’t need a permit for the AG well but you do need a permit for the septic.
 
I've got one.
I must have misunderstood the lady when I was talking to her earlier. I swear she said that no permits required for AG stuff. Septic guy said that I needed one as well.

CHRIS
 
081521

I spoke with a well guy last week. He came out to the property and looked over the barn/shop layout and gave his recommendations. We're on his list. I'm going to use the permit that was pulled.

Septic guy hasn't been able to come out yet.

My wife is on the wait list with a fence guy that @amnesia recommended. He gave a three week lead time, but mentioned that since we don't need any grading done he might be able to get his guys to us sooner. It should be a quick job for them.

Concrete guys are supposed to start this week. My early on estimates were blown out of the water after they looked at the rebar and footer requirements. Around $9k early on to about $17k now. They've dropped a couple loads of rebar sticks off on site. I did the plumbing stub ups myself. :oops: It should work splendidly. I'm seeing talk of some rain this week. Water is good for concrete, right? lol.
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CHRIS
 
CHRIS_WNC said:
081521

I spoke with a well guy last week. He came out to the property and looked over the barn/shop layout and gave his recommendations. We're on his list. I'm going to use the permit that was pulled.

Septic guy hasn't been able to come out yet.

My wife is on the wait list with a fence guy that @amnesia recommended. He gave a three week lead time, but mentioned that since we don't need any grading done he might be able to get his guys to us sooner. It should be a quick job for them.

Concrete guys are supposed to start this week. My early on estimates were blown out of the water after they looked at the rebar and footer requirements. Around $9k early on to about $17k now. They've dropped a couple loads of rebar sticks off on site. I did the plumbing stub ups myself. :oops: It should work splendidly. I'm seeing talk of some rain this week. Water is good for concrete, right? lol.


CHRIS
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You can’t go wrong with Leon! I’m glad you’re on the list. He’s worth the wait and he could definitely charge more based on the quality of work.
 
CHRIS_WNC said:
081821
Concrete guys started today.
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40x40 seems small out in the big field. Dammit. :oops:

I think I found an arrowhead too. I'm an enrolled 1/2 blood Sioux and this is the first possible one that I've picked up.
lp9CwmM.jpg

CHRIS
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Damn! That's awesome!
 
County septic inspector guy came out to the home site last Thursday. He wasn't there long. I barely caught him on camera. 😆

This rolled in tonight!
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Ground breaking starts tomorrow. They have to move a bit of dirt, some old stumps from the logging, some trees to get a better set back for the house, and dig out for the basement. Lot of work but it's finally starting. My wife, son, and I are wicked excited.

CHRIS
 
Still waiting for word from the steel building people. Shop/barn septic and well are "two weeks out...weather cooperating." Fence guy is thinking three weeks out. Prefab barn is still looking like post-Thanksgiving.

I've been using my concrete pad to get some work done. Getting a good end of summer tan too. It's peaceful out there.

CHRIS
 
100121
End of week. More dirt moved. On Wed they surveyed and pinned off the corners of the house and taped it all out.
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Friday (today) the concrete guys showed up and started working on footers.
More marking.
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More digging and some rebar down.
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We also got our right of way paperwork from Duke. Signed and notarized and all done there.
CHRIS
 
Don’t know if you’ve are set on a generator for the if‘s and when’s pop up but with your setup and land you might be more served by a small solar farm setup. Maybe 3 or so banks setup properly in a field corner/edge with proper battery storage and you could be pretty much independent of Duke or even selling back a little to them. I know the initial setup would cost more as much as a nice whole house backup but you’d likely able to get some tax breaks and even possibly a grant. Then every month you don’t pay $150-$200 to Duke you’re paying off the solar investment. In the long run it will pay for itself as well as give you that ability to not worry about the power going out.
 
We have plans for a whole house propane generator right now.

I’m tinkering with solar on that storage container. This was my first go at it. :) I’m going to add a couple of more panels to my current solar setup and some legit batteries when I move that container later on. My son loves the idea of solar power so this will be our long term experiment with it.

CHRIS
 
Good looking dirt work. Hurry up with those footers and concrete, more rain on the way. With all that wood on your land have you ever thought about a wood burning hot water backup system?
 
