In The Field

As Jon says, "we like to divide and conquer". But there are times when we will work side-by-side for the benefit of putting two sets of eyes on a project. For us, this usually happens at project proposal meetings, site location meetings, construction rough-in walk thrus, final walk thrus, etc. We feel this is a benefit of working with two licensed residential builders.

Last week we had the opportunity of investigating a lot for someone. This is often a great time to ask questions in preparation for breaking ground. Selecting a lot and envisioning your house on that lot can be a difficult task, but it's one that we like to participate in.

We are Jonathan (Jon) Foster and Salim (Slim) Khalil. We build in Lexington & Richland Counties. We are Master Plan Homes Inc.

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How long does it take to build?

A question that we often get asked: "How long will it take to build my house?" The answer depends on several factors:

• Size of the home (both heated and non-heated areas)
• Type of site work required (clearing, grading, digging basement, etc.)
• Amount of detailed features in the home
• Weather
• Availability of materials

The majority of the homes we have been building take less than 5 months to as many as 10 months. This slideshow makes it look incredibly quick!

At Master Plan Homes Inc, Jon and I are licensed residential builders that want to build our homes in a timely manner without sacrificing the integrity of the job.

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Building Your Home Green

Today is St. Patrick's Day, a day that is synonymous with green. We wear green today to avoid being pinched for some reason... St. Patrick himself used a green three-leaved shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity to the Irish of his time.

What does that have to do with building a green home? Nothing. But I had to mention it considering today is St. Patrick's Day.

I did go to the "Build Your New Home Green" seminar this past Friday at the Home & Garden Show. This seminar was presented by Michael Strong of Brothers Strong, Inc. and GreenHaus Builders, Inc. from Houston, Texas. He is a Certified Graduate Remodeler (CGR), Graduate Master Builder (GMB), and Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist (CAPS).

The two gentlemen seated behind him in this picture are Mark Bostic of Square One Design Service and Joseph Gilmore of Gilmore Consulting Services.

During this seminar, Mr. Strong facilitated a conversation about how green home construction is defined. At the meeting were homeowners interested in building green, homeowners interested in remodeling green, and a couple of builders including myself. Topics included site placement, reducing landfill waste during construction, radiant barrier sheathing, insulation, more efficient hvac systems, dual flush toilets, non-potable rainwater systems, tankless water heaters, buying material within a 500 mile radius to reduce greenhouse gases, low-VOC paint, solar energy, etc.

Mr. Strong pointed out that the system in place in Houston is very similiar to the Build Green Greater Columbia system. The program is based on the NAHB Green Home Guidelines which uses a checklist with points assigned to different areas. Some homes can be "greener" than others so there is a Bronze, Silver, and Gold designation based on the total number of points. Strong also pointed out that homeowners in Houston realize building green could cost them more upfront, but they will also save on utility bills for the life of the home - not to mention they will be making a more positive impact on their environment.

Green homes are becoming more talked about - and they are being built right here in South Carolina. Just yesterday, Megan Sexton of The State paper wrote an article titled "A Green Dream" about a new green home in the Lowcountry. This home is the first green home built by HGTV and it achieved a Gold certification. Scott Adams, the creator of Dilbert, even created a Dilbert strip just for the Green Home!

You can learn all about this Green Home on HGTV's Green Home web site. A one hour special on the home will also be aired on HGTV at these times:

• March 23, 2008 9:00 PM ET/PT
• March 24, 2008 1:00 AM ET/PT
• April 04, 2008 10:00 AM ET/PT
• April 06, 2008 5:00 PM ET/PT
• April 22, 2008 10:00 AM ET/PT
• May 04, 2008 5:00 PM ET/PT

We'll keep learning more about green home construction and we'll be ready to build a green home for you when you're ready.

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What is PUPS?

Who is it you're supposed to call before you dig? The answer: PUPS - Palmetto Utility Protection Service.

By calling 811, the PUPS system will then notify the participating utility companies and municipalities which service your location. They will come out to stake or mark your property at any buried utilities. And the service is free!

According to the PUPS website: "The South Carolina STATE LAW requires that excavators give a 72-Hour notice, (3 working days excluding weekends and holidays), for the locators to get out to mark the area. After a ticket has been processed, you will know when you are legally free to proceed with the digging work and which utilities in the area P.U.P.S. will be notifying for you. Any utilities that P.U.P.S. does not notify, you will be responsible for notifying directly. The Utility Companies ask that you leave a 2 1/2 feet margin on each side of a marked utility line. Also note that your request is good for 15 working days after it has been processed by our system."

