patrick.net

That's a bit under $300/sqft. Is that just building something new, or does it include teardown?

open yellow pages and start calling general contractors with this question.

I'm doing that as well, just looking for personal experience here.

@SFace why is this so expensive, I know that it is not the labor or materials? If you own the land it seems like it shouldn't cost so much

Might want to think about putting in a basement if the house does not already have one. Also do what you can to keep the original fireplace.

I saw that done a couple times when I was living in the Millbrae area. Don't know what the costs where, but the new houses blended in nicely with the older properties.

One consideration is whether it is possible to comply with current building code requirements. For example, lots of older houses in the area do not have conforming setbacks. If you tear the old house down, you will either need to build the new house with proper setbacks, or obtain a variance. This might limit the size and/or shape of the replacement dwelling. Have a chat with the folks in the local city planning department and they can give you some good info.

For new construction, I would seriously consider a pre-fab house. These can offer substantially lower construction costs with higher construction quality.

ducsingle5313 says

One consideration is whether it is possible to comply with current building code requirements.

I don't know the specifics in your area of CA, but in FL people will often leave one wall of the old structure or some similar subterfuge in order to claim it's a "renovation" rather then new construction to get around the current code requirements.

finehoe says

I don't know the specifics in your area of CA, but in FL people will often leave one wall of the old structure or some similar subterfuge in order to claim it's a "renovation" rather then new construction to get around the current code requirements.

This varies substantially from city to city. Where I live, if you tear down more than 50% of a dwelling within a 1 year period of time, everything has to be brought up to current code. So tough to bypass.

SFace says

In that neck of the wood, the building size is usually based on the slope garde and % formula and lot spefific. You should research this carefully.

For example, a 10K flat lot may build up to 2,700 square feet. A 6K square feet lot will limit you to 1,800 squarer feet. It is not proportional.

To avoid ugly looking box house, there may be requirements that second store sq ft can be no more than 45% of the first story and obvious clearance to your neighbor.

An architect with permit experience will know these things as they have to be approved first and filed permanently.

All good points. I have a friend who is an architect, and he recommends printing out pics from Google Maps plus some pics you take yourself and visiting the city planning office to discuss your concerns with a city planner. He indicated that the city planners are generally very helpful, and they appreciate people who check into these things in advance.

New Renter says

Might want to think about putting in a basement if the house does not already have one. Also do what you can to keep the original fireplace.

Most of that area is on fill and has a high water table. Unless its on a hill side, a basement is a bad idea.

The Blu Homes link is interesting.

I love this part. Curse you, California :)

"Blu charges a premium in California, Canada and Hawaii to cover additional services and material costs that allow us to better serve our customers."

Higher prices to better serve customers? Right. More like higher prices to comply with ridiculous local building codes.

Kevin says

New Renter says

Might want to think about putting in a basement if the house does not already have one. Also do what you can to keep the original fireplace.

Most of that area is on fill and has a high water table. Unless its on a hill side, a basement is a bad idea.

The city won't permit a basement if the geology won't support one. All I'm saying is IMO a basement is a good idea if it can be done

donjumpsuit says

n my opinion, the teardown isn't going to cost much

Obligatory: