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“My $2 million home has a budget problem.”
I was doing preliminary work with an out-of-state architect on his own home to be built in Florida. His drawings reflected what he wanted, however the budget became an issue. Every room had vaulted cathedral ceilings which were integral to the design. To achieve this, his Florida structural engineer had devised an elaborate system of ridge and hip beams, connected by heavy steel plates and bolts. The rafters were 18” deep trusses with a conventionally framed eave overhang. A very expensive design, to say the least. The structural engineer said it was impossible to truss the house conventionally. I drew a scale drawing of the longest span roof and ceiling profile including the overhang. I sent this to my preferred truss plant. The reply was, “no problem, we can do this.” The cost savings was in excess of $50 thousand. Through this and other cooperative efforts, the home costs became acceptable. It pays to review and question other professionals’ work, when appropriate.
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