Compare Cost
VOBB vs. wood-built homes & regular CMU
In general, based upon our estimates of costs from various manufacturers, etc., a custom quality VOBB home can be built for 2% to 7% more than a conventional wood (using 2" * 4") home. However, comparing a quality VOBB home to a wood-built home is like comparing a grapefruit to a grape in value.
For a typical 2500 sq. ft. home, the use of VOBB blocks as compared to using regular 8" * 16" CMU's, the cost savings in labor would be an estimated $15,000 (Houston/Lafayette).
Since VOBB blocks can be readily installed by the do-it-yourselfer, the potential for savings is much greater than above.
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For commercial buildings, it should be noted (based on various detailed cost estimates and actual construction jobs), the labor cost for installation can be reduced by approximately 80% for each VOBB concrete block as compared to laying a 8" * 16" industry standard CMU. (CMU = Concrete Masonry Unit) {The cost for labor is $3 per regular CMU for the Houston, TX and Lafayette, LA areas. The cost in south Texas is only $1.65 and in the northern states, the labor cost is $4 to $5 for each regular CMU.}
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As VOBB walls are constructed with additional rebar and more concrete inside the cavities, this extra cost is not added in as this additional material causes the VOBB structure to be much, much stronger than a typical wall with grout placed only between the blocks. (It's a lot cheaper to add rebar inside a cavity before a fill, than as compared to fixing a cracked/broken wall.)
The above savings are due to VOBB blocks being "mathematical correct" based on "engineered" floor plans which eliminate the need to "cut and fit". The most expensive and wasteful labor is on a job site. VOBB blocks eliminate a lot of the waste and reduces the installation time.
It should be noted that when VOBB blocks are filled with concrete and rebar in the cavities, the strength of the wall is much stronger as compared to a wall using standard 8" x 16" blocks with just mortar laid between the blocks.
Building with all VOBB blocks in the interior and exterior walls, makes for an extremely well-built construction. As several people said "Built like a bomb shelter."
Comparing a quality VOBB construction project to an el-cheapo wood building, is like comparing a quality race car to a used junker waiting for an accident to occur. As such, quality is more expensive as compared to el cheapo wood construction.
A
comparison of the cost of VOBB to regular CMU is located as follows:
Attached
is Excel spreadsheet for the cost analysis
If you have more specific questions about cost of VOBB products, please send us
an e-mail or call for personal assistance.
As per: 2005 Chicago Area Masonry Cost Guide
8" stLightwieght CMU = $8.67 per sq. ft.
http://www.maconline.org/tech/estimating/cost/cmucost/
NOTE: Due to the change in prices, VOBB does not guarantee these prices. Please check with the local building supply for the cost of grout, rebar, concrete mix, etc.
For the cost of the VOBB block, this depends on the location and the cost of freight. Due to the tremendous increase in the cost of diesel fuel, the cost has gone up. You will need to check with the VOBB distributor for the current price.
