How much does it cost to build a bridge?

[Michigan CG]

I am appraising 8 acres of vacant land in BFE.

I have one comparable that is in the same township that sold less than a month ago which is 9 acres. I have to use it.

The problem with the comp is that you have to build a 20 foot bridge over a drain to access the land.

So, driving down the road I see a newer house with a bridge. I stop and interview that owner and he built his own bridge with a cost of materials and equipment rental at $28,000; he did the labor himself.

BUT, his bridge is an overimprovement and can carry 100,000 lbs.

I think I am going to check for building permits for bridges but I would guess those would be few and far between.

I simple little land appraisal takes a turn.

 

[CANative]

$28k seems pretty cheap.

If there isn't a lot of government red tape you might be able to throw an old flatcar over the creek and call it a day. You can't get away with that now days in my area. The engineering alone would likely cost more than $20k.

 

[WGrafer]

Check Marshall & Swift -- I do recall getting costs for pre-cast bridges in one of their sections, but I'm pretty sure they cost other types as well.

 

[John LaBelle]

Check Marshall & Swift -- I do recall getting costs for pre-cast bridges in one of their sections, but I'm pretty sure they cost other types as well.

Just checked my M&S Costbook and there bridges under the Golf Courses in the Segregated Costs Section (pedestrian/golf cart/car or light truck).

 

[Walter Kirk]

I saw a property with a bridge made out of an old moble home frame. The owner tore the house apart and drove the frame over the drainage ditch, he then built a deck of pressure treated 2x6 lumber.

 

[Mountain Man]

Oh, I thought this was a rhetorical question. Ya' know, with an answer like: How much do you have to give to a Congressman to get a special amendment for a chunk of the Shovels Ready Stimulus money?

 

[Calvin the Airedale]

I am appraising 8 acres of vacant land in BFE.

I have one comparable that is in the same township that sold less than a month ago which is 9 acres. I have to use it.

The problem with the comp is that you have to build a 20 foot bridge over a drain to access the land.

So, driving down the road I see a newer house with a bridge. I stop and interview that owner and he built his own bridge with a cost of materials and equipment rental at $28,000; he did the labor himself.

BUT, his bridge is an overimprovement and can carry 100,000 lbs.

I think I am going to check for building permits for bridges but I would guess those would be few and far between.

I simple little land appraisal takes a turn.

Check with the county engineer. He'll have a good handle on costs and will likely have to inspect for approval any bridges which traverse public drainage.

 

[Couch Potato]

I am appraising 8 acres of vacant land in BFE.

I have one comparable that is in the same township that sold less than a month ago which is 9 acres. I have to use it.

The problem with the comp is that you have to build a 20 foot bridge over a drain to access the land.

So, driving down the road I see a newer house with a bridge. I stop and interview that owner and he built his own bridge with a cost of materials and equipment rental at $28,000; he did the labor himself.

BUT, his bridge is an overimprovement and can carry 100,000 lbs.

I think I am going to check for building permits for bridges but I would guess those would be few and far between.

I simple little land appraisal takes a turn.

Check for permits on that neighbor's bridge while your at it.

When I needed I bridge, I used an EXCEL bridge. You can contact them for a quote to put in your files, but I would say $20,000 is a reasonable estimate for a 20 ft. bridge with no complications. That's about $8,000 to have a contractor prepare each side with a proper foundation and install the prefabricated bridge which can be bought for about $12,000. Since you describe it as going over a "drain" I doubt any environmental issues would cause a higher cost, but check with the local building department.

 

[nauthead]

My sister has a similar sized bridge leading into her property that spans a small creek. The bridge was damaged by flood waters after a hurricane in 2005 and had to be replaced. The price to remove the old bridge and install a new one was $75,000.

 

[Mark K]

It could be as simple/cheap as laying one or two steel corrugated pipes in the drain and covering with a foot of gravel for a couple of thousand $$ or it could go to infinity (nearly) $$. If its just a seasonal drainage swale a couple of feet deep on private property, a few thousand $$ should cover it.

A conservation club I'm associated with installs these on a regular basis and 3-4 hours of backhoe work, a 24" diameter steel pipe, 20' long with a couple loads of crushed stone on top makes an adequate drainage crossing for about $2,000.

I was appraising a 150 ac. tract (had to cross a creek for access) where the owners were working to get a bridge approved and after two years they had close to $40K in design, legal fees, and permits and were still waiting for approval from the DNR and the Dept. of Envir. Mgmt. but they were building in a flood zone.

100K lb. capacity isn't a bad idea. If they plan to build on the site, a loaded concrete truck will weigh over 60K.

Price would depend on how many gov't agencies want control, depth of the drainage and the clear span of the bridge. If you're in western Michigan, the ground is mostly sand and packs very easily for a good foundation. I lived there for a few years and was amazed at how hard and well drained the sandy soil was.