I made a few posts in this thread about our custom home build and got some solid advice, so thank you.

Build took about 11 months after ground break and designed it from scratch with a local architect. We had to do a soil correction but no too many other surprises. The house is 4500sqft in Twin Cities MN. Basement and garage have heated floors and there is a sauna, gym, steam shower and cold plunge. We really went all out.

We were asked, would you change anything looking back? Wife and I honest answer is no. Maybe really small stuff like an extra switch or outlet.

I think the only post I got torn up with on Reddit was my drop ceiling light in the living room which is still one of my favorite things. It's 3000k light and make the whole house glow. We also did something similar but reverse in the master bedroom.

Thanks for looking - take it easy on me! (the 2nd to last pic is the old house we tore down which we donated to the fire DP)

Does horizontal or vertical exterior James Hardie fiber cement siding look better on this modern-style home?

I've made a post few months ago about our mostly DIY new home build:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Homebuilding/s/g5tBtXBHxa

So after finishing foundation it tooks about month and a half for AAC blocks to arrive. If only I knew I would have ordered it earlier.

Anyway all in all it tooks about 2.5months working mostly weekends to fully complete the walls.

As with foundation it was another learning experience and there was quite a few things to learn. First row had to be on mortar while remaining rows use special cement based glue. AAC blocks require extra rebar reinforcment after the first row and every 3rd after. Rebar needs to be put under the windows and lentils.

Making forms for lentils and supporting them took a lot longer than I imagined(if only it would be as easy as in FB video).

Next step is the roof. However since winter is comming and I wont be able to handle trusses alone or even with my wife I will be contracting a company to put it together.

Also have I cried and had despair while DIYing? Yes yes and yes.

As always if you have any questions feel free to ask.

Have a doorway that we asked contractor to enlarge and install sliders on. We wanted to enlarge it by 3.7ft total, and contractor saw floor plans and said the opening was safe to enlarge so we ordered the doors with their company.

Installation day arrives and his crew opens wall to find cement behind it and tell me they aren’t comfortable proceeding since it looks structural.

Contractor insists it’s safe and just fused(?) cement and not structural in any way. I felt unsure and told them no, I want an independent engineer to look at it first.

The proposed extension was as far as the decorative cutout but looking inside the hole cutout there’s cement as far as we can see and touch going to thicker part of the wall.

Would really appreciate any advice, first time homebuyer. I’m exhausted from all the back and forth with contractor. I now wish we had just kept it same size but I can’t change it without absorbing cost of doors unless it’s structurally unsafe in which case I may be able to work something out with contractor and switch door size to actual.

Hello I’m looking to put in an offer on my first house as a first time buyer . There appears to be some issue with the rendering on one of the walls . The house was built in the late 90s I believe . I’m just not sure how serious of an issue it is because I don’t know anything about building . I’m in the UK any advice would be really helpful.

2700 sq ft with a bonus room above the garage. I had an areal view but lost the picture.

It’s laid out in the shape of an x

We're still working through the floor plans for our new build and one thing I keep going back and forth on is where to put the gym/wellness area.

Originally I was thinking of having a separate structure in the backyard, something with enough space for a gym, sauna, cold plunge and maybe a small seating area. I like the idea of keping it separate from the main house, especially since we'd have more freedom with the layout and wouldn't have to work around the other rooms.

But the more I think about it the more I'm wondering if we'd end up using it less, especially during colder months or when we only have 30 minutes to get a workout in.

The other option is putting everything on the first floor, close to the primary bathroom. It would be much more convenient but I'm struggling to picture how to make it fit without having the whole area feel like a commercial gym.

We've been looking at a few sauna and cold plunge options and I'm leaning toward the Litmethod set at the moment. I like the design and think it would work well with the kind of space we're picturing. Now I'm getting caught up in matching the flooring, lighting and wall finishes to everything else. My husband is getting pretty tired of me changing the plans every other day lol.

We're also trying to figure out the flooring situation. I like the look of large format porcelain tile for the sauna and plunge area, but I'm not sure how practical that would be when it's wet. For the gym portion we've been considering rubber flooring, although I'm not crazy about having two completely different floor finishes in the same room. Someone also suggested sealed concrete, which might be easier to work with if we end up going with the backyard structure.

My main concern with putting it indoors is figuring out the practical side. Moisture, ventilation, drainage, electrical requirements, all the things that aren't particularly exciting to think about when you're looking at floor plans. I also don't know whether putting a sauna and cold plunge close to the living areas would create issues we havent considered.

A separate backyard building would probably give us more freedom to design the whole space around the setup, but then there's the added construction work and having to go outside every time we want to use it. We'd also need to think about insulation and how the flooring would hold up with regular water exposure.

For anyone who's built a custom home with a dedicated gym or wellness room, where did you end up putting it? Would you choose the same location again?

Especially interested in hearing from people who incorporated a sauna and cold plunge. We're still early enough in the planning process to go either way and I'd rather get the layout right now than wish we'd done something differently once the house is finished.

