WELCOME TO RIVER DAVES PLACE

New Home Build

jailbird141

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I am going to try and keep this thread going from start to finish. My completion date goal is July 1st, 2021. Prior to breaking ground, Graphic Concepts did my plans. I had a couple sketches of what I wanted, Graphic Concepts did the rest. I am doing owner/builder so I pulled my permits myself and will be trying to coordinate subs myself. Paolo at Cutting Edge Concrete did the foundation and I was very happy with the job he did.

8-7-20-2.jpeg


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crzy2bealive

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House build looking great, would you recommend I have drawings made before meeting with a contractor?

Any cons of just having a contractor that I choose do it?

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jailbird141

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I may be easier to have the contractor handle it. I was very particular about what I wanted and I have a minute or two of experience doing construction. So I had sketches and idea of what I wanted. It took four or five revisions of my plans by Graphic Concepts to get them exactly how I wanted. If you are not a particular as I am, some of the bigger contractors have plans that may fit your needs and that would be a lot quicker. It probably wouldn't hurt to talk to a contractor first, but to get a really accurate price to build what you want, they will need a set of plans to estimate off of, wether its your plans or a set of theirs.
 

HNL2LHC

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Nice!! Looking forward to seeing the progress. Did you personally pull the permits? We are getting things lined up with an RV garage addition for the coming spring. Our son is an architect and did the drawings. I am at the point of coming to town in a couple of weeks to do that. Any advise would be great. 👍

What type of concrete psi you go with? Interesting that there is no mesh or rebar.
 

jailbird141

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Yes I personally pulled the permits. The plans called for 2500pis concrete but I used 3000psi. I asked about there being no wire mesh or rebar in the field and was told it has to do with the fact that Lake Havasu is not a seismic zone and the metal mesh will react with whatever is in the ground and deteriorate which will cause the concrete to deteriorate. The concrete does have fiber mesh in it which I guess is normal in Lake Havasu. Every foundation contractor told me the same thing. They all told me I could add the steel mesh if I wanted but it wasn't necessary and would just cause me problems in the future.
 

Slick

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I am going to try and keep this thread going from start to finish. My completion date goal is July 1st, 2021. Prior to breaking ground, Graphic Concepts did my plans. I had a couple sketches of what I wanted, Graphic Concepts did the rest. I am doing owner/builder so I pulled my permits myself and will be trying to coordinate subs myself. Paolo at Cutting Edge Concrete did the foundation and I was very happy with the job he did.

View attachment 917495

View attachment 917496
Nice! Paolo is currently building my house and has been great to work with.
 

scottchbrite

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House build looking great, would you recommend I have drawings made before meeting with a contractor?

Any cons of just having a contractor that I choose do it?

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Thats how I did it. I had a designer, who was formerly a construction superintendent, draw mine. He was able to design our house close to what we were expecting price wise because he knew what stuff cost. Once we had plans, we went out to bid on everything. Find a designer/architect that doesn’t expect you to use a certain contractor. Get it done on your own. No need to pay a markup from a contractor. FYI- I paid about $2 psft. for design
 

jailbird141

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First week of framing is done, here is the progress. Andy at Johnson-Manley Lumber has been great to work with.
E09FA80E-012E-4245-8172-4B8AB95815D3.jpeg

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7756EC92-0274-4EE4-AB1C-85DCD417029D.jpeg
 

grumpy88

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We are trying to build a pool and i was telling my friend i would either have a stroke or be in jail at this point in your build . It looks great and i hope it is everything you in envisioned !👍🏻
 

jailbird141

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Can anyone recommend a good drywall company in Havasu? Looking to get a few bids.
 

SJP

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Congrats - this is a cool project. Following this build and interested in building an RV garage at some point.
 

Bobby V

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Can anyone recommend a good drywall company in Havasu? Looking to get a few bids.
These guys have been in town for years. I used them on my RV garage 15 years ago.

 

timmahhhh

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How's the project coming?

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jailbird141

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How's the project coming?

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Progress is still continuing. I figured it would slow a little around the holidays. My rough mechanical, rough electrical and rough plumbing are done. My insulation guy is ready and waiting as well as my stucco guy. My front door was supposed to be delivered mid December, but it got pushed back to mid January. Once I get the front door, I can install it and the stucco guy can do his thing which will allow the insulation guy to do his thing. I am still looking for a drywaller. I hope to have it stucco'd, insulated and roofed in January. Fingers crossed!
 

franky

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Progress is still continuing. I figured it would slow a little around the holidays. My rough mechanical, rough electrical and rough plumbing are done. My insulation guy is ready and waiting as well as my stucco guy. My front door was supposed to be delivered mid December, but it got pushed back to mid January. Once I get the front door, I can install it and the stucco guy can do his thing which will allow the insulation guy to do his thing. I am still looking for a drywaller. I hope to have it stucco'd, insulated and roofed in January. Fingers crossed!
You can do the stucco wrap before the front door is in and then you can get on with things. Door can be stitched in before stucco application. Esential Drywall is the drywaller i would recommend. They make sure the framing is right BEFORE they hang sheets.

