fresh home build coming soon

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Micrornd

Golden Member
Mar 2, 2013
1,345
221
106
It's just work. With the right equipment it's not even all that hard. I did it every day for 47 years. The only bad part about it is accumulated damage. Bad knees and shoulders, a little arthritis, a few scars and some fingers that might not be all the same shape as when they started out.
Agreed, although I only had 39 yrs. in "heavy" construction, spent the prior years as a mechanic, back when the mechanic was the diagnostic tool.
"Ground up" is just "work" if you have the right equipment and skills (and the bloody subs show up on schedule) ;)
 

Greenman

Lifer
Oct 15, 1999
22,048
6,330
136
Agreed, although I only had 39 yrs. in "heavy" construction, spent the prior years as a mechanic, back when the mechanic was the diagnostic tool.
"Ground up" is just "work" if you have the right equipment and skills (and the bloody subs show up on schedule) ;)
I skipped most subs since most of them stank. Instead I trained my people how to do the work. The only subs I used were drywall, insulation, stucco, and often tile. Everything else was done in house.
 

skyking

Lifer
Nov 21, 2001
22,717
5,843
146
Not familiar with that term, but here all driven grounds must be copper clad steel AND must be less than or equal to the max ohms allowed, rebar would fail the inspection.
cool story bro. Guy named Ufer came up with it. Now you must put one in if you can.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ufer_ground

Boomer is correct about remoteness.
1 mile door to door from Safeway.
1.3 miles to Costco, 1.4 to Home Depot next door to each other.
I am getting a cargo E-bike to go to Costco. I will save money by NOT having a car with me.
 
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deadlyapp

Diamond Member
Apr 25, 2004
6,660
737
126
I don't think his building site is all that remote. Just a bit outside of town, but close enough. It's not like he's building out in the Alaskan wilderness.
I meant in terms of many home plats, the distance he's had to bring utilities in is pretty extensive. You're right he's not that remote otherwise he'd be on well / septic / non grid power
 

skyking

Lifer
Nov 21, 2001
22,717
5,843
146
yes it has been a pain in the ass. My cost to get power to the door?
17.7K
That is with me doing 450' of primary trenching and digging for a fuse ped and the transformer ped.
The engineer, the field foreman and I are walking that job this morning.
 
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skyking

Lifer
Nov 21, 2001
22,717
5,843
146
plumber is in the hizzy fo shizzy.
PXL_20250801_004717973.jpg
That is the kitchen drain coming across to the equipment room wall. Vanity plumbing in that bathroom, and lads?
We left it set up for an easy urinal installation in the equipment room. Ladies, stay out of the equipment room if you are disgusted by a urinal.
I had made some arbitrary decisions at the foundation level for the walk out doors.
Sometimes a guy gets lucky. The wall step down was just in time to get the kitchen sink plumbing in the wall and not out in the toe kick.
PXL_20250801_014850120.jpg

Wife wanted to flop the washer dryer and this sink to get it closer to the kitchen. It was all good until it was not. There is not enough room.
This led to some discussions and now we will put a stack WD in the corner of our closet, and that whole space becomes an extension of the kitchen proper.
now picture an ADA sink like this one:
KRAUS-Kore-Workstation-32-Undermount-16-Gauge-5_5-Deep-Single-Bowl-ADA-Kitchen-Sink-2_910x910.jpg


Centered more or less in this space in a 34" high counter with a cut under section for knees.


Screenshot 2025-08-02 6.48.22 AM.png


The stack W/D goes in the corner marked X. That leaves 9' of closet rods, and it is 12' high in there so I can use motorized drop down tech to double stack.

The neat feature here is I can install that countertop so it can be easily raised up if I so desire, and I do the cabinet work. I can have doors and a 37" high counter and any sink I want there in a couple of days work.

The key is don't nuke that countertop in place with a bunch of adhesives. Fasten it enough, but not too much and you won't break it.
 
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skyking

Lifer
Nov 21, 2001
22,717
5,843
146
All of this is made possible by this OTHER Washer dryer we plumbed yesterday in the basement. It can be a big heavy duty for my wife's quilting, etc.

that bathroom is a little different than pictured. My draftsman guy has snap ins and the vanity will be a corner unit there I think, and the toilet is on the other wall.
Screenshot 2025-08-02 6.43.12 AM.png
 

skyking

Lifer
Nov 21, 2001
22,717
5,843
146
Two mornings ago junior coyote showed up like he was getting paid.
He hits his mark: " send the check to my agent"

It has only been 5 weeks and the baby quail are growing fast too. I wheeled in and spotted them and shut the car off.
 

skyking

Lifer
Nov 21, 2001
22,717
5,843
146
Today's mission was set the 2HP Liberty grinder pump package. I had run that line out earlier, and a 2" vent. The inspector thought it did not need a vent, looking at the submittals but I knew better and brought one out.
Sausage grinder.
PXL_20250802_230334899.jpg

Wet vent with Wye and 45.

PXL_20250802_205028170.jpg

There is a 6" riser on backorder, I can grade things to that elevation OK.

PXL_20250802_213444311.jpg

Assembled and ready to shoot the poops.

PXL_20250803_004944107.jpg
We will trench about 100' of the discharge pipe and all of the conduit run to the house.
There is one rule in underground utilities:
Deep Stuff Goes In First.
That sewer line will cross over the primary power that I will get trenched and installed midweek, then I will complete the sewer and CATV.
 
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Greenman

Lifer
Oct 15, 1999
22,048
6,330
136
I've never seen a waste ejector setup like that, looks more like a standard sump pump. The isolation and check valves inside the tank are going to make for a very ugly repair should that pump ever fail. Or is that a service union down near the pump and no check valve?
It seems so sensible and so odd at the same time.
 

skyking

Lifer
Nov 21, 2001
22,717
5,843
146
cut and couple on that horizontal pipe, spin the assembly back on the new pump. It's your complaint seem so odd to me.
I could have tossed down for a rail system and built a float tree and what not, but I do not expect trouble in my lifetime.
I have installed big duplex storm systems in hi rises, sewer lift stations, etc.
Not my first rodeo.