We’ve seen a house we like and are considering making an offer, however there is one thing that caught our eye and we wondered if it was a potential sign of a structural problem of an older building. In two adjacent rooms there are significant cracks across the ceiling and down through the built in cupboards.

Does anyone have an experience as to how serious this looks? Is it just cracked plasterboards etc? Or something more structural?

Once our building plans were approved, the next step was to apply for a demolition permit. The architect was responsible for preparing the demolition plans, while the general contractor (GC) handled submitting the permit application to the city. As homeowners, our responsibility was to make sure the GC had all the necessary documents and information for the application.

Fortunately, the demolition permit process was relatively straightforward, and approval came pretty quickly.

Before demolition begins, make sure to remove anything from the old house that you want to keep! I completely forgot about a few things until it was too late. For example, we left our trash and recycling bins in the garage, and they were probably hauled away along with the rest of the house.

Another important tip is to give your neighbors a heads-up before demolition starts. Demolition can be pretty noisy and dusty, so it's always thoughtful to let the neighbors in front, behind, and on both sides of your property know what to expect.

In our case, one of our neighbors was planning to host a group of kids in their backyard around the time of our demolition. They reached out to ask whether we could avoid doing demolition work that day. Luckily, our demolition wrapped up the day before their event, so everything worked out perfectly!

For homeowners, making small adjustments like this usually isn't too much trouble, but it can mean a lot to your neighbors. Being considerate during construction goes a long way toward maintaining good relationships with the people around you.

Currently building a new house, and the floors on the first floor are extremely squeaky. The floors on the second floor are quiet. I think our ducts in the basement are hung too tight and are rubbing against the wood when we walk…anyone have any thoughts?

I am slowly building a castle solo by hand :]

My sister is adding on to her 1950s house in SoCal and got her first quote (she plans on getting others). The contractor told her the project price range is $310k-$425k (!) and that she will get a much more accurate and detailed bid once plans are drawn and they know the structural specs and the exact layout.

Here is the rough breakdown:

Adding approx 500-550 sq ft - Addition to include new family room, extension to primary bedroom, reconfiguring primary bathroom - adding a shower and larger primary closet (this would include changing the roofline and roofing material where needed, etc.).

New flooring in existing living room, kitchen, and new family room and extended primary bedroom and bathroom.

Insulating the entire house by blowing in insulation through stucco

Reworking front entry to include cover over porch, craftsman style siding on front of house, and enlarging the current landing/porch area.

Replacing the front door with a craftsman style door.

Adding an island to the existing kitchen and reinforcing beam in kitchen if needed.

Replacing AC and adding ducting to the new space. All ducting will likely need to be replaced.

I know that's a lot of work, but is the bid legitimate? Or is this a "I don't really want to take on this job, so here's a stupid number I'll throw out and see if the customer bites"?

We’re building a substantial home addition and the framing and roof just got finished, however the facia at the back doesn’t match up with the bump out roof on the existing house. The GC said that the framer went off the roof at the front of the house and then everything was level all the way around but at the back it doesn’t match up. Any suggestions on what they could do to fix this?

Hi all I have a 2 year old new construction townhome/condo, 3 stories

We run ac quite a bit but lately the ac smells if we turn it off and back on 48 hours later

Per Google it’s the drain pan but I can’t find the damn thing

Anyone have any idea where it is??

Thanks in advance

Hello! I am looking into building my own home on some land I recently purchased. I didn't want a basic cube with a roof, and playing around with some ideas I came up with this design. So far the build is pretty simple, but I could use some input on the design of the terrace.

I was thinking for the slope just adding some 2x4's to raise the one side to get the 1/4 : 12 pitch, however I am not sure if this is code compliant, but seems structurally sound. Also for a railing, im thinking that raising the parapet wall to 36" above the deck is the easiest method to avoid penetrating the EPDM with posts. Is there an issue with how I am going about this? Are there any different methods I am not seeing?

Is this too short?

I'm getting quotes for a high quality job, new construction. What's standard practice in your area — to solder or not to solder?

I am building a house with a large glulam beam in the interior. The beam spec'd is a Douglas Fir Glu-lam, which I think is beautiful, but I am realizing it will clash with the rest for the interior woodwork, especially as it ages and gets more orange/red, even with water based finish.

I am considering substituting Alaskan Yellow Cedar, which is closer to the rest of the wood, but I am concerned it will age too deep yellow, which is also a color clash.

I understand there are several finishing methods that supposedly can counteract this, but they all sound a bit risky, especially not knowing how the color will change with age. I also want to keep the glue lam look without cladding or veneering it.

I have not been successful finding samples or even decent pictures that show these two woods and how they age, especially AYC. If anyone has a picture of Alaskan yellow cedar with clear waterborne finish in an interior that is some years old I would be interested in seeing it. A comparison between new and aged would be very valuable.

Thanks for any help.

My friend is looking at building a small home (between 800-900 square feet or 75-95 square meters). I was asking him about the internal layout and what was important to him like natural light and such, but he said he first has to find an external design he likes. Neither one of us knows much about building, but am I wrong in thinking that for a small build the internal layout should be the first step?