and nobody does arches anymore...LOL
 

jailbird141

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Yes, my stucco guy is starting and will wrap before my front door is in. I asked Essential Drywall for a bid and gave them a set of plans to reference. They are one of three companies in Havasu I have asked for a bid and have received nothing back. At this point I am going to be doing the drywall myself! And I know one guy who still did an arch in his house that he is building for himself! LOL
 

jailbird141

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I don't know if it is any cheaper or more expensive than batts. It seems a lot denser and almost every house I looked at during construction had it in the exterior walls. When Banker Insulation gave me a bid that was what they bid it with. If they hadn't bid it with the blown in, I would've requested it.
 

timmahhhh

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Hmmm. If everybody's doing it that way there must be a good reason. I'll try to Google it.

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timmahhhh

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That's awesome. You're getting to the homestretch.

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jailbird141

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No, we ended up going through Universal Iron Door in Sun Valley. It's crazy how heavy the are!
 

If Looks Could Kill

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I just put the glass back in mine after drywall and yes they are heavy, I think we put about 8- 3/8" lags to hold them in
they look bitchin though
 

jailbird141

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It's been a while since I have updated this thread. A few pictures to bring this thread current ….
Stucco Rough.jpg
Stucco Finished.jpg

Stucco was done by John and his crew at Cutting Edge Plastering.
Jerry at Just Garage Doors did the Garage Doors.
 

timmahhhh

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Looking good! You're on the home stretch!

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jailbird141

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Kitchen Cabinets.jpg
Kitchen Cabinets 2.jpg

A couple pictures of the kitchen cabinets going in. The range hood is actually centered between the cabinets, the angle the picture was taken makes it look like it is not. The kitchen, laundry room and all bathroom vanities were done in the same knotty alder and color. Cabinets were built and installed by Bob's Cabinets.
 

jailbird141

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Kitchen Floor.jpg
Living Room Floor.jpg
Stair Carpet.jpg
Bedroom Carpet.jpg

The flooring was done by Arizona Fine Floors. LVP is in the entry way downstairs, the living room, dining room, kitchen, laundry room, hallway and bathrooms. The stairway and bedrooms are carpeted.
 

jailbird141

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I am doing the finish plumbing. I have all the plumbing fixtures and will be installing them. I am also doing the tile work in the showers. All appliances were purchased a while ago so we wouldn't have to wait for them and will be installed the next time I get out there. I am also doing all the painting. I will post pictures as I get them done.
 

Mark G

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Is it tough building yourself? I read that you have contracting experience and that seems like a big plus. Thinking about different options for the Bullhead lot we're in escrow on. Beautiful home by the way!!
 

jailbird141

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It wasn't to bad doing it all myself. The hardest part was being 300 miles away and trying to coordinate with contractors. There were many times that I was told contractors were there working when they were not. There were several times I would have to take a day off work to drive up there just to call the contractor and tell them I am standing at the house waiting for them to make sure they showed up. You have to be on the contractors to the point of being annoying. For me, I would get at least three bids for whatever trade I was needing. Since I have some construction experience, I would have an idea of the cost of materials and what needed to be done. When I would get a bid, if the materials price was way inflated or they would try to BS me into something I knew wasn't what I needed, I would toss the bid. I feel good about all the contractors I ended up with and in the end, I am happy with the work they did. But, like I said, I was on top of them to get the work done and I ALWAYS checked what they did and didn't make final payments until the work was done how I wanted it.

As for location, we love the island. I know a lot of people will talk about the crowds getting over the bridge, the crowds at the marina and blah, blah, blah. But, we roll into town and usually hit Wal-Mart for groceries and anything else we will need while we are there, well ahead of the crowds. I gas the boat up late at night at the beginning of our trips, well ahead of the crowds. I can put the boat in a slip at the marina anytime I am ready and leave it there for the trip. We can get on and off the water, anytime we want without being affected by the crowds. The gated community doesn't get crowded and we rarely leave the island during our weekends, so we are not impacted by the crowds. We eat and relax at the house and if we hit a restaurant on the other side of the bridge, we do it before or after the crowds have left the town.

We did a lot of homework before I sketched the design of what we wanted and took it to have plans drawn, so we got exactly what we wanted and so far we are happy. It's our little slice of happiness when we need a weekend out of Comifornia. Our last project will be the pool. That project is on hold until things get more reasonably priced and the wait isn't two years. Actually, to be honest, I have been looking into doing the pool build myself. I have never attempted a pool build or been part of one, but I am thinking I can do it. Once the tradesmen aren't flooded with work and actually want to bid a job and get it, I will start down that path. Hopefully that project will start after the first of the year.
 

