About Cameron Schutt
Cameron Schutt is the third generation in his family to build and
innovate. His grandfather, Burton A. Schutt was a prominent
architect in California in the first half of the twentieth century.
A true innovator, Burton Schutt's name is still well known in
architecture and design circles. Read about the historical places
developed by the Schutt's in the
National Register of Historic Places or Google his name and you will find
that he designed such landmark projects as the Hotel Bel Air .
His son, Malcolm "Mac" Schutt, preferred to raise his family outside
of Bel Air and moved them and his business to the then-small village
of Fallbrook, California. There Mac built many homes as well
as commercial buildings, such as the Fallbrook library. An
innovator like his father, Mac took an interest in promoting adobe
construction, a California classic quite unlike the stick
construction popular in his era. He also took an interest in
grooming his son, Cameron, for the family business. Cameron
started at the bottom , cleaning up construction sites and making
runs to the lumber yard. Cameron advanced through the trades,
working extensively in framing and finish carpentry. He got
his Contractor's License from the state of California at the age of
22. Having spent over 30 years in the business, Cameron is
noted for his technical excellence, innovative design, creative
problem solving and responsive customer relations. Customers
become friends; relationships are built as homes are constructed.
Experience
Learning the trade from the ground up he has built a reputation as
the best in the area. When you want a project done right,
Cameron Schutt is the first choice. The best way to understand
Cameron Schutt's experience is to look at the successful
projects he has completed. Click the hammer to see recent
projects.

Getting Started
I am and have been for twenty-eight years, a licensed General.
Contractor (License B411351). I carry liability insurance to satisfy
lenders and a surety bond to satisfy the State of California. I
choose to build on a Multiple Prime Trade Contractor basis, where
there is technically no General Contractor and each Subcontractor
becomes a Prime Trade Contractor (PTC). The owner pays the PTC
directly, not through a General Contractor. This eliminates the
markup a General Contractor would normally put on each subcontract. The owner maintains control of costs and has a clear, on-going view
of the expenses before, during and after they occur. My fee is
established before construction begins, usually before the contract
between the owner and myself is signed. The fee is based on 10% of
the cost of construction. This fee is my only compensation for the
project. No monies from the PTC are charged for me.
Every home will see dozens of minor changes to the plans or spec's. The problem with conventional contracting is that each change is an
opportunity for the General Contractor to increase his profit. It is
common practice for General Contractors to under-bid a contract with
the intention of making up shortfall on changes. Using the Multiple
Prime Trade Contracting method I make nothing on these changes.
As a Fallbrook custom home developer, Temecula custom home developer and
builder of homes in North County San Diego, you can see some of my work and
talk to my past clients.
If you like the sound of this, please take the time to speak and
meet with some past customers of mine. They can tell you better than
I can the benefits to them.
Construction costs
One of the first questions is always "How much?" There are a few
important things to consider here.
1) The calculation should be on living area. Square footage not
including garage, patios, etc. If these items are included in the
formula the price per square foot would appear much lower.
2) The cost of the home, garage and patios is only the start. The
cost of drawing the plans, permits, water meter, grading, driveway,
septic/sewer system, utilities, retaining walls, pool, landscaping,
fencing, etc. are all things that need to be considered.
As of June 2008 the cost per square foot for a basic home is roughly
$180/sq (living area). This includes the following: basic grading;
stucco exterior; concrete tile roof; vinyl windows; paint grade
doors; moldings (including some crown molding); alder cabinets in
kitchen and baths; $10,000 allowance for appliances; $5000 allowance
for light fixtures; granite on kitchen counters; mostly Kohler
plumbing fixtures; 20% of floor area in tile, balance in carpet;
5/8" drywall with skip trowel texture; concrete driveway at area of
house; septic system. Also include are 2 x 6 exterior walls with
R-19 insulation, nine to ten foot high ceilings, drains in yard,
planted and irrigated banks, patio concrete or pavers. No
landscaping is included.
If upgraded appliances are used the appliance allowance can be
$20,000 and up. The same is true for many of the line items. Rock
veneer is around $30.00/sf. A single light fixture can cost more
than $5,000.
The homes I have pictured in Rancho Santa Fe cost between $275/sf -
$325/sf.