▪ When the majority of the lumber for your home renovation or new house construction is delivered to your house, it is said that your "framing package" has been delivered.

▪ It is very difficult to estimate the correct amount of materials that you are going to need. Only the most experienced general contractors or home builders are able to do this with accuracy. You will have two options: you can either have the outside sales rep at the lumber supplier do a "take-off" for you based on your plans or you can have the carpenter do the take-off himself.

Here's a real life example with a valuable lesson: For a new house that I am building, I got two estimates from outside sales reps who did the take-offs based on my plans. They both came in at approx. $22,000. At the last minute, I got lucky and found a framer who I not only liked but who also did his own take-off for me and was a sales rep at a smaller lumber company. His estimate came in at $15,000. I saved $7,000 by having the framer do his own take-off! Plus, I get the added benefit of accuracy. He can't get mad at me for not having the right materials on the jobsite since he made the list himself!

Why was his bid so much lower than the others? Probably because the outside sales reps erred on the side of excess materials, while the framer was able to be more exact.

▪ Lumber prices are set monthly and can fluctuate widely based on demand. For example, a hurricane can drive up material prices for the upcoming months. This is why it is important to lock in good prices if you are fairly certain that increases are coming along down the road. In my case, I had $15,000 worth of lumber delivered to my site three weeks in advance in order to save the 15-20% increase that is coming along next month.

▪ If you are storing lumber on your site for long periods, be sure to cover it with plastic (commonly available in different sizes at Home Depot or Lowe's). I like to use a staple gun to secure the plastic to the lumber and protect it from the sun and rain.

Former builder and instructor of "Save Time and Money in Home Remodeling" cont. ed. course at Emory University