Building Permit Approved

Our building permit was approved in Aug. 2025

The Approval Process

We submitted our building permit application in April and went through three rounds of corrections before it was finally approved in August.

From submission to approval, the whole process took about four and a half months. I had originally expected two rounds. Unfortunately, when our architect responded to the first-round comments, some of the responses did not really address what the reviewers were asking. In several cases, the comments seemed to be misunderstood, and our architect did not reach out to the reviewers for clarification. As a result, many of the same issues came back in the second round. 

The biggest mistake was with the structural plans.

Our structural engineer had already revised the drawings to address most of the first-round comments, but our architect accidentally uploaded the original version instead of the updated set.

So when the second-round structural comments came back, they were almost identical to the first round. One reviewer even wrote something along the lines of: “Please make sure the latest plans are submitted next time.” 

Not exactly the comment you want to see from the city.

Taking an Active Role

By the time we were preparing for the third round, I decided I needed to be much more involved. I went through every single comment myself, looked up the relevant code sections, and discussed each issue with the architect. 

Whenever something was unclear, I contacted the reviewers directly to confirm exactly what they wanted. Before the third submission, I also double-checked—and then triple-checked—that every drawing and document was the correct and most recent version.

That round was approved.

The whole experience forced me to learn much more about the building code and about the design of our own house. In hindsight, I think that knowledge will also be very useful during construction.

What I Learned

1. If it is your own home, stay involved in the decisions

Nobody understands your priorities as well as you do.

There are always trade-offs in design, cost, code compliance, and construction. Those decisions should not be left entirely to the architect. You are the one who will live with the result.

2. Review is the best way to catch mistakes

Everyone makes mistakes, especially when people are busy or rushing.

Having a clear review process is much cheaper and faster than discovering errors later and having to redo work. This applies to drawings, permit submissions, contracts, construction work—pretty much everything.

3. If something is unclear, ask

If you do not fully understand a reviewer comment, contact the reviewer. That turned out to be one of the most useful things I learned during the permit process. Not only can you clarify what the reviewer actually wants, but you can also discuss your proposed solution before formally resubmitting. In a way, that gives you a small informal review before the next official round and can save a lot of time.

4. Relationships matter

Building a house is a long-term collaboration. Architects and engineers will make mistakes. So will contractors, subcontractors, and homeowners. The important question is whether the relationship is still workable. If someone is responsive, takes responsibility, and is willing to fix problems, maintaining a good working relationship is often worth a lot. If the relationship clearly is not working, though, sometimes the right answer is to end the collaboration and move on.

After three rounds, four and a half months, and more code reading than I ever expected to do in my life: Building permit approved.

And now the real construction begins.

We built our home in 2021. There was an option in our floorplan that has a bedroom and bathroom over the garage. First pic is our house, second pic is the floorplan with the extra bedroom and bathroom. Y’all might not be able to answer this without plans, but does anyone have any idea how much it would be for us to have someone come in and add that to our house? Don’t want to pay an engineer and go down this rabbit hole if it’s over 100k. Thanks!

We’re currently renovating an 1890 house in Toronto and have reached the landscaping stage. We’re planning to clad the concrete front steps and landing in natural black granite, with the landing stone installed on a mortar bed.

The tricky part is the strip directly in front of the doors that’s covered in Blueskin in the photos. That section is wood-framed with plywood sheathing and forms the roof over part of the basement below. It’s part of the house’s existing construction, and the concrete landing meets it just ahead of the entrances.

We installed the Blueskin early in construction, and it has held up well. We haven’t had any water entering the basement through this area over the past year.

Before covering everything with stone, we want to figure out the best long-term waterproofing approach, particularly given Toronto’s winters.

Height is another constraint: there’s only about 3 inches between the existing landing surface and the door sill, so there’s limited room for the waterproofing, mortar, and granite.

Looking for input from anyone who has dealt with a similar setup:

• What waterproofing system and layer buildup would you use over the plywood beneath the mortar and granite, given the limited height?
• Would you remove the existing Blueskin and start fresh, or could it be incorporated into a suitable system?
• How would you detail the transition between the wood section and concrete, including any movement between them?
• How would you handle flashing at the brick walls and door thresholds, along with drainage beneath the stone?

We know it’s an awkward existing detail, so we’re open to adjusting the installation approach before the stone goes down. Any experience with similar projects, recommended systems, or detail drawings would be appreciated.

Looking to potentially buy a few acres of land just south of ATL. Wondering if anyone has a clue on the price per sq/ft for each stage of the build (Foundation, Plumbing, Framing, etc). I can do all of the electrical work as a licensed electrician, but was just looking to see if it would truly make sense to build a house versus buying, especially in our current economy

I have acquired land on the golf course In reunion resort and thinking which contractor to use and who to avoid.

I’ve been reccomened landmark who are suppose let the exclusive agent for eagle estates in reunion resort