Does this mean a house built on "speculation" that someone will buy it?
Or a tract house with generic specifications?

Speculating that someone will buy it.

Thanks, walrus

I understand it to be a house built with standard specification grade stuff. No custom requests. For example, no ceiling fan boxes, no recessed fixtures, nothing above minimum code, etc. Just the basics.
Of course there is speculation whether someone will buy it that way, but I don't think that is the derivation of the term.

The house is not being built for anyone specific, just speculating that someone will want to buy it.

Ok,...which is it...I always thought it meant "built to/by specification"like Ron had stated.I'm not doubting anyone here,I just don't know the real answer..??????
AR

I have always been led to beleive that it has built "built to the specifications of a potential buyer".

For example, a conversation that often occurs between me and a homebuilder would be as follows:

Me: Have you got a buyer for this house?
Builder: Well, I had one but he backed out.
Me: Are you gonna lose your *** on the deal?
B: Probably, I had it all spec'd out for him.

Well I can't give you the real answer either, but I thought that "spec" meant that the builder did the specifiying because there was no buyer yet. Short for builder specified.
But I never heard speculation as an alternative. hmmmmmmm. I don't know. I still have my chips on specified.

I have done dozens of "spec" homes. They have ranged from plain and simple to extravagant as far as bells and whistles go. A "spec house" is a house built to the GC's specs as a speculation home for the GC to market and sell after it is complete. If you build a dozen tract homes in an addition and they aren't sold to anyone before completion they are spec houses. Conversly, a home constructed for an individual, with options of their choosing, to occupy as their home is a custom home. I have done spec homes that had all the bells and whistles like automated HVAC and lighting, central vac, video, security, heated tile floor, etc. They always sold and I could never figure out why someone would pay $700,000.00 for a new house they didn't choose the floorplan and amenities for. If I had access to that king of money you can bet the house it would buy would suit me to a "T".

I'd add a third option, Fred - "Semi-custom" seems like it would describe your "custom" homes a lot more accurately: where the buyer chooses from one of four or five floorplans and option lists.

ICK - little boxes made of ticky-tacky...

All of the "customs" we've done came with individual prints, and were designed by arky-tekts as "individual" homes.

I've never done a custom home where the homeowner didn't supply their own prints and make changes daily while under construction. That's what I meant when I said, " a home constructed for an individual". A 7500 sq.ft. spec home is a far cry from a "little box made of ticky-tacky." 1500 sq.ft. cookie cutter houses with studs and trusses 2' OC and 3/8" sheet rock and plastic doors and trim- that's a little box made of ticky-tacky.

Understood. No 'fense meant.

We've got some chuckleheads who spend _way_ too much dinero for "custom" houses in some of these subdivisions that are built OK (ft2 and structurally), just way too close to the neighbors for my taste.

"Ok,...which is it...I always thought it meant "built to/by specification"

Yes built to/by specification, and the customer may want it custom, not by spec.

The custom work may be spec. before construction starts or after the spec. was built, which would require some rework.

The house was built to a specification, when you bid the job, you use these spec's what ever they are, just have it in writing, any changes to these specs, are at additional costs, EXTRAS, CUSTOM, ADDITIONS, UPGRADE, whatever you call it, means additional costs.

The way we use it out here is minimal standard cheapo devices and fixtures in a "spec" home. If something is "specified", that is different, and "spec grade" devices are top of the line. Sort of one way or the other.

Earl

I've seen 'spec house' used to describe the house in a tract development which is built to the standard builder specifications; people visit that one, select their options and improvements, and then get their customized houses built.

On 'spec grade' devices...grrrr. 'Spec grade' is a _meaningless_ term that is usually associated with 'top of the line' devices. The problem is that 'spec grade' simply means 'whichever specification the manufacturer cares to use'. If the specification is 'cheapest equipment that meets UL requirements', then 'spec grade' is the $0.39 special at the big orange box. If you are lucky, you might be able to figure out which standard specifications are being met (eg FS596 or something else).

-Jon

winnie,
That is a good answer for this post. With material spec. grade is a sales pitch, not a spec. grade to meet any standard.