Do I need a general contractor to build a house?

[MasseyFerg231]

Also remember that “building to code” means doing the minimum to pass, kind of like getting a “D” in school.

depending on where you are, you should look into the FORTIFIED criteria. Insurance companies may give you a savings depending on state. I have built several of the structure that were certified. Even if you don’t spend the additional money to have the certification, it really beefs up your structure or roof if you are in a wind borne debris zone. I built two homes that were hit by Hurricane Michael in 2018 (Cat5) in Mexico Beach Florida to these standards plus re-roofing my house to the standards. The two new structures no damage other that cracked panels on impacted rated glass. My roof didn’t loose a single shingle to the wind. Only damage was tree limbs through the roof structure.

 

[plowhog]

Hoping others here can give some advice.

I would also evaluate the economics. What would the GC cost if included in the project? Will they deliver that much value in return?

Suppose your expected all-in build cost, to completion, is $500k. Your GC charges 12% plus $20,000. The GC would cost you $80,000 if involved ($60k + $20k.) Will they deliver that value in return?

I acted as GC for my 3,600 ft. garage with concrete slab, framing, office, electrical, plumbing, etc. Sort of equivalent to a small house. Everything turned out fine. But I hired and paid a GC, $$$$, when I built my residence. It was worth it.

What value did the GC deliver?
- peace of mind
- a regular monthly payment stream that I could budget for
- his knowledge of which subs to obtain bids from, and which ones were reliable with quality work
- obtaining the best and lowest bids from subs who have the confidence of working with a GC
- suggestions about house design things the architect missed
- suggestions about upgrades we never considered (such as enlarging the main master bdrm window)
- suggestions about which local companies to shop with for choices like like fixtures, tile, etc.
- an organized work flow, having each sub involved at the right time
- keeping the work site clean
- disciplining the subs a few times when their workers got out of line
- and a lot, lot, more. Including a 2-year post completion warranty.

Midway through my project, the truss company couldn't deliver on time. But we were racing weather to get the shell weather tight. It became a very dicey thing. My contractor called in some favors from another truss company and was able to keep things on schedule. There were a few other issues similar to that.

I used the same subs when I was "GC" for my garage that my "real" GC used to build my residence. I learned they typically won't give their best bid to an owner-builder. They know a GC will typically run a smooth job, but believe an owner builder will require more time and more hand-holding. And an owner-builder job might go totally haywire. So their bid price reflects that. It would be wrong to say they sneer at owner-builders, but there *is* a difference. That difference has $$ attached to it. If that happens in your job, how much cost might be associated with that alone?

Good luck on your project !!!

 

[BayRockMan]

I suspect most states / counties allow you to be your own GC. You may know enough about a lot of trades to do your own work but you have to be up to speed on all the codes that apply. Licensed subs should be up to speed but if you plan to do a lot of work on your own, you need to know the code. I was fortunate to have help with family that were in the trades and knew the code.

 

[badger123]

I did 2 large houses myself. For the first one I used a be your own GC company. They provided drawings, a framed shell, windows, doors and a list of subs. At the time I was young and energetic and wanted to save some $.

I knew some subs that I trusted. A good friend was an HVAC installer/company owner. My neighbor did concrete foundations. I had another friend who was a finish carpenter. I got recommendations from them for other subs.

I supervised, hired subs, paid bills, built a deck, screen room, designed the kitchen and did all the painting, staining & flooring myself. My first 2700 sf house with walkout unfinished basement took 9 months and cost 150k including the land. I sold that house in 2008 for 400k. I basically did the same thing a second time 15 years ago.

What did I learn? Hire good subs! I didn't know "code"! Be there for every inspection, take notes, these days cell phone pics too. Every mistake was because "code" wasn't followed. My finish carpenter saved me 6 or 8 times pointing out mistakes the framers made. They were the only subs I didn't pick myself.... hmmmm.

Good Luck!

 

[bdhsfz6]

I built my own house 42 years ago. I was my own GC, carpenter, electrician & plumber. The only thing I hired out was the foundation. It took several years doing most of the work alone but I found it very satisfying. I'm retired now and still living in the house. I was able to retire early partly due my sweat equity and the fact I had no mortgage to pay off. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't feel a sense of accomplishment.

