Comment by reactordev
2 days ago
The material costs are high too because of regulations that require specific lumber for framing etc.
It’s more complex than just reducing tariffs and inviting cheap labor. It’s systemic red tape put in by the large builders to prevent anyone but them to be able to build. When they do build, it’s never to code. The code they themselves help write. Ryan Homes for example…
> The material costs are high too because of regulations that require specific lumber for framing etc.
Having done some extensive remodeling and building work in recent years and going to great lengths to follow building codes, this just isn't it. The type of lumber you can use for most framing jobs isn't that special. Having walked through a number of new construction properties and seeing what passes code, I don't think relaxing lumber standards would be a good idea, nor buy us anything.
When lumber, cabinetry, and other building products have tariffs in the range of 10-50%, you can't tell me that tariffs are not the primary problem driving costs up right now. There just isn't a secret stash of lesser grade lumber lying around that would also be perfectly good for building homes.
Single and few number family residential and owner stuff gets all sorts of exemptions in just about every town's zoning code because if not the townsfolk would revolt.
This is why everyone on the internet screeches "well I put up a deck and it wasn't so hard". Try and do a new build of literally any structure and get back to me. Or worse, a construction type that is not the regional default for whatever it is you're doing.
Reality for new construction is way, way, way worse than homeowners think.
Unless you know a guy, in which case it's all open doors and green lights because that's how local politics always is.
I've worked in new construction previously.
It's so much easier than the renovation work I'm doing.
> Try and do a new build of literally any structure and get back to me. Or worse, a construction type that is not the regional default for whatever it is you're doing.
Please don't be so condescending. I'm talking about my experience with home building in a thread about building homes. I'm sorry you had a bad experience with whatever you were building, but we're talking about homes.
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> Unless you know a guy, in which case it's all open doors and green lights because that's how local politics always is.
LOL, in my city, which is the capital city of our state, the city planning committee and property developers are all friends. By which I don't mean "having a drink at a community event", I mean openly posting on social media about their families going on vacation together, "Loved our family spending the week at this airbnb with the X family! So many good times and memories!"
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This. They don't want the local septic man and the local roofer partnering up to GC a development of a dozen houses or even worse, an individual doing the bulk of the work of building anything, so they get it all saddled with requirements that amortize away nicely when vertically integrated but absolutely crush anyone else.
It’s a Ponzi scheme disguised as a monopoly. They’ll block everyone and just sit on the lots with a sign that says coming soon rather than let local contractors do the jobs.