frequently asked questions
We often receive inquiries from folks curious about modular homes or interested in building along the California coastline. In this FAQ, we address the most common questions we receive, along with questions that may not be on the radar of first time home builders. We hope that sharing our experience candidly will save others time, money and heartache.
Q: Who built your house?
The team that brought the Bodega Bungalow to life was:
- architect: Alchemy Architects / weeHouse
- module fabricator: Elavate Modular
- contractor: Riverwood Construction
- interior design: Geremia Design
- landscape: Permaculture Artisans
Q: How long did it take?
“Modular is faster, right?” “Well… depends.” The full process — from the time we bought the property, to the time we moved in — took just shy of 4.5 years. If you read the timeline, however, you will see that there were a few extenuating circumstances that drew our project out, namely:
- lengthy permit prep & review: There are a lot of hoops one must jump through to build along the coast. All underlying permits must be conditionally approved before the coastal permit process can begin, and this process involves several lengthy comment periods to give your future neighbors opportunities to weigh in or object. This took almost a year, even without any objections from our neighbors. This was our first build, so we don’t have any point of comparison, but we’ve been told that permitting doesn’t take quite this long in other jurisdictions…
- redesign: We had to go back and make a major adjustment to the design. We left the existing modules largely untouched, and we were quick and decisive on the addition we included. Even so, all of the underlying engineering documents needed to be redone, drawing out the process. All told, this bump in the road added about a year to the process.
Q: How much did it cost?
All in, including the land, site work, modules, delivery, permitting, architecture fees, and site-built living room came in at just over $700 per square foot.
Q: Would you do it again? What would you do differently?
We’re very happy with the house we built, but it definitely required grit, determination, and a lot more money than we originally intended to spend. Ultimately, we were only able to afford the process because it ended up dragging out for as long as it did, allowing us to save more. It worked out for us, but part of the motivation in sharing our experience is to make sure others embarking down this path are mindful of the pitfalls we encountered, and can make a more informed assessment as to whether building is right for them. Scroll down a little further for a more complete look at the things we wish we had known.
Q: Can I stay there?
Thank you for your interest! We’re making Bodega Bungalow available for rent via AirBnb during select weeks. Don’t see the dates you want? Send us a message on Instagram.
Q: What do you wish you had known beforehand?
People considering a modular build frequently ask what we wish we’d have known going into the process. The learning curve was steep, and there are a lot of moments that we’ve probably repressed into our subconscious, but these are the takeaways from the most significant twists in our journey:
- Consider going bigger: If you’re building in a place with high labor costs, stringent code requirements, or both, it’s probably not economical to build a small (< 1200 sq ft) house. For our initial design iteration, site work and interior fixtures pushed the projected cost north of $1000 per square foot. But the incremental square footage added in the revised plan was much cheaper, and helped the project “pencil out.” This is because a foundation for a 1550 square foot house costs only marginally more than one for an 1150 square foot house, and larger living and dining rooms don’t involve any expensive appliances or fixtures.
- Find the right contractor: Finding a contractor willing to take on a modular build may prove to be a challenge, but it’s important not to settle or press forward with someone whose judgment or character you question. We didn’t have this realization until we’d made it all the way through permitting, only to learn that the number we had penciled in for our site work was short by more than $150,000 — costing us a year of time and many difficult conversations. There were warning signs along the way that we chose not to heed, however. Building a house requires all parties to be collaborate and solutions-oriented. If you find the chemistry is off, do not hesitate to pull the ripcord.
- Permitting is expensive: Again, this may apply only to folks building in Sonoma and other coastal California counties, but we were caught off guard by these unanticipated expenses. There are two general buckets of permitting expenses: preparation fees (engineers & specialists) and application/approval fees (county). Various studies and engineering reports clocked in just shy of $20,000, and permit fees pushed north of $30,000.
- Over-communicate: Our architects were in Minnesota, or module fabricators in Oregon, and our contractor in California. We implemented weekly conference calls to keep the project on track. Towards the end of the build, however, we became complacent, and made some decisions in the interests of expediency without reaching out to all stakeholders. Taking the time to bring everyone up to speed would have saved us a few uncomfortable conversations and several thousands of dollars.