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I just bought 5 acres on an airpark, now how to develop it?

moespeeds

moespeeds

Well Known Member
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Well, looks like I've found my retirement spot. I've purchased 5 acres on an airpark West of Phoenix, AZ (Eagles Roost, 27AZ). I've had a second home out there for 19 years so I'm familiar with the area, and always knew I'd retire there.

I am still 10-20 years from full retirement, but I came across an opportunity and grabbed it. I used to be in construction, but I'm 18 years out of the business, and I'm now re-familiarizing myself with methods and the very drastic change in estimating costs. My plan is to build a small 2 bed 2 bath rancher with attached garage, and a 60x50 steel hangar. There is water and power to the lot, and I'll need septic.

Pre-Fab homes are not allowed according to the HOA. I have been looking at Strata/SABS system ( https://www.strataus.com/aboutus ) and other methods of "foam" houses, though I have zero experience with the system. Here in the NE everything was stick framing, and while I know it well, I can see the advantages of foam for low desert structures.

For the hangar, a traditional steel system delivered and assembled. I plan to insulate (blown or bats?) and install Schweiss bifold strap doors.

So I'm looking for any advice, especially firsthand, pitfalls, or any info on how to proceed.
 

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If you’re asking the question….
Use any connections you have in the area to find either an Architectural firm skilled in project management, and/or a GC with local Design Build experience.
The amount of coordination it takes to develop even a small property is daunting.
You can expect to have well over a dozen subcontractors, all who need shepherding.
Here is a partial list:

Excavation
Flat work
Foundation
Framer and/or specialty erectors
Siding, stucco,….
Electrical
Plumming
Interior carpentry
Tile
Drywall
Paint
Roofer
Sormwater
Septic
HVAC mechanical
Landscaper
….and more.

All of them need to be scheduled and coordinated.

You also need someone familiar with local codes, plan reviews, permitting, etc….

The advantage of getting a local professional team on board will far outweigh the cost. In fact, they may even save you money as their buying power is better. They also have experience with subs they know and can keep them in line, coordinated with each other, and make sure they show up! You don’t have that power.

Yes, you can be your own GC. Many have done this but don't underestimate the amount of effort especially if you don’t n own the players. It only take some flaky sub to throw your job into turmoil.
I have the skills to do it, and would never even consider it.

Congratulations.
Exciting and fun times for you!
 
JonJay said:
If you’re asking the question….
Use any connections you have in the area to find either an Architectural firm skilled in project management, and/or a GC with local Design Build experience.
Click to expand...
No question I'd get a GC for the house, as I still live in NJ. I'm not even allowed to build the outbuilding (hangar) until the house is 75% complete, so I'd likely have the builder handle the house, then once that's complete I'd move out there for some period and handle the hangar, as that's the most important building anyway!
 
moespeeds said:
No question I'd get a GC for the house, as I still live in NJ. I'm not even allowed to build the outbuilding (hangar) until the house is 75% complete, so I'd likely have the builder handle the house, then once that's complete I'd move out there for some period and handle the hangar, as that's the most important building anyway!
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I'm getting ready to build a hangar too so I will be interested in your progress.
 
Take a look at the Trent Palmer videos concerning the construction of his house and hangar.

Welcome to the neighborhood…. I just bought at Stellar P19.
 
Subscribe to and read Fine Homebuilding magazine. Perhaps they have forums also.
Neighbors for info.
Attend local homebuilders shows
Find new developments and peruse, fact find.
Nothing gets done quickly!
 
moespeeds said:
Well, looks like I've found my retirement spot. I've purchased 5 acres on an airpark West of Phoenix, AZ (Eagles Roost, 27AZ). I've had a second home out there for 19 years so I'm familiar with the area, and always knew I'd retire there.

I am still 10-20 years from full retirement, but I came across an opportunity and grabbed it. I used to be in construction, but I'm 18 years out of the business, and I'm now re-familiarizing myself with methods and the very drastic change in estimating costs. My plan is to build a small 2 bed 2 bath rancher with attached garage, and a 60x50 steel hangar. There is water and power to the lot, and I'll need septic.

Pre-Fab homes are not allowed according to the HOA. I have been looking at Strata/SABS system ( https://www.strataus.com/aboutus ) and other methods of "foam" houses, though I have zero experience with the system. Here in the NE everything was stick framing, and while I know it well, I can see the advantages of foam for low desert structures.

For the hangar, a traditional steel system delivered and assembled. I plan to insulate (blown or bats?) and install Schweiss bifold strap doors.

