Bill, it is the tub deck (6x6 tiles) and a splash of one row of the same tile. The skirt is getting done and there will be two access panels. There are also three squares (16x16")of decorative (jelly bean tiles) tiles 'on the front of the tub. The tumbled marble is 12x12 on the floor and about 6' up the shower walls, and on the tub skirt. The shower has subway tiles above the 12x12's, and 6x6's on the ceiling. There are also 6x6's on the tub deck. The shower measures 3x4'. The pattern is straight, but offset everywhere. No listello. There is a bench and one niche in the shower. No kerdi (can't find anyone)so it will have a vinyl or copper pan (supplied by the plumber). Yes, the tiler is furnishing and installing the board for the shower and the tub surround. Thanks Bill for your help. You two guys are unbelievalbe. Super job and the information will really help me to make a decison. Well, if you are in ME, wouldn't you like to come to the Cape? We have plenty of spare bedrooms. Janet

Okay, I could never figure out how to post photos to the site here (I am not savvy) but I think I can embed a link to my mac.com account where I have a few stored. Also- a caveat - I *just* noticed that the original post indicated "high end" which is not our house, so my cost figures are really not comparable. I don't know how I missed that when I first read the posting, sorry all; I hope this reply is still relevant. The house is 6290 sq ft (porches add another 2410) and the finished space above the garage is 1175. You will see the garage to the left of the house. (You drive around the back of the garage.) Ceilings are 10' on basement and main floor, 9' on second floor. (Garage apt is 10'.) I thought of a few items I did spend more money on that I was not prepared for...like wood-mould brick (Old Virginia Brick) on the walk-out basement level (not visible in these photos) and the masonry fireplace. My DH wanted three true masonry-built fireplaces (only God knows why they had to be "true," the boxes with masonry surrounds and chimney look great to me), and the labor cost of doing that really blew my mind. I also thought of a few other "saves" ... Anyone on a tight budget like mine might find these useful, but they are more time-consuming so if I were building a dream house on a dream budget I might pass! I bought my marble direct from a Ga quarry, because I had my heart set on "Georgia White" which is similar in color to Carrara but is harder and less porous (so better in a kitchen application, though still not perfect) and is from Georgia (Tate). It has been a bit of a PITA because it is no longer quarried, so the only slabs were the ones still in the yard, and the quarry is not really set up for individuals walking in and buying half a dozen slabs. (They are more of an institutional source.) But, I got a beautiful material at $22/sq ft which was far less than similar marbles quoted from fabricators. For windows, I really wanted true divided lights, and I love casements. But, I restricted myself to casements in the places where I could see really using them (kitchen and master bath) and I put double-hungs everywhere else because they saved $$. Also, I have not accounted for window treatments/drapery in my budget. I have saved a ton on appliances by shopping at discount stores over a long period of time and so far, I have not made a compromise in what I wanted. For example, higher-end panel-ready units often sit at discount stores because people who shop scratch & dent discount stores are usually not buying custom cabinet panels. So the stainless dishwashers sell quickly but the panel-ready ones sit there and get marked down. I bought my new DW - Kitchen Aid, stainless-tub, panel-ready, hidden controls, etc. for $199. I got a built-in Jenn-Air panel-ready fridge for $1300. I did compromise on my cooktop - I wanted the Viking 36" induction because it has true knobs not touch controls, but I saved $2200 by buying a discontinued Siemens 36" all-induction at 50% off. The icemaker was discount because it had a nick on one side of the door that is hardly noticeable (and won't hold a candle to the havoc my toddler will bestow anyway). I won't buy the ovens discount because I really want the white Viking ovens, one convection and one steam. (A girl can have one perfect appliance, right?) And, the tile I used in the shower surrounds and kids' & guest bath floors is super-basic white ceramic (3"x6" and penny rounds). For mudroom and utlity rooms, instead of Peacock Pavers (Athensmom, they look great, get samples, they are gorgeous) at $6/sq ft I used gray pavers at $2.25/sq ft for mudroom floors. Savings on the tile all around. At the outlets (up 400 near Dahlonega), I found amazing deals on hardwired light fixtures. I bought 7 solid brass sconces for the stairwell for $7/ea, which was probably my greatest find. So, I saved enough that I could then go a little overboard with Circa Lighting in the areas that meant the most to me. Sorry for the very long post! I hope this info is helpful to those of you with budget constraints. Like I said, someday perhaps I will not spend the kind of time that shopping discount requires, but then again, it has been really fun! I will try to remember to post updated photos. I hope in 6 weeks we are complete, and then I can share the final finishes and interiors. At this point, if we stay on track in these last 6 weeks, the per sq ft construction cost is just under $72, so not in the high end category for sure. I will keep ya'll posted if there is interest. Here is a link that might be useful: New house photos (mid-October)

When we looked at stone yards, some of the slabs we looked at (marbles and quartzites) were already honed or leathered. So there was no up charge for that on those slabs--they were priced the same per square foot as the polished slabs of the same material. One of the stone yards said those slabs were delivered to them already honed/leathered. I wonder if that's a possibility where you are? For our carrara marble, our GC said if we chose a polished slab there would be no up charge for honing it. But I think that was only applicable to marble because he mentioned that marble is very easy to hone.

That’s like asking a question in a car forum about “average miles per gallon” for a new automobile. A Honda Civic hatchback and a Ford F-450 are automobiles. One gets 5x the fuel mileage of the other. So, you do mean fuel mileage for a truck? Would that be a compact light duty truck or a heavy duty tow mobile. Manual or automatic? Standard cab or crew cab? Import or domestic brand? Which engine does the heavy duty crew cab dually automatic Ford F-350 have? Diesel or gas? Which diesel or gas? What is it’s age? Older engines get worse mileage than new. Once all of the variables are narrowed down, you can get ballpark closer to your needed information. Take some weekend trips to existing homes for sale and new subdivisions with model homes for a while. Start to get a big picture of real estate costs in your area, and the differences by area. Then talk to a builder. Good luck!