You are interested in having a mountain cabin built for weekend trips, vacations, to host family, and perhaps eventually to retire in. After discussing the project with a local contractor, you receive an estimate that the total construction cost of your 2000 ft2 lodge will be $150,000. Costs within each category include labor, material, and over head items. The percentage of costs for each of several items (categories) is broken down as follows:
Cost Items Percentage of Total Costs
Construction permits, legal and title fees..............................8%
Road way, site clearing, preparation.....................................15
Foundation, concrete, masonry...........................................13
Wallboard, flooring, carpentry............................................12
Heating, ventilation, air conditioning....................................13
Electric, plumbing, communications.....................................10
Roofing, flooring...........................................................12
Painting, finishing.......................................................... 17
100
(a) What is the cost per square foot of the 2000 ft2 lodge?
(b) If you are also considering a 4000 ft2 layout option, estimate your construction costs if:
i. All cost items (in the table) change proportionately to the size increase.
ii. The first two cost items do not change at all; all others are proportionate.