Park City Local Business Spotlight

Pete Olson and PJ Builders - Award Winning Park City Building Contractor 

Pete Olson has been a Park City resident since 1992, and PJ Builders has been building custom homes, and remodeling high-end residential and historic homes since 1997.  For the past eleven years, Pete and PJ Builders have been awarded “Park City’s Best” by the public for best General Contractors, best Custom Home Builder and   best Carpenter (his team)  Last year, over 20,000 votes were cast from the community.  Pete and his team have also successfully restored and expanded many historic homes in Park City's Old Town. - earning them accolades in the press, and the reputation as the go-to contractor in Old Town,   View some additional photos below.  

Building costs, planning and construction timelines in Park City and surrounding communities change  frequently.  It's critical to hire a builder with a great reputation for quality and service, with long term relationships with architects, designers, and tradesman.  Pete and PJ Builders assist clients from start to finish, bringing decades of knowledge and experience with an understanding of  the unique challenges of construction indifferent neighborhoods, their HOA's, mountain topography and weather.  

With some of these questions in mind, we  asked pete to share a few updates and advice about building in the City area....

Generally, what are building costs per square foot in the Park City area?

Pete:   This is everyone's favorite question.  We're expecting between $650 on the lower end, all the way up to $1000 or more on the higher end.  

Do building costs vary a lot between different neighborhoods and areas?  

Pete:  Cost to build does vary between areas. Those variables are usually driven by several factors.  Smaller or larger lots can create different costs to bring in utilities, or require more site prep.  HOA guidelines can also create more costs.  For example, some HOAs may require more stone on the home, or steel on the roof - all might  drive costs higher.

What Advice can you offer people when selecting a builder or other professionals- are there mistakes you see people make frequently?

Pete:  Assemble your team up front - the architect, the contractor, the designer - This way you get the collective consciousness of everybody on your team, working together to ensure seamless coordination, throughout the building process. 

We commonly see people that don't check references for builders and subcontractors.
Another frequent issue is choosing the lowest bidder, which often leads to numerous change orders and unexpected costs down the line.

How much time do you tell clients to expect for planning and building? 

Pete:  At least a year, at the minimum.  I often tell people that the more time that you spend on planning the more efficient your build is going to be and the more you will stay on budget.  Park City is experiencing significant growth, attracting a wave of new architects and designers. Many architectural firms may take a year or longer to finalize designs, depending on various factors. The timeline can be influenced by the client’s level of clarity regarding their vison and needs, which can either streamline or extend the process.

 More about PJ Builders 

The restoration and expansion of historic homes in Park City’s Old Town is incredibly complex, involving small building lots, teamwork and coordination between architects, designers, and layers of municipal agencies, including historic requirements and oversight.  

Pete and PJ Builders have earned the reputation as the go to contractor in Old Town, successfully completing many of these restorations and expansions, often winning rewards and accolades in Utah Style and Design Magazine.  

Connect with Pete Olson and PJ Builders

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