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Inputs are definitely a big cost but thats where economies of scale are already able to work their magic I would assume. What would the barriers be for a big bu

Inputs are definitely a big cost but thats where economies of scale are already able to work their magic I would assume. What would the barriers be for a big builder to leverage economies of scale in procuring lumber, drywall, etc?

bluGill 5mo ago
They really can't because all the things where scale would apply is already standardized. You buy 2x4's in the 92 and 5/8's length. And you put it up and that makes your 8 foot wall after adding the top and bottom plates. We laugh about how a 2x4 isn't really a 2x4 but that doesn't matter because the important part is it's a standard dimension you can get from anyone and so the people who make them already have the scale. Similar for drywall, it comes in standard sizes to fit standard size walls. It's made in large factories that take advantage of all the scale factors for you, but they don't care if the customer is big or small because they're making the same thing. The factory sells the stuff by the railroad car and lumberyard is what buy them and so you can't even get scaled by producing separately because the lumberyard is essentially what you'd have to do and you're duplicating exactly what they're doing and Essentially you're just taking in their profit, but you're not actually gaining anything
- bombcar 5mo ago
  I've always dreamed of a house designed to minimize cuts; walls exactly the right length to use full sheets of drywall, etc. The reality: it wouldn't save hardly anything, tradesmen are good at what they do.
  - bluGill 5mo ago
    In reality your 10 foot 2x4 is an inch or two longer than 10 feet long. Cutting a few two length isn't where the time goes since tradesmen have saws to do in in a few seconds and most boards are not cut. I did work construction - we did one house with 10 foot walls and cutting the studs to length cost a lot of time, but that was one house out of the 50 or so that I worked on

bluGill 5mo ago

They really can't because all the things where scale would apply is already standardized. You buy 2x4's in the 92 and 5/8's length. And you put it up and that makes your 8 foot wall after adding the top and bottom plates. We laugh about how a 2x4 isn't really a 2x4 but that doesn't matter because the important part is it's a standard dimension you can get from anyone and so the people who make them already have the scale. Similar for drywall, it comes in standard sizes to fit standard size walls. It's made in large factories that take advantage of all the scale factors for you, but they don't care if the customer is big or small because they're making the same thing. The factory sells the stuff by the railroad car and lumberyard is what buy them and so you can't even get scaled by producing separately because the lumberyard is essentially what you'd have to do and you're duplicating exactly what they're doing and Essentially you're just taking in their profit, but you're not actually gaining anything

bombcar 5mo ago
I've always dreamed of a house designed to minimize cuts; walls exactly the right length to use full sheets of drywall, etc. The reality: it wouldn't save hardly anything, tradesmen are good at what they do.
- bluGill 5mo ago
  In reality your 10 foot 2x4 is an inch or two longer than 10 feet long. Cutting a few two length isn't where the time goes since tradesmen have saws to do in in a few seconds and most boards are not cut. I did work construction - we did one house with 10 foot walls and cutting the studs to length cost a lot of time, but that was one house out of the 50 or so that I worked on