It's sad to say that all this wouldn't be possible today. Local laws have been passed which require the work be done by licensed contractors even though it is my own house. It's gotten so bad that technically, I need a permit, an electrician and an electrical inspection to replace a light switch!

I highly recommend the DIY process but as others have said, check your local laws & regulations first.

 

[MasseyFerg231]

If you hire a GC, don’t bid shop it all over town. If it’s a smaller area, they all know each other and talk. Interview a couple of builders, ask intelligent questions in regards to quality/billing/costs/schedule and choose one that you feel is honest, and will be the best to work with a move forward. If you start a bidding war the GC’s will cut scope and the person that it hurts the most is you.

 

[cholland]

We built our house starting in 2013. I had a contractor friend help me with the foundation. We subbed out the septic, insulation and drywall. It took us about 1 year to complete. Very satisfying. Definitely would do things differently. The inspections are a little intimidating, but were really not a problem. I even drew up the plans myself. Even with all the newer regs., we are currently planning to build a bigger house. You do save some $$, but when things go wrong, there is no one to blame but yourself. Plan it well and it can be done.

 

[Root Cause]

Great input from everyone.

It is a small area. I have all confidence that the skilled trade owners and building inspectors all share the same dinner table on Sunday.

I have the capability but lack the contacts. As others have said, I am a one-time customer and that is never a good position to be in.
Still hard to pay someone else mainly for the contacts when I will be doing most of the rest of it.

I may just hire a GC for the basement and be up front about that and tell him that the rest is subject to how the first phase goes. Not sure if anyone would buy into that but it seems logical from my end..

 

[sunandsand]

We did this in 2007 through 2009 in semi-rural Florida. Problems were no-show subs, slow delivery of some components, county-level over-regulation. We have a *wonderful* building inspector who tells you "how" not "why you can't", and he is very open to non-conventional construction. The house is panelized light gauge steel frame with poly-something or other between the frame members. Slab on grade, faced with split face block, standing seam steel roof. I was the GC (legal here), we took some equity out of other properties to build, then refinanced when done. Very small mortgage left, low payments.

I did most of the electric (and ALL of it in the 50 by 90 adjacent hangar), some of the plumbing, hired two guys to do the hard work, and another sub to do the masonry. (Took the guy two weeks to finish, and he complained endlessly about everything, all of which was totally unrelated to the job. He did good work, if I hire him again, I'll bring and use earplugs.)

As was mentioned, make sure you get lien releases from each, make sure your subs are licensed and insured (some of ours weren't, one assured me "nothing is going to happen", my reply was "you're right - now leave".) and some of the best advice was right here on TBN "Never hire anyone you can't sue." That covers a lot more than homebuilding.

Learned a LOT doing this, we're going to do one more in a year or two, and frankly, I'm kinda looking forward to it.

Best Regards,

Mike/Florida

 

[jacspath]

I hired a GC on a T&M basis [with a set price for the use of his equipment for the finished project]. He had all the subs and crew [also hourly dudes] and skills and I chose him because he had built a house that I was using as my model home. And, he lived in the neighborhood.
AND, I was committed to being onsite every day even if only at the end of the work day to discuss 'stuff' with him. We made several modifications as we went along which was a great help and would have been hell to 're-negotiate' if I had a set contract. And I told him upfront that I would be making extensive videos of the progress of the work. I primarily did this so that I would know every detail of the structure [where the plumbing and wiring and various structural members] behind those drywall boards were. This also helped keep him honest I think.
And, PS, I have used those videos several times to locate wires and pipes when making changes over the 30 years here. Saved me a lot of headaches and worry.
One other PS. I used the set price for the use of his equipment to keep him 'onsite' until the end detail work was done [which is when many contractors find it hard to get back to finish the job]. I paid 1/2 of the set price up front and held the last 1/2 until I signed off on the work and the CO was in hand. He agreed to that part up front, but when it came to the end, he squirmed about it, but I held my spot and am so glad I had some leverage on him for that last push to the CO.

 

[JackieM]

There's a reason GCs and real estate agents exist: you don't know what you don't know, until you're standing in a steaming pile of . I would find the best GC I could, treat him or her well, and make them WANT to work with you. It's a long-term working relationship, but it will be much longer if you try to do it yourself.