So I'm looking for any advice, especially firsthand, pitfalls, or any info on how to proceed.
Click to expand...
Why not 3D print it? Maybe Steve can help you out with it :)
 
moespeeds said:
Pre-Fab homes are not allowed according to the HOA. I have been looking at Strata/SABS system ( https://www.strataus.com/aboutus ) and other methods of "foam" houses, though I have zero experience with the system. Here in the NE everything was stick framing, and while I know it well, I can see the advantages of foam for low desert structures.
Click to expand...

I built our home (was the GC) and used SIPS panels for exterior walls. Absolutely no regrets and glad I did. At the time the framers I hired thought I was crazy. EPS foam is a lot more expensive today than it was 22 years ago. Friend of mine built a very nice shop not long ago using traditional CMU masonry blocks filled with vermiculite and think the cost/benefit ratio is good. Stick framing is antiquated and not widely done outside of north America.
 
rapidsetbuildings.com (red button on top of the home page) Design up a hangar, get a price, print out plans and virtually walk through your design. It's free
We design, detail, engineering and ship pre engineered buildings. 1,000's in the states and all over the world.

One bit of advice, I'm a "A" unlimited commercial contractor (but not building any longer), when or if you higher an architect or engineer be careful if they are allowed to specify materials. The reason is they like to set a contract for X price plus a % of the cost so there motivation is to jack up the cost. Simple ways to do this is specify materials only one supplier can provide, or simply sneak in "L/360 for X parts" which means overbuild by 2 times what is needed. I have seen so many commercial jobs where it is specified $6000 a piece for light post for the parking lot when $1,500 each would work find (example) and for a city, county, state, military or ? Sadly they don't care.

My suggestion is set a fixed fee (no percent) for "X" service. That way their motivation is is in your favor for what you want.

Have fun, Larry
 
Get a well thought out site plan. Good site design makes for good function. Getting the right architect/planner that knows airpark and your personal function is critical. Once a good layout is confirmed, then onto the construction details as others have described.
 
At our airpark, we have a couple of lots that keep getting bought and sold about every six months to a year. Someone gets excited about building on an airpark (in a great location), buys it after seeing it once….and then starts looking into the (admittedly very few) HOA building rules and the cost of what is actually going to take to build…then the lot is back up on the market. We were lucky that we built “in the dip” - I doubt we could afford to build our place today - construction costs are just nuts!

Hopefully you’ve done that research already, but if not, be sitting down when you get the quotes. We have a fellow who just finished being his own GC - beautiful house and hangar, built with the foam blocks - took him two years….
 
moespeeds said:
Well, looks like I've found my retirement spot. I've purchased 5 acres on an airpark West of Phoenix, AZ (Eagles Roost, 27AZ). I've had a second home out there for 19 years so I'm familiar with the area, and always knew I'd retire there.

I am still 10-20 years from full retirement, but I came across an opportunity and grabbed it. I used to be in construction, but I'm 18 years out of the business, and I'm now re-familiarizing myself with methods and the very drastic change in estimating costs. My plan is to build a small 2 bed 2 bath rancher with attached garage, and a 60x50 steel hangar. There is water and power to the lot, and I'll need septic.

Pre-Fab homes are not allowed according to the HOA. I have been looking at Strata/SABS system ( https://www.strataus.com/aboutus ) and other methods of "foam" houses, though I have zero experience with the system. Here in the NE everything was stick framing, and while I know it well, I can see the advantages of foam for low desert structures.

For the hangar, a traditional steel system delivered and assembled. I plan to insulate (blown or bats?) and install Schweiss bifold strap doors.

So I'm looking for any advice, especially firsthand, pitfalls, or any info on how to proceed.
Click to expand...
Recommendation #1 - don't retire. #2 - check out SIPs construction. FischerSips is a good reference.
 
larrys said:
rapidsetbuildings.com (red button on top of the home page) Design up a hangar, get a price, print out plans and virtually walk through your design. It's free
We design, detail, engineering and ship pre engineered buildings. 1,000's in the states and all over the world.

One bit of advice, I'm a "A" unlimited commercial contractor (but not building any longer), when or if you higher an architect or engineer be careful if they are allowed to specify materials. The reason is they like to set a contract for X price plus a % of the cost so there motivation is to jack up the cost. Simple ways to do this is specify materials only one supplier can provide, or simply sneak in "L/360 for X parts" which means overbuild by 2 times what is needed. I have seen so many commercial jobs where it is specified $6000 a piece for light post for the parking lot when $1,500 each would work find (example) and for a city, county, state, military or ? Sadly they don't care.

My suggestion is set a fixed fee (no percent) for "X" service. That way their motivation is is in your favor for what you want.