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REELDOC said:
Good looking dirt work. Hurry up with those footers and concrete, more rain on the way. With all that wood on your land have you ever thought about a wood burning hot water backup system?
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There's a guy not too far from where I work that has a demo type unit set up in his yard...at least that's what I think it is. Something like that would be cool to try out in the shop. I'll pay more attention to it when I drive by next time.
 
www.backwoodshome.com

Hydronic woodstoves - Backwoods Home Magazine

By Jeffrey Yago, P.E., CEM Issue #105 • May/June, 2007 Do you realize there is an entire field of woodstoves that the general public rarely hears about, even though there are specialty woodstove stores in every town and woodstove displays in most hardware and building supply outlets. This is the...
www.backwoodshome.com
 
101121-
Well...
They found water out by my shop today. 345 feet drilled netted us 12 gpm. Plenty for the little shop and filling horse water troughs. :)
Septic fellow came out and looked over the site. He's working up the road a few miles and wanted to stop by. I think he'll be starting on us soon. The permit that we have on file with the County office is gibberish. Grainy as heck. He's calling to see if they have any guidance or whatnot before he starts digging.
The pasture fence guy committed to Thursday or Friday of this week to get going.
I am finally hard scheduled with the steel building people for my shop. They have me down for the 25th. I'll get a call the Friday before to confirm appointment.
The house footers were poured last week. It's still kind of soupy up there from all the rain. The builders were out this morning and said that poured basement walls and basement plumbing was coming up next. They have a survey crew that comes out after each step and remarks everything. It's kind of cool.

Lots of stuff happening now.

CHRIS
 
Quick question for you guys.
I did not put a water supply line inside my concrete slab. Way too late now!

How would you go about getting a supply line inside the building when it is up...without going through the concrete?

I'm thinking stubbing up right by the building wall and just going through the wall to get inside. I'd have to build an insulated box or something to keep it from freezing. Hmm. Looking for ideas here. lol.

CHRIS
 
CHRIS_WNC said:
Quick question for you guys.
I did not put a water supply line inside my concrete slab. Way too late now!

How would you go about getting a supply line inside the building when it is up...without going through the concrete?

I'm thinking stubbing up right by the building wall and just going through the wall to get inside. I'd have to build an insulated box or something to keep it from freezing. Hmm. Looking for ideas here. lol.

CHRIS
Click to expand...
CE8DA8CC-1706-4A55-9181-25C009D8C315.jpeg
 
CHRIS_WNC said:
Quick question for you guys.
I did not put a water supply line inside my concrete slab. Way too late now!

How would you go about getting a supply line inside the building when it is up...without going through the concrete?

I'm thinking stubbing up right by the building wall and just going through the wall to get inside. I'd have to build an insulated box or something to keep it from freezing. Hmm. Looking for ideas here. lol.

CHRIS
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A small closed in external lean would work nicely for both your air compressor and waterline entry point. Add a light in there during the winter like a pump house to keep the pipe from freezing. You don’t want that noisy thing inside and you certainly don’t want it out in the weather.
 
102421- End of week update.

At the shop/barn site--The fence guys came and did what they were supposed to. It happens a lot easier with the correct equipment. They had a skid steer with a cool auger/hydraulic ram attachment. I don't know how many posts they put up but it all looks great. My wife is very happy with it and that's all that's really important.
From the upper corner post. Looking left.
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Looking right.
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Septic guy also came out and installed the tank and drain field and passed inspection. So that is done.

I learned that having a well drilled and actually getting a working well are two entirely different things. The drillers are one appointment and the crew that installs the well pump are another. We're waiting on the pump installers now. My wife is hauling in three of her ponies to the pasture this coming week and will have to haul in water for them too. We'll get it worked out.

I rechecked my message from the steel building people. I guess they said "the week of the 25th" and not "the 25th" for my build. I'll get a call from them the day before they arrive after my kit is loaded up on the installer's trailer. I have a generator ready for them to provide power for their saws and drills.

No word from Duke on power yet. I hope to have the steel building up and my electrician have the service installed and inspected before they come out, so I'm not bothering the engineer any currently. The timing here is going to work out for me it seems.

At the house site-- nothing happened for a week or so then the concrete guys came back in to start forming the walls. They had two large truck deliveries of these flat forms and connecting pieces hauled in and spent a good two days tying on extra rebar and building this big old thing. :D They may have another day or two of work left before the pour starts.
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CHRIS
 
What type of water proofing are you going to use on the walls?
 
CHRIS_WNC said:
That's what I'm most impressed about. That trailer is cool. They had their tools on the back of their flatbed quad cab truck, but my whole building is on that trailer.

CHRIS
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Wow, even though the pic doesn't show the other side I figured there was no way all the sheet metal was on there too.
 
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