Also, don't fool yourself into believing you can still do the manual work you did in your 20s. I'm guessing you're in your 60s now, and everything is heavier now. Do it right, and you won't have regrets.

P.S. My husband and I just had our dream house built. Even with a good GC, there were issues all along the way, and mostly having to do with subs. Find a GC with rock solid sub relationships. They're the difference between success and a money pit.

 

[bigtiller]

How about hiring a GC to frame it in, enclose it and finish the roof. Then with it weather proof you can do finish work.

 

[Lee Robinson]

Four-five years ago I had a 3300 square foot slab poured for our K9 kennels. Man...I learned the hard way that very few people know what they are doing even for such a simple project...had to fire 2 crews before finding someone to do things right. Everyone wants to do shabby work but expect full pay.

Our rebar was in the mud and not tied together when they wanted to pour...and dirt was not leveled smooth at all (crater valley), but I showed up before the concrete was ordered and...no way...slab he framing was not square, slop was not even (for water drainage), footings were dug twice as wide and twice as deep as they were supposed to be because someone showed up with a trackhow for another project and the guys there wanted him to dig the footings. I was there when they asked the guy, and told them, no way...that was going to increase my concrete order by 45 more yards. After I left, they did it anyway...fortunately I only had given them $1000 prior as a deposit...so when they asked to get paid again before correcting all these issues, I told them, sure, but you gotta do the corrections first because it was going to be a lot of work to correct their mistakes. They got mad, so I told them to fix it or leave. They left. We had to tear it all down and start over. Then they showed back up wanting the job. LOL...I told them to leave before I filed trespassing charges.

We did the dirt work ourselves and my neighbor new a crew that finished concrete work (he was a retired concrete worker). When the concrete trucks showed up they asked, "who did your dirt work, it is the best I have seen in 20 years." We had it packed nicely and as smooth as a baseball field because honestly, I didn't know what was good so I just kept working it until I couldn't get it any better.

Very concerning experience for when we build our home...because I do not have the knowledge or experience to build a home, which is something I want to do within the next year or two. I guess I will just follow a few bits of advise I saw above...

1. Don't hire someone you cannot sue.
2. Check with supply stores and find out who buys high quality supplies and pays their bills,
3. Check with some inspectors to find recommendations for general contractors with high standards,
4. Get advise/recommendations from our bank on which GCs are well respected, and
5. talk to some home owners I respect that I know build their homes and find out who they used and if they are pleased with their service.

P.S. I am open to additional tips if you have them. This will be the first time we have had a home built.

 

[oosik]

I had the footings and foundation walls poured by a recommended contractor. Otherwise me, my wife and son completed the entire house. The ONLY other item done by contractors - installation of the living room carpeting.

That was all completed in 1982. The advantage - I know every board - every chunk of plumbing - every run of electrical wire. I've not had to repair/replace anything - but I know how everything was installed/built.

I'll take that back. At 30 years - about ten years ago - I had a new asphalt shingle roof installed. I had this done by contractor. I remember how the OEM shingle roof turned my knees into bloody hamburger.

 

[mgstevens]

So many stories... I built my own home, designed it, did the drawings, used only 2 subs (drywall and spray insulation) and adhered to the old adage: your project/job can have 3 possible qualities: good, cheap and fast - pick two!

I chose good and cheap. My build took 3 years. It worked out fantastic as far as mistakes (there were a couple - all by component suppliers..) and I built for about 1/2 the square-footage-cost of a contractor-built house. There's your good and cheap.

Also, I built almost to "passive house" standards, meaning very little energy/cost to heat and no cost to keep cool due to the high levels of insulation (R60 roof, R40 walls, triple-glazing on all windows, very careful on air-sealing..)

Of course, I took years (about 15 years..) to work alongside a finish carpenter, master painter and architect to learn the skills to pull this off, but if you're handy, and patient, you can pull off a miracle. There are books on every aspect of a house build if you need to learn. I guess it's mostly down to the willingness to learn and the ability to endure and persist when the project is underway. Many days can seem bleak and the finish line a lifetime away, but if the planning is good (very important!) you'll know where you are at all times and can put your head down and keep plugging away.