Have fun, Larry
Click to expand...
I’m also an unlimited Class A contractor excavation, heavy highway, public water and sewer ( mostly retired now ) . I’ll second the recommendation of not allowing your architect and or engineer to specify single source materials ( many of their favorites they own stock in) or be allowed to receive a commission % of the bid price. I’ve seen the insanely expensive results of engineers and architects who build a monument to themselves on your dime.
Really read the fine print in the proposal for service they offer you, many of them will also demand total control of the entire project. Lotta little and BIG devils in the fine print !!!!!!
 
VA Maule said:
I’m also an unlimited Class A contractor excavation, heavy highway, public water and sewer ( mostly retired now ) . I’ll second the recommendation of not allowing your architect and or engineer to specify single source materials ( many of their favorites they own stock in) or be allowed to receive a commission % of the bid price. I’ve seen the insanely expensive results of engineers and architects who build a monument to themselves on your dime.
Really read the fine print in the proposal for service they offer you, many of them will also demand total control of the entire project. Lotta little and BIG devils in the fine print !!!!!!
Click to expand...
While there is certainly some truth here, this isn’t a mega Publicly funded infrastructure project. It’s a small house on a nice piece of property.
Get references and find someone you trust. My Airpark remodel, extensive, had a primary Architect, Interior Designer, Landscape Architect, Electrical Engineer, and Lighting Designer. There is no way any GC could have done their job.
I fired the Lamdscape Architect for exactly what is being cautioned, going amuck with the design.
Also, beware the Contractor that “can save you a bunch of money” by changing products or key design elements. If a contractor says he found a product that’s half the cost, it’s may be 1/4 the cost and he is pocketing the difference, and you get a poor cheap product.
Just be aware.
 
moespeeds said:
Well, looks like I've found my retirement spot. I've purchased 5 acres on an airpark West of Phoenix, AZ (Eagles Roost, 27AZ). I've had a second home out there for 19 years so I'm familiar with the area, and always knew I'd retire there.

I am still 10-20 years from full retirement, but I came across an opportunity and grabbed it. I used to be in construction, but I'm 18 years out of the business, and I'm now re-familiarizing myself with methods and the very drastic change in estimating costs. My plan is to build a small 2 bed 2 bath rancher with attached garage, and a 60x50 steel hangar. There is water and power to the lot, and I'll need septic.

Pre-Fab homes are not allowed according to the HOA. I have been looking at Strata/SABS system ( https://www.strataus.com/aboutus ) and other methods of "foam" houses, though I have zero experience with the system. Here in the NE everything was stick framing, and while I know it well, I can see the advantages of foam for low desert structures.

For the hangar, a traditional steel system delivered and assembled. I plan to insulate (blown or bats?) and install Schweiss bifold strap doors.

So I'm looking for any advice, especially firsthand, pitfalls, or any info on how to proceed.
Click to expand...
I have been to flyins there. Talk to the neighbors for referrals !
 
Ironflight said:
At our airpark, we have a couple of lots that keep getting bought and sold about every six months to a year.
Click to expand...

Honestly Paul, I have no idea how I'm going to pay for the house. The hangar is pretty cut and dry and steel buildings are something I have plenty of experience with, but Maricopa County is requiring me to build the house FIRST, which is very irritating. I'm a single guy with no kids, and am perfectly happy to live in a cardboard box, as long as I've got a 60x60 hangar right next to it.

I've got at least 10 years to figure it all out, so there's that.
 
moespeeds said:
Honestly Paul, I have no idea how I'm going to pay for the house. The hangar is pretty cut and dry and steel buildings are something I have plenty of experience with, but Maricopa County is requiring me to build the house FIRST, which is very irritating. I'm a single guy with no kids, and am perfectly happy to live in a cardboard box, as long as I've got a 60x60 hangar right next to it.

I've got at least 10 years to figure it all out, so there's that.
Click to expand...
Yeah - we owned our lot for four years before we retired, built, and moved - had some time to work on it.

Our HOA doesn’t allow “hangar homes” - you can’t just build a hangar with an apartment in it. You also have to build the hangar and house at the “same time” (not wel defined, but pretty much means “not eh same permit”. That prevents folks rom building a house and never building a hangar. So you end up with a big cost for both a hangar and a house at the same time. You CAN build a house with an integral hangar, but it is hard to do that and stay under 5,000 square feet, which is the point you have to sprinkler everything - and in a region that freezes, sprinkler systems get pricey….
 
Make sure a 60 x 60 hangar will be approved by your permitting office. The national building code restricts residential hangars to 2,000 sq ft. I ran into this when I built a 50 x 50 hangar, and had to partition 500 sq ft of it behind a firewall. I thought I'd have to do sprinklers above that, but as Paul indicated, sprinkler requirements don't kick in until 5,000 sq ft. Grease trap floor drains were the main requirement between 2,000 and 5,000 sq ft. If I'd researched enough to know that, I'd have put in grease trap drains instead of the firewall.
 
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