Framing Costs and Concepts

Framing for wood frame structures here in Walton County is not a mystery wrapped in a riddle.  Unless you talk to framers!   It is really very simple.   Framing is based on the total number of all square feet that must be hammered, nailed, glued or screwed.

All framers will quote you a price per square foot.  Your objective is to drill into those numbers to make sure you are comparing apples to apples.   Do they include any material like nails?  What kind of nails would they use? HINT: Stainless Steel if exposed to the elements.

Remember, nails cost money.  So do the hangers and ties for joists and hurricane code.   Do they include any of this?   You need to make sure you have some kind of allowance for all materials minor and major on the project.   Nails, screws, tyvek etc can easily range into the $10-15 thousand dollar range for typical 2500-3500 heated and cooled square foot homes near the beach.   Go to Panhandle Bolt for the nice guys in this area.  They will give you a good estimate for all these kinds of materials.

Don't forget about your lumber package.   Lumber packages are not that expensive relative to the value it adds.  One way to get a general feel for lumber well before construction is to look at the index value for lumber packages.  Search Google for the BMC Framing Price Index or Lumber Package Index to get some insight.  Here is an example.


Again, you can boil things down to price per square foot but remember that price per square foot is just a statistic to equalize all costs into an easy to talk about concept.   If you want the best grade of lumber or golden floor joists then you will pay more because the material costs more.   Generally speaking the current index as of this writing in July of 2015 is about $8.50 per square foot.   This project underway is 5621 total framed square footage.  Remember, that includes patios/decks etc all that is under roof.   The lumber package for this house then is expected to be $48,000 or so.  Knowing some of the specification for some of the deck framing lumber I know the package will be more.  I have allowed for $58,000 in lumber costs for this project.  Again Franks Cash and Carry is far and away the best service provider in this area.  Everyone that works there knows what they are doing and takes the time to know what you are doing.  Chris Schissler is working with us on this project.

Not included in Lumber that needs to be estimated and added to the total "framing" costs is Trusses Siding, Nails/Ties/Hangers, Trim Wood, Water Barrier Wrap (Tyvek), Roof Water Barrier Underlayment and Hurricane Through rods and bolts along with a few other items.

Siding is a variable depending on what you want to side with.   Popular choices here are James Hardie line of concrete fiber board products.   For some homes where the corners of the siding will be mitered, some select the Artisan Series.   HINT:  The mitered corners do not hold together unless the framers do it correctly!   Standard Hardie is great.   Hardie Shake products are a good alternative for low maintenance.

These products are very cost effective.   Hardie lap siding runs about $1 per square foot of exterior coverage, and shake product runs about $4.40 per square foot of coverage.  There are other products and pricing and you need to consider them with your designer or the design you want to achieve.  Some will even use Extira for siding.  That is tremendously expensive.  Many use Extira for trim.  That too is very pricey relative to wood.   All Hardi for this project will be about $10,000.

Trim wood for windows and doors is also something to consider, but it is a low cost overall if done in Kiln Dried #1 Pine.  There is a product that is cost effective in the KDAT category.  Frank's again can help you optimize cost and value.

We call this all generally part of the Dry-In.   In another blog post we include exterior windows and doors, the roof and painting.

Overall Budget

Lumber Package:  $58,000
Siding Package  :    10,000
Framing Labor  :    50,100
Siding Labour   :      5,300
Misc Materials  :    15,000

Total:                    $138,400   Far and away the largest part of the build besides interior finish detail if you consider the whole ball of wax.   Of these numbers only the Lumber Package is a bit soft but likely will not exceed.  

Uh Oh!! yes....Trusses must be estimated and are an additional item.

Trusses are produced by any one of the truss companies here.  They produce them for the floor trusses, any girder trusses and for the roof truss system.   These folks add a great deal of value if you work with the nice ones.   Arban Truss In Ponce De Leon is far and away the nicest bunch of folks.  They will give you guidance and rough estimates from the engineering drawings on the spot.

Remember to check lead times along the way as you go.  The things you cannot control like the permitting process and its general governmental snails pace are things that you just have to let be.  The things you can control like the logistics of when to order specific things and in what sequence to make things happen needs to be front and center as you begin to submit for permitting.

See the time lapse of the first floor band here. 

Trusses:  $16,500

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