Barndominium/Shop or "real" House?

ETD66SS · Mar 22, 2025

The Amish crew worked through the winter to get my barn shell up. I had to go with them, because I could not find anyone else who would do the work. Nice guys, but their quality of work is far from top notch. However, it is what I expected from Amish builders and was able to work out most of the issues with them.

This is as far as the Amish guys will take it. I still have not found any contractors willing to finish the interior, may have to start working on it myself. They were at least willing to install the living space floor truss system and subfloor, so at least that part is done.

I can probably do must things myself, however would like to get a plumber and electrician on board. I don't really want to do the under-slab plumbing myself.

EddieWalker · Mar 22, 2025

You've had a very busy winter!!!!!!

Congrats on getting so much done, it looks very nice.

Did you pour a slab for the floor? I'm confused by the picture with OSB on the floor on what looks like the first level of the building.

ETD66SS · Mar 22, 2025

EddieWalker said:
You've had a very busy winter!!!!!!

Congrats on getting so much done, it looks very nice.

Did you pour a slab for the floor? I'm confused by the picture with OSB on the floor on what looks like the first level of the building.

No slab yet, have to put in all the under-slab plumbing/electrical, then more stone, and then the foam insulation and radiant heat tubes before any concrete slab can be poured.

I did order and receive all the insulation that goes under the concrete:

It filled up one of my shipping containers pretty much. It's this stuff: Heat Sheet R10 Heavy

The OSB sub-flooring you see is all on the second floor installed on 18" tall open web trusses that span ~28ft.

The last picture looking through the first 10X8 garage door shows the 18" floor truss system (ceiling of the garage).

EddieWalker · Mar 22, 2025

That makes sense. Sometimes the pictures are confusing for me.

How far out are you from a decent sized town? It's hard to comprehend that it's so hard to find people wanting to make money from you. Is there a building boom there? or is it that there just isn't that many people working in the Trades?

What about the Plumbing and Electrical supply houses? Were most of them go to get materials? Here in Tyler, there will be a dozen different company vans in the parking lot of those places every morning, and half our commercials on the radio are for plumbing and electrical companies looking for work. HVAC too!!!

I've even found people by just cruising the roads and walking up to building sites to see the quality of work they are doing and ask around who is doing it.

Probably the most common way to find people is asking on Facebook. Who did you use and would you use them again. That's where most of my new clients come from.

Carl_NH · Mar 22, 2025

Your building came out great - you will have a nice home too! Getting trades people is tough these days but usually the good ones tend to work together so if you can get an electrician he/she can bring in their plumber or vice versa.

Patience is key, as they may be booked for several months out, while its tempting to "get going" on things its harder to get someone to come in "mid project" than from the start.

ETD66SS · Mar 22, 2025

EddieWalker said:
That makes sense. Sometimes the pictures are confusing for me.

How far out are you from a decent sized town? It's hard to comprehend that it's so hard to find people wanting to make money from you. Is there a building boom there? or is it that there just isn't that many people working in the Trades?

What about the Plumbing and Electrical supply houses? Were most of them go to get materials? Here in Tyler, there will be a dozen different company vans in the parking lot of those places every morning, and half our commercials on the radio are for plumbing and electrical companies looking for work. HVAC too!!!

I've even found people by just cruising the roads and walking up to building sites to see the quality of work they are doing and ask around who is doing it.

Probably the most common way to find people is asking on Facebook. Who did you use and would you use them again. That's where most of my new clients come from.

Basically, in my area, the vast majority of contractors are past retirement age and no younger guys are taking over the businesses, as well as no workers for the current businesses. Young guys are not replenishing the trades, not enough people is what I'm being told by the GC's I have talked to. They are all busy building "standard" homes and don't have time for a specialized project like mine. It's near impossible for a young guy to start a construction business in New York Sate. I'm not sure what kind of shape the custom home industry will be in, in ~10 years.

At this point I think If I can just get past the plumbing and electrical inspection, I can do the rest myself. The electrician I have been in contact with is willing, it's just that he really can only work on my project in his spare time.

EddieWalker · Mar 22, 2025

That's really scary.

I have a feeling that a lot of them have moved to Texas!!!! Several of my clients retired in NY and then moved here for more land and bigger houses for a lot less money and taxes.

ETD66SS · Mar 22, 2025

Carl_NH said:
Your building came out great - you will have a nice home too! Getting trades people is tough these days but usually the good ones tend to work together so if you can get an electrician he/she can bring in their plumber or vice versa.

Patience is key, as they may be booked for several months out, while its tempting to "get going" on things its harder to get someone to come in "mid project" than from the start.

The electrician and plumber I have been talking to do work together, and have been doing so for decades. And I have been talking to them trying to get estimates for over 6 months now. They just need to find the time...

Next big hurdle for me is the Natural Gas installation. I've already dug most of the trench and fully paid the invoice from the NG company, so I am hoping this locks me into the service even though this Natural Gas ban starts in 9 months.

It's far too wet for me to proceed any further on the NG installation, probably can't happen until summertime: