Do I need a general contractor to build a house?

[Steppenwolfe]

I've talked to some people who said they had a custom home. After a few questions, I found out that they picked one of the builder's stock plans and got to chose the paint colors and