I'm a GC on a small scale. I don't get into custom homes or high end projects, but that's just me.
Most home owners don't understand the process and steps you take to build a home, nor how to time when each sub should be there. That leads to allot of frustration in having a house sit there waiting for the next sub to show up. Some subs work good together, others don't. It's not a good idea to have too many there at the same time since they will just get in each others way and not get anything done. It's a balancing act when done right.
Price of materials can vary allot depending on who you buy from. Price out materials before you do anything. In my area, allot of builders use a particular company that is the most expensive for materials. They have fantastic service and will deliver what you want, when you want it, but you pay for that service. The supplier I use has the lowest prices, but you have to plan ahead a little.
Most subs wont pick up anything they throw away. They will trip over cut off and junk all day long for the simple reason they feel clean up is benieth them. It doesn't matter how close you have a dumpster, they will not take one extra step to use it. They will also through away a perfectly good piece of lumber if they put one nail through it and realize it was a mistake. It's easier for them to toss that board than to pull the nail and re-use it.
If you don't know what your looking at, it's real easy for them to cut corners or do a sloppy job. They are paid on how quickly they can get the job done, so if you don't know how the building is supposed to be built, they will do what it takes to pass code, but that's it.
NEVER PAY until you pass code or they are totally done with what you hired them to do. Once paid, you will never see them again. Subs are very good at answering the phone for new jobs, but impossible to get when you have a problem.
Allot of them will be broke the day they show up to work. It's just they type of people you deal with. They will want some upfront money. NEVER give them any upfront money. If they want to buy materials, it should be on your account or theres. If they don't have an account, than red flags should be going off in your head. My cement guy is a drunk. He's very good, but he likes his beer way too much and as a result, he's always broke. When he shows up to work, he always wants $500 for materials. It doesn't matter how big or small the job, it's always the same. I always tell him no and I buy the materials myself. He does the job, I pay him and he runs to the bank to cash the check and buy beer.
Some guys will want payment every day, others after the job is done. If you get somebody that is really good, you can pay on a daily basis, but you have to be careful. Subs have three major problems. Drinking, drugs and gambleing. It's usualy one of those three. The drunks are your best to deal with as they are the most reasononable. The drug addicts are usually hard workers, but thieves. Watch everything if you have any on site. Gamblers are very unreliable. Once they get paid, they disapear to where the like to lose there money. The gamplers seem to be the nicest and most friendly of the three, but the drug addicts are the best liers.
When you build your house, you will have all three there at one time or another. Know it and expect it and you wont' have any problems. Pretend that they wont be there and you will learn the hard way.
Also don't ever fall for loaning anybody any money. You will find that one of them will come across as the nicest guy you ever met. After awhile, he will give you some very believable sob story of bad luck, sickness or disaster and ask for a few bucks. The last house I built the painter said his son was in a terrible car accident. He was in tears asking for a few bucks to go to the funeral. Nobody gave him a dime as another sub told me he always has somebody die on every job he's on. He was a drug addict from what I was told, but I never noticed anything about him until that day.
Remember, some subs come and go at various times in the job. Some do multiple tasks. I've found trim guys to be very good framers, but framers who do trim also are iffy. Electricians sometimes do HVAC, but rarely does a HVAC guy do electrical. I made the mistake of using an electrician on a house to put in the HVAC system. He was a good electrician, but when I had a problem with the compressor for the AC unit, he became a problem. Now I use specific subs for each.
Do you know how to seal a window? I've seen them go in without any flashing on jobs I was on. Big tract projects with dozens of homes being done at once. They just nail them on and try to get them plumb. Close enough was very common on that job, and this was with a major home builder.
A good GC will be able to save you money, keep you on schedule and solve any problems with your design and your subs. Most every home plan is wrong in one way or another. It might be something simple like the wrong number on a measurement, or a wall the doesnt fit where the plan says it should. It could be there is no place for the HVAC system, or a place to run the ducts and returns. If it's a custom plan, then it's never been built before and the guy who drew it up is gonna make at least one mistake. A GC can usualy spot problem areas before you start construction. He should make suggestions and changes to your plan before you start. I looked at a plan over the weekend that has one of the worse kitchen layouts I've ever seen. They put a huge island in the middle of a small kitchen with no counter space next to the stove, which was between a pantry and a fridge. It was terrible, but the home owner and the guy he's thinking of useing didn't see it. I'm not interested in the job, but I told him he should find a better GC if that one missed that kitchen disaster.
Kitchen cabinets are gonna be a huge expense. I like store bought ones for my homes and remodels, but for higher end homes, custom built are better. The guys who build low and medium priced cabinets are what you pay for. High dollar cabinets will cost you allot of money, and there is a difference in what you get. Joe Schmo working in his home shop isn't going to be able to give you the quality of Mr. Cabinet Maker can who does this full time with a crew of pros. I like store bought cabinets because they are always the exact size you order and the finish is baked on in an oven. It's very hard, if not impossible to get the same quality finish on custom built cabinets that cost allot more money.
I'm sorry for such a long winded reply, I can go on and on, but the point is that if you do it yourself, you better have a sense on humor, not stress easily and be prepaired for suprises. It's not about how well you plan, but how well you handle and fix the problems.
Good luck,
Eddie