Utility markings are color-coded as follows:

• RED - Electric Power Lines, Cables, Conduit and Lightning Cables
• YELLOW - Gas, Oil, Steam, Petroleum, or Gaseous Materials
• ORANGE - Communication, Alarm, or Signal Lines, Cables or Conduit
• BLUE - Water, Irrigation, and Slurry Lines
• GREEN - Sewers and Drain Lines
• PINK - Temporary Survey Markings
• WHITE - Proposed Excavations

In addition to the 811 number, PUPS can be notified toll-free at (888) 721-7877 or with a web ticket on the PUPS website.

Selecting a Lot to Build your Home

There are several things to consider when selecting a lot to build your home on. Do you want to be in a neighbhorhood or on private land? Do you want waterfront or a view of a lake or pond? How close do you want to be to your place of work? What school district do you want to be in?

Established neighborhoods have become very sought after as people often want to know what the properties around them are going to be like. A neighborhood can have restrictions on the size and style of houses being built. This can be beneficial for those concerned about how the neighboring properties will affect their resale value. Also, neighborhoods often can provide shared amenities such as a pool, tennis court, or pond.

On the flip side, some people prefer private land so they aren't forced to deal with community restrictions. Private land can generally be found at a lower cost since neighborhood amenities are not built into the price. Also, some people build on private land that belongs to their family or to get a bigger tract of land than what is available in most developments.

From the construction side, it is also helpful to consider the following when selecting a lot or land to build on:

• Elevations - Check to see the slope of the lot (if any) and how this will relate to the house you want to build. Be mindful of how and where water run-off from your house will go.
• Setbacks - Each lot is going to have a minimum setback for the front, back, left, and right sides of the property. This is particularly important on smaller lots - you want to make sure the house you intend to build will fit within the setbacks of the lot.
• Facing direction - Find out which direction your house will face on the lot to ensure it's going to suit you. This will let you forsee which rooms in your house will be getting direct sunlight at certain times of the day.
• Sewer or Septic - A septic system usually requires more clearing of the lot in order to install the septic drain lines.
• Public Water or Well - The expense of digging a well is often unknown because it depends on the depth which must be dug before a good supply of water is hit. You won't know this exact depth until you start digging.

All of these things considered ahead of time will help you make a good lot selection. Of course, all of these issues may also have an affect on the price of the lot or land. Lot and land prices have been increasing considerably in recent years. This is not a surprise as there is only so much land out there. The price range can also be very wide. For example, the price range of lots in neighborhoods in Lexington SC 29072 is any where from $35k to $415k.

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Structured Wiring

So what's the big deal with structured wiring? It is just for tech-savvy people or is it worthwhile for everyone? How about the cost?

Structured wiring was originally used in commercial construction to integrate security, cable, and phone systems. As the cost of structured wiring systems has come down, it is becoming more and more common in residential homes. Installing a system like this during new home construction can also cost half as much as retrofitting it to an existing home.

Some of the systems that can be wired in this structured manner include phone, television, intercom, security, audio, computer networking, cameras, etc. Having these systems in a structured wiring configuration also allows for easy access via the structured wiring panel that they all can be wired into.

A structured wiring system typically consists of "home run wiring" which means that each cable is run from a source panel to its destination (ex: a bedroom) without connecting to another jack in a different room. This allows each cable to work independently and reduces interference. Additionally, this will allow for greater flexibility as to the purpose of that wire. For example, a cable used for a phone in a bedroom could be modified in the source panel to now be part of the home's computer network or an IP camera system. The cabling in structured wiring systems is typically: Category 5 or 5e for voice and data; RG6 coaxial cable for video. Fiber optic cable is also an option, but is expensive.

One benefit of structured wiring systems is that they give you more control over the wiring in your home, instead of giving that control to the phone or cable company. Those companies would just bring their outside wire to your source panel and the structured wiring system takes over from there getting the signal to the rest of the home. Also, some phone companies will charge an "inside wiring maintenance" fee on your bill which you can eliminate if you have structured wiring.


I encourage anyone building a new home to consider a structured wiring system at least for their phone, television, and networking. A basic system starts around $1,200 to $1,500 and goes up from there. I think the value it adds to your home will be worth the cost.

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