My GC said to budget 15% over the quote for a custom build in Boise, I laughed, then wrote the check
When we started planning our build in Boise last spring, our builder said to set aside 15 percent above the contract for surprises. I thought he was just covering himself. By the time we closed, we were $34,000 over on things nobody could have guessed, like a surprise rock shelf that needed extra excavation and a window package that jumped 12 percent in price. The thing is, he was right on the number almost to the dollar. He said he has seen it play out on nearly every job in the last 20 years. So now I am wondering, did your builder give you a cushion number and did it actually hold up?
Ugh, sorry but that 15% thing is way overblown. Tons of builders just pad the quote upfront so the "surprise" overage is baked right in and you feel lucky when it lands close. Bet half those "nobody could guess" items were sitting in his paperwork the whole time.