Mark G

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It wasn't to bad doing it all myself. The hardest part was being 300 miles away and trying to coordinate with contractors. There were many times that I was told contractors were there working when they were not. There were several times I would have to take a day off work to drive up there just to call the contractor and tell them I am standing at the house waiting for them to make sure they showed up. You have to be on the contractors to the point of being annoying. For me, I would get at least three bids for whatever trade I was needing. Since I have some construction experience, I would have an idea of the cost of materials and what needed to be done. When I would get a bid, if the materials price was way inflated or they would try to BS me into something I knew wasn't what I needed, I would toss the bid. I feel good about all the contractors I ended up with and in the end, I am happy with the work they did. But, like I said, I was on top of them to get the work done and I ALWAYS checked what they did and didn't make final payments until the work was done how I wanted it.

As for location, we love the island. I know a lot of people will talk about the crowds getting over the bridge, the crowds at the marina and blah, blah, blah. But, we roll into town and usually hit Wal-Mart for groceries and anything else we will need while we are there, well ahead of the crowds. I gas the boat up late at night at the beginning of our trips, well ahead of the crowds. I can put the boat in a slip at the marina anytime I am ready and leave it there for the trip. We can get on and off the water, anytime we want without being affected by the crowds. The gated community doesn't get crowded and we rarely leave the island during our weekends, so we are not impacted by the crowds. We eat and relax at the house and if we hit a restaurant on the other side of the bridge, we do it before or after the crowds have left the town.

We did a lot of homework before I sketched the design of what we wanted and took it to have plans drawn, so we got exactly what we wanted and so far we are happy. It's our little slice of happiness when we need a weekend out of Comifornia. Our last project will be the pool. That project is on hold until things get more reasonably priced and the wait isn't two years. Actually, to be honest, I have been looking into doing the pool build myself. I have never attempted a pool build or been part of one, but I am thinking I can do it. Once the tradesmen aren't flooded with work and actually want to bid a job and get it, I will start down that path. Hopefully that project will start after the first of the year.
Thanks! Still in the planning process. Trying to get a feel for hiring a contractor to build. Something in the 1300 to 1400sq foot range. Options are still up in the air. Can't get any builder to give me an approx sq foot price via email. I couldn't even get a survey. 3 reputable companies didn't want the work because they're swamped. Found a guy in Vegas to do it. Curious if anybody is using Vegas contractors to do their work. My OCD is kicking in over the whole process. Lol!!!
 

Wmc

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Looks great. Seems like it didn't take long. 1 year from pour?
 

ahavasu

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It wasn't to bad doing it all myself. The hardest part was being 300 miles away and trying to coordinate with contractors. There were many times that I was told contractors were there working when they were not. There were several times I would have to take a day off work to drive up there just to call the contractor and tell them I am standing at the house waiting for them to make sure they showed up. You have to be on the contractors to the point of being annoying. For me, I would get at least three bids for whatever trade I was needing. Since I have some construction experience, I would have an idea of the cost of materials and what needed to be done. When I would get a bid, if the materials price was way inflated or they would try to BS me into something I knew wasn't what I needed, I would toss the bid. I feel good about all the contractors I ended up with and in the end, I am happy with the work they did. But, like I said, I was on top of them to get the work done and I ALWAYS checked what they did and didn't make final payments until the work was done how I wanted it.

As for location, we love the island. I know a lot of people will talk about the crowds getting over the bridge, the crowds at the marina and blah, blah, blah. But, we roll into town and usually hit Wal-Mart for groceries and anything else we will need while we are there, well ahead of the crowds. I gas the boat up late at night at the beginning of our trips, well ahead of the crowds. I can put the boat in a slip at the marina anytime I am ready and leave it there for the trip. We can get on and off the water, anytime we want without being affected by the crowds. The gated community doesn't get crowded and we rarely leave the island during our weekends, so we are not impacted by the crowds. We eat and relax at the house and if we hit a restaurant on the other side of the bridge, we do it before or after the crowds have left the town.

We did a lot of homework before I sketched the design of what we wanted and took it to have plans drawn, so we got exactly what we wanted and so far we are happy. It's our little slice of happiness when we need a weekend out of Comifornia. Our last project will be the pool. That project is on hold until things get more reasonably priced and the wait isn't two years. Actually, to be honest, I have been looking into doing the pool build myself. I have never attempted a pool build or been part of one, but I am thinking I can do it. Once the tradesmen aren't flooded with work and actually want to bid a job and get it, I will start down that path. Hopefully that project will start after the first of the year.
Great job on the house. Owner builder on the pool is the same, find the contractors, bid the job, order of operation. I built mine in 6 weeks (no bs) negative edge pool, water, and swimming in 6 weeks. Order: Plans (can be a square on a blank sheet of paper referencing where house is and dimensions), have it engineered (went to a place in Anaheim and had engineering on file for the pool I wanted), dig, rebar, inspection, plumb/ electric, inspection, shotcrete, inspection, shotcrete cure and seal (2-4 weeks), coping, tile, plaster, acid, final electrical/ install equipment, deck and concrete, final inspection. I made a spread sheet with my subs, costs, and when inspections were due/approved. It was outside comfort zone/challenging but what an accomplishment. If you built a house you can build a pool 100% Good luck!
 

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jailbird141

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Thanks! When I comes time, I may hit you up with questions. I have a friend that has done it twice on his own also. The money saved is crazy!
 
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