Partially Built House - Estimating completion costs

[Stephanie Simmons]

I am going to be meeting with a owner of a property that had a home partially built in 2002.  It is basically dried in, all studs in, and then nothing more was done to it.  I'm good with estimating the interior finishes - but it's in Florida and it wasn't built on a slab foundation.  I am not very versed in foundations - is this typical if you were going to built it on a crawlspace?  It was a professional builder that started the home and pulled permits.

It is still listed in tax records as vacant land.  It also needs a septic installed - anyone have experience with that in Florida that could create issues or unexpected costs over the cost of the actual septic system and installation - I am thinking EPA or soil studies?

[Robert Dobbs]

I like those concrete blocks, separating that "wood underbelly" from the ground. May help defend against subterranean termites. Check-out the pre-construction building codes against subterranean termites to see if your existing "wood foundation" has been treated with the proper "long term sealing" protections needed in Florida.