Project Cost Estimate

REVISED: Cedar Shingle Siding with Plywood Sheathing

Atlanta, GA (30316) - February 2026

Based on: Jamaica Cottage Shop 10x12 Gable Plans
Modifications:

• Pressure treated lumber instead of hemlock for framing
• Cedar shingles instead of pine board & batten siding
• Cedar trim instead of pine trim
• Plywood wall sheathing with housewrap (industry-standard method)

Excludes: Tools; gravel, 4x6 pad edging, and electrical conduit (already on site)
Includes: 5% overage for mistakes/waste

REVISED July 2026 per Dimensional_Lumber_and_Foundation_Addendum.html: floor joists to 16" o.c., rafters cut two-per-12-footer, plywood seam blocking added (superseded Aug 2026 — now symmetric studs), temporary bracing added, new Site Drainage & Foundation section (pad drain, blocks, termite shield).

Cost tracking

Estimate vs. actual spend over time

Estimate is a step line — it holds flat between documented revisions. Hover anywhere for values at that date.

What the money has bought

Where the remaining estimate sits

Charts are generated from documented figures only. “Where the remaining estimate sits” reads the SUMMARY table below at render time — it holds no copy of the section totals, so it cannot drift from them. Edit a section subtotal and the bar moves with it. The estimate series uses the five revisions that are recorded with a date and a reason; the July 2026 audit adds are folded into the July point because the document was revised in place without preserving intermediates. Spend series is every dated receipt in the Cost Ledger, and sums to its running total exactly. Overage and tax are derived as materials × 1.05 × 1.08 — a model that reproduces every historical total on record ($4,326, $5,489, $5,928, $6,138, $6,432, $6,503, $6,512).

SUMMARY

Reconciled Aug 13, 2026. This table now mirrors the detailed sections one row per section, so the summary and line-item views cannot drift apart again. The previous cross-cutting categories (Framing Lumber / Plywood / Housewrap) had done exactly that: they summed to $4,670 against a stated $5,228, omitted the Finishes section entirely, and carried Hardware at $335 against an actual $515. The detailed tables were correct throughout — only these roll-ups were stale.

COMPARISON TO OTHER OPTIONS

The plywood sheathing approach adds ~$250 vs nailers-only but provides:

• Industry-standard, documented installation method
• Better weather protection
• Easier/faster installation (sheets vs. dozens of nailer strips)
• Added structural rigidity (racking resistance)

DETAILED BREAKDOWN

FLOOR FRAME - Pressure Treated

Floor ply corrected to 4 sheets (July 2026 audit F8): the plans' p.7 shopping list says 3, but their own p.21 layout (2 full + 2 half + 2x8 + 2x4 = 120 sq ft) requires 4 — same class of internal contradiction as the metal panel count.

Joists upgraded from 24" to 16" o.c. (10 joists + blocking) to recover the stiffness lost going from full-dimension hemlock to nominal PT. Cut joists 117" (not the plans' 116½") — see addendum.

POSTS & BEAMS - Pressure Treated

WALL FRAMING - Pressure Treated

July 2026 audit adds: +1 2x4x8 (short-piece yield), 1x4x12 spreader, 1x4x8 door header, 11th wall-ply sheet. Seam blocking: flat 2x4s behind wall-plywood edges — posts at 72" o.c. don't back 4x8 sheet edges. Temporary bracing per plans p.25 stays up until roofing is complete. Interior girts (late-July add): structurally optional — the ply box carries the shear — but installed at Phase 3 while bays are open they back the interior liner/pegboard, give shelf nailers everywhere, and stiffen the sheathing field.

ROOF FRAMING — KD Spruce rafters + Cedar secondary members

Note (rev. Aug 11, 2026 — supersedes the July pine revert): the exposed roof structure is the only framing you'll look at for thirty years, so it was upgraded deliberately. Cedar for ridge, collar ties and strapping (low structural demand, stable in 1x, and it will smell like cedar in there for years). KD spruce for the rafters — cedar 2x6x12 is only stocked GREEN, and green stock checks and twists, which is disqualifying for members carrying precise 26.5° plumb cuts and birdsmouth seats. Spruce is also stiffer than cedar (E 1.4M vs 1.0M). The pale-spruce / warm-cedar two-tone is intentional: near-misses read as mistakes, clear differences read as choices. Net +$186 over the pine spec.

Structural check: rafters need 228 psi in bending, spruce allows 875 — 26% used; deflection 0.022" vs an L/360 limit of 0.167". Cedar strapping's screw withdrawal is the one number that got tight. The 7/8" cedar 1x4 would have helped (58 lb/screw vs 49) but it is only stocked GREEN — and green can't take the pre-finish oil and would shrink around the screws, loosening the very connection it was meant to strengthen. So: kiln-dried 3/4", and the doubled edge-zone screw pattern now carries the entire uplift margin rather than adding to it. It is not optional — see Hardware.

Trade-off accepted: spruce is untreated and metal roofing sweats. The plans frame the whole building in untreated hemlock, and the gable vent is what makes it fine — do not seal the gable ends when finishing the interior.

WALL SHEATHING & WEATHER BARRIER

Shingles nail directly through housewrap into plywood - no furring strips needed.

