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Comment by vbezhenar | Hacker News Reader

I can build the entire house with everything included. And not from those pesky woodsticks, but from a real concrete and bricks. For around $40k. Something in US is seriously wrong. I understand that labour cost difference is huge, but it can’t be the only factor.

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I was just thinking the same thing. I was involved with a development project in Colombia, a three-story tract of 3b/2b apartments. The total construction cost was about $40k each. Permits and fees was maybe $1000 plus a year of waiting and a few bottles of gift-wrapped tequila. Selling prices were $50–70k, some rented at $250/month.

Why is it absurdly expensive to build in the USA?

There are a lot of articles out there covering the basics on everything from environmental review to open space requirements to labor, but they can be summed up by just saying that local government in most American cities has never not been somewhat corrupt all through the past and going on to this day, and politically connected people stand to make a lot of money from this status quo that doesn't take an expert to see hurts the average working person. I think the FBI has indicted three sitting LA city councilmembers within the last couple of years now? It's amazing how the headlines don't seem to stick though, uncanny really.

Can you elaborate what kind of house this is for 40k?

What is your location?

https://m.krisha.kz/a/show/669973674

This is an example that I just found. It’s almost ready and without internal decoration. Cost is $50k but keep in mind that it includes 1800 sq.m. of land. Electricity, water seems to be done. Internal decoration with good materials I’d estimate to $10-20k. House is 160 sq.m.

Kazakhstan

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=30804120

Very nice

What's wrong with wood homes? I associate concrete with getting killed in Earthquakes and shantytowns to be honest.

The old world associates US construction with 'houses made of paper', where anyone can break into your house just by kicking in a hollow wooden door.

Even in UK it was shocking to find out that walls between apartments are just plaster, that's totally unacceptable in continental europe, When i tell my folks that I could break through to the neighboirs with a kitchen knife, their brain implodes (It would take a while)

That's weird. Living in Ireland I found the houses to be crap, with blown bricks, no insulation, terrible draughts, and no eaves (encouraging water ingress). I was delighted to build myself a proper stud frame home insulated with 200mm rockwool throughout.

Ireland is not continental Europe.

Building code regulations are expensive.

Affordable units in SF cost $700-800k.

Where do you live? $40k in concrete will get you your concrete driveway in California.

My brother built a 1300 sq ft house in upstate NY for about $90k in 2005.

California is a whole other level of insanity for everything. NYC/DC prices and bureaucracy along with the busybody veto power of suburbia.

Kazakhstan

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=30804120

A cinder block in the US is almost $2 - let’s assume on discount you can get it for $1.

Still expensive.

Here’s the cheapest kit at Menards if you’d like to compare:

29551 - Tahoe Cabin Material List at Menards https://www.menards.com/main/p-1569392867885.htm

And that’s materials only. And would be considered quite small by US standards.

But hey 11% rebate.

And that's why you pour the concrete directly into walls with rebars inside. Much stronger than cinder blocks and 10 times cheaper. But hey, nobody wants to actually do quality work, let's just fuck around with lego.

Around here poured concrete is usually more expensive than cinderblock, though it is also usually better.

It’s even cheaper if you do the laying yourself of course.

Don't know where "here" is in your case but do you have skyscrapers? Because if you look at any documentary how a skyscraper is build, it's with pouring cement over rebars, not with stacking cinder blocks. Do you think those guys would not rather prefer stacking cinder blocks over rebars instead of pouring if would've been cheaper?

Skyscrapers have to hold the weight of the skyscraper, cinder blocks wouldn't work. Cinder blocks probably max out at two or three stories unless you do brick on concrete frame like you see in some countries.

Wood also maxes out at some point, and even poured concrete - which is why the tallest skyscrapers are glass on steel.

Wood was used to build this 18 story building recently - it definitely is less strong than glass/steel though

https://reasonstobecheerful.world/the-age-of-the-wood-skyscr...

Do you think they build skyscrapers and two-story houses the same? That's like saying Honda Civics and Abrahams tanks are built the same because they're both vehicles.

Both have engines, and both have crankshafts. So, yeah, at least partially, they are built the same. Now, translating that to our comparison of 2-story house vs. skyscraper, both have floors. Do you see on skyscrapers, when doing said floors, using concrete pouring or cinder blocks? Because if cinder blocks are cheaper, they would've been used for decking/ceiling a floor, but they always use concrete pouring.

So yeah, concrete pouring is way cheaper.

In Kazakhstan they live in mud houses. Cinder blocks are sort of irrelevant.

Mud houses and yurts should be more common in the USA, especially as many places have perfect climates for it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I32sMNktmKo

Unfortunately for most Americans who are building a house, a primary concern is the eventual sale, and anything that is not the standard house is a harder sell.

Which means that if you're willing to stray from the beaten path you can find some deals, and some disasters.

$4000 for the concrete and $36000 for everything else.

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