Being your own GC using subs could be either a dream or a nightmare. One sub will recommend another, so choose quality every time or you'll end up in a dark pit of your own making. And know something about their trade so you can have an idea of a fair price. Otherwise you'll pay more than you should. That is what a GC brings, calm, patience and usually a contact list of good subs. You can do it, but it's non-trivial.

 

[Root Cause]

How about hiring a GC to frame it in, enclose it and finish the roof. Then with it weather proof you can do finish work.

This sounds like a good plan. Enough to get a GC interested without all the cost and it gives me a 2nd chance to make sure all the plumbing and electrical is complete with flood lights/cameras etc before the sheetrock goes up. Thanks

 

[orezok]

I’m a licensed general contractor for 40 years. Early in my career I built over 2000 “shacks” as we called them. I then moved on to commercial/industrial and finished my career with 17 years of building public schools. When I went to build my own house, I hired a local general contractor as I had lost all contact with house subs. Borrowing a phrase from the medical field, “A doctor who treats himself has a fool for a patient”.

 

[Rustyiron]

Between subs being busy with enough work to be "choosey", and a lot of materials being months out, not to mention the high price of both of these. I believe that now's not the time to play builder, not for a complete home build. I would price out a few builders for a turnkey price.
It sounds like you are not in a rush or a situation where this has to happen right away ie; job or career move. If this is so, I'd wait for the inevitable crash and intrest rate climb. That's when you will be looked at by both suppliers and contractors with a much better attitude.
Construction, especially home building has a million moving parts. From the obvious weather issues that affect the whole project until your basically under roof, to the hungover helpers and "no shows" that collectively can totally F your perfect (on paper) schedule. Then there's the mis's,
Mis communication
Mis understanding
Mis orders
Mistakes
.... and there are many more .
These "mis's" apply to each and every person that walks on your site and everyone else from permitting, banking, distributing down to the local suppliers, etc.

 

[MasseyFerg231]

Great input from everyone.

It is a small area. I have all confidence that the skilled trade owners and building inspectors all share the same dinner table on Sunday.

I have the capability but lack the contacts. As others have said, I am a one-time customer and that is never a good position to be in.
Still hard to pay someone else mainly for the contacts when I will be doing most of the rest of it.

I may just hire a GC for the basement and be up front about that and tell him that the rest is subject to how the first phase goes. Not sure if anyone would buy into that but it seems logical from my end..

If the GC pulls the permit, you have to deal with taking over the permit.

There's a reason GCs and real estate agents exist: you don't know what you don't know, until you're standing in a steaming pile of . I would find the best GC I could, treat him or her well, and make them WANT to work with you. It's a long-term working relationship, but it will be much longer if you try to do it yourself.

Also, don't fool yourself into believing you can still do the manual work you did in your 20s. I'm guessing you're in your 60s now, and everything is heavier now. Do it right, and you won't have regrets.

P.S. My husband and I just had our dream house built. Even with a good GC, there were issues all along the way, and mostly having to do with subs. Find a GC with rock solid sub relationships. They're the difference between success and a money pit.

Jackie M is correct. if it was easy everyone would do it! you can’t do as much physical work yourself when you are trying organize and direct other trades at the same time. Maybe find a GC to run the job and you could self perform some of the work you are capable of. You get to be there often, monitor progress and use your skill set.

 

[MasseyFerg231]

Between subs being busy with enough work to be "choosey", and a lot of materials being months out, not to mention the high price of both of these. I believe that now's not the time to play builder, not for a complete home build. I would price out a few builders for a turnkey price.
It sounds like you are not in a rush or a situation where this has to happen right away ie; job or career move. If this is so, I'd wait for the inevitable crash and intrest rate climb. That's when you will be looked at by both suppliers and contractors with a much better attitude.
Construction, especially home building has a million moving parts. From the obvious weather issues that affect the whole project until your basically under roof, to the hungover helpers and "no shows" that collectively can totally F your perfect (on paper) schedule. Then there's the mis's,
Mis communication
Mis understanding
Mis orders
Mistakes
.... and there are many more .
These "mis's" apply to each and every person that walks on your site and everyone else from permitting, banking, distributing down to the local suppliers, etc.

We are getting hammered daily on cost increases. An example is that while we may have quotes (and contracts) on an item such as roofing, but the real cost will only be known a maximum of 30 days prior to shipping and delivery is 4-6 months out. We are starting to see it in other materials as well.