CEDAR SHINGLE SIDING

Wall area: ~292 sq ft net, ~320-335 sq ft with waste (3.2-3.5 squares)
Recommended grade: No. 2 (Red Label) or No. 3 (Black Label) for shed application

CEDAR TRIM

Stops reverted to pine (July 2026 audit F5): they frame the accent-painted sash/doors, so they paint with them — cedar's silvering rationale doesn't apply to interior-facing stop strips.

DOORS - Pine (materials to build 5' double door)

Note (rev. July 2026): Doors are shop-built plank doors per Appendix B, each with a fixed 6-light sash lite set in the upper half (matches the wall barn sash). Salvage sash (outside frame ≤24" wide) saves ~$100 vs new. Doors kept as pine — painted/stained; cedar upgrade +$150 if desired.

SITE DRAINAGE & FOUNDATION (added July 2026)

Install collector trench 3–4" below pad subgrade BEFORE finishing gravel placement — sloped ⅛–¼"/ft to the exit corner, solid pipe out to daylight downhill. Use #57 clean stone around the pipe (crusher run has too many fines). Blocks: 6 required + 2 spare/stacking, layout per plans p.16/p.19. Termite shield goes between block and skid, 2" overhang bent down 45° (plans Appendix C). Earth anchors optional — see Optional Upgrades.

RAMP - Pressure Treated

METAL ROOFING

WINDOWS & VENT

FINISHES — exposed roof structure (added Aug 11, 2026)

All of this is pre-applied on sawhorses before installation — oiling 14 rafters and 10 straps flat at waist height is an afternoon; overhead on a ladder afterward is misery and a worse job. Cut first, finish second, install third.

INTERIOR LINER & PEGBOARD (moved into base scope Aug 16, 2026)

Do a test board first: cedar + tung, spruce + Osmo Raw, spruce + tung, spruce + matte waterborne. One afternoon and $20 settles a ceiling you'll look at for thirty years.

HARDWARE & FASTENERS

WHAT YOU'LL SEE

From Outside:

• Cedar shingle walls weathering to silver-gray
• Cedar trim weathering to match
• Metal roof (can choose color)
• Cottage/Craftsman aesthetic

From Inside:

• 4x4 posts and beams (natural wood)
• Back of plywood sheathing between posts
• Clean, uniform appearance
• Option to leave as-is or finish later

OPTIONAL UPGRADES

MAINTENANCE COMPARISON

Lifetime cost advantage of cedar: Even at similar initial price, you save $200-500+ in stain/paint over 20 years.

TOOL RECOMMENDATION

For installing ~1,540 shingle nails, consider a roofing nailer (coil nailer). Options:

• Rent: ~$40-50/day
• Buy pneumatic: $150-250 + compressor
• Buy cordless: $250-400 (e.g., DeWalt, Milwaukee)

A roofing nailer will dramatically speed up shingle installation compared to hand nailing.

DELIVERY NOTES

• Both Home Depot and Lowe's deliver lumber orders over $45
• Cedar shingles are typically in stock (check availability)
• Schedule delivery close to build date
• Metal roofing is bulky - confirm delivery availability

MATERIALS BY STORE — removed Aug 13, 2026

Deleted. Those tables were a third roll-up of data that already has two authoritative views, and they had drifted: their subtotals summed to $4,003 against an actual $5,407, with legacy categories (Hardware $295 vs $515). A roll-up nobody recomputes is exactly what produced the old $5,228 subtotal error.

Use instead: the Summary and Detailed Breakdown above for cost; Shed_Orders.html for the three-delivery batching plan; and Order_2_Checklist.md for the current per-vendor split.

PURCHASE CHECKLIST

• Drainage: perforated + solid 4" pipe, fittings, fabric, #57 stone
• Solid 4x8x16 concrete blocks (8)
• Aluminum flashing (termite shield)
• Pressure treated framing lumber
• 3/4" (23/32") PT CDX plywood - floor (4 sheets — July 2026 audit F8 corrected this from 3)
• 15/32 Plytanium sheathing — walls (11 sheets) + interior liner (9 sheets)
• Housewrap (1 roll)
• Cedar shingles (3.5 squares + starter)
• Cedar trim boards (all sizes)
• Metal roofing panels + ridge cap
• Barn sash windows (2)
• Wood louvered vent
• Pine boards for doors
• 6-light barn sash for door lites (2, ≤24" wide — salvage or new)
• Lite glazing kit (sealant, stainless brads, 1x3 + 1x2 stock)
• All hardware and fasteners
• Stainless steel shingle nails

FINAL COST SUMMARY

Revised Aug 11 2026 — exposed-roof-structure upgrade: cedar ridge/ties/strapping + KD spruce rafters (+$186), the stainless and uplift hardware it requires (+$192), and pre-finish materials (+$180). Materials +$558 → +$586 before tax with the 5% overage → +$632 with tax. Of the $558: $366 discretionary appearance (cedar strapping +$120, collar ties +$30, ridge +$22, spruce-over-PT rafters +$14, finishes +$180) and $192 hardware the species change requires (stainless roofing screws in two lengths with doubled edge density +$80, 10d stainless bump +$10, stainless 6d collar-tie nails +$18, stainless strapping screws +$55, hurricane ties +$29). Prior: interior girts +$77; door sash lites; roof members reverted to pine −$94. Prior revisions: Feb 2026 $4,282 / ~$4,625; early-July $4,653 / ~$5,025; mid-July $4,842 / ~$5,230; late-July pre-girts $4,823 / ~$5,210.

Estimate prepared February 2026
Prices are estimates based on market research - verify at time of purchase