Do I need a general contractor to build a house?

[3Ts]

My neighbor hired a GC to build a house and they forgot to do the wiring until the house was done. I'm also aware of a commercial building where the electrical sheet was not included in the package given to the GC and was built without wiring it. One would have thought the GC would have at least questioned it. There are good/bad or competent/incompetent people in all professions.

 

[PILOON]

On a 1 mill commercial project they had to re do the electrical entry as it did not meet code.
(The electric room ceiling was too low by a few inches)

 

[Root Cause]

I have been digging into the pros and cons of it and I appreciate all the feedback.

Here is what I have found:
* Every GC isn't good, some are great
* The big-box, well-known builder in the area has learned how to cut every corner possible to make it meet code but their work is shoddy.
* Most homeowners probably don't need to be their GC but there are exceptions.

I pulled the permits and so far completed:
* The roads are finished
* The drainage for the property is done ready for the house connections
* The septic is in and approved
* The well is scheduled to be drilled in March
* I have temp. power to the RV inside a metal building/septic.

I hope to hire a GC to rough in the house. (foundation/exterior and roof)
That seems to carry the most risk for a novice both in $ and time.

After that, I plan to finish it myself to save on GC costs. I know there will be times that I cannot find subs but I will pull wire, add insulation, and paint to save money and keep it moving. My guess is that I will finish it just as fast as we all know how often a house sits without any activity.

 

[jk96]

As a longtime GC, I would say absolutely you 'can' run a project as an Owner/Builder. The hardest part as mentioned is getting and running the subs. But it depends on the level of quality you desire as well. There is no way you can achieve the level of quality that a GC with years of experience can produce. No way.

I've personally never seen a Owner/Builder home come out very well, and I can walk through and pick to pieces all the errors and mistakes....but if you just want a 'kinda good' house (which most people are frankly ok with) then you will be fine.

And if you're doing this for the experience, that's great, but if you're thinking you will save that 20%, you're probably gonna be very disappointed. Too many moving parts you will miss, and time is money....... plus the subs will take advantage of you and you have no way to catch it....

That's a pretty bold statement. My build would run counter to all of the above. It can be done and done well by a non-GC. Maybe not common but possible. Links to pics of our build below.

Finished pics of our owner build without a GC

 

[Hoodoo]

That's a nice build, jk96. But it is the exception to the rule, not the norm. I have been building for 4 decades and have seen enough to know that an inexperienced homeowner has very little chance of getting it right.

And Root Cause - you may not save any money at all..... and you will probably get a lesser quality product. That's just the way it is. But good luck.

 

[jk96]

That's a nice build, jk96. But it is the exception to the rule, not the norm. I have been building for 4 decades and have seen enough to know that an inexperienced homeowner has very little chance of getting it right.

And Root Cause - you may not save any money at all..... and you will probably get a lesser quality product. That's just the way it is. But good luck.

As I stated it's not common but to state that "no way" you can achieve the same quality is a bit bold. I would put our build up against the top builders in our area and not just the pretty stuff you see on the outside but the bones underneath the rock as well. It can be done and done well with the right person.

 

[Root Cause]

In business, I learned to avoid words that were absolute. 'Always' and 'never' eventually lead to eating some of it.

Specifically, no one here knows my capabilities much less those around me with a GC license.

I have a neighbor who has a real mess. A sad situation built by a large company in the area finished just 4 months ago.
I will make mistakes but I will be there every day to minimize them and make sure the work is following my vision.

Thanks all.

 

[Root Cause]

As I stated it's not common but to state that "no way" you can achieve the same quality is a bit bold. I would put our build up against the top builders in our area and not just the pretty stuff you see on the outside but the bones underneath the rock as well. It can be done and done well with the right person.

jk96, that is one beautiful home!

 

[Hoodoo]

As you said, it can be done.....but it is exceedingly rare for a basic homeowner to pull off a custom build, or even a simple one, with no experience. Now if a person has some background in construction, then that is a totally different matter....

And yes, large corporate builders are worse than none in most cases. And I'd still be curious how much you actually save. Post back when you're done and let us know....

Once again, good luck!

 

[jk96]

jk96, that is one beautiful home!

Thank you.

I will make mistakes but I will be there every day to minimize them and make sure the work is following my vision.

Thanks all.

And that is hard to put a price on and a huge value in a good GC. Most don't understand how important this is and how expensive/fast mistakes can be compounded on an owner build if your not competent.