Update: 8/17

I am still waiting on the septic application to become a permit. I should have final information this week.

My Yuchai dozer is down. Transmission problems. The hoses china ships with these things are junk, fortunately there are only a couple 5/8" hoses that need replacing. Going to have to find the screen where the hose deteriortated clogged the shuttle clutch. Going to be a job. Might need to get the dozer home for repairs.

Regardless of the situation, I have saved thousands of dollars in land development by doing this stuff myself. Just the building pad, road grading, entrances, land clearing has taken so many hours. A contractor here would charge a minimum of $55-$65 per hour for this work.

Most people say that on unimproved land, you are looking at $75-$100k in costs for infrastructure. Here are some example costs:

$10k-20k for a well
$5k for septic
$25k for power; plus $100-$150 monthly expense
$15k-20k in grading, paving depending on site
$3-$5k fencing

My costs when not including construction equipment or repairs:

$8400 well
$3000 septic
$10000 5180 watt solar replaces PG&E and runs well
$5000 for misc on power (inverters, batteries)
$1000 solar mounts
$300 gravel for driveway
$100 in gates
$190 barn permit
$2300 barn
$100 in fencing material ( I had some old pre-existing fencing )
Landscaping costs will be incremental and will cost $50 a month or so as I add trees, etc.

So as you can see this is still expensive but nowhere near $75k. Plus, I have no monthly overhead bills associated with power. I will however hookup to PG&E when we build our main house in the future unless the $5k air conditioners (DC powered) that cool 720 sq feet each and are 30 SEER become $3k. Then these can run right of the batteries and bypass the inverter.

Well, I have a load into this property now. I will have more money before I am done, lots more. However, even in this depressed real estate market, once a home is build (2800 sq feet) with the setting (views of three mountain ranges) the house and property combined will be well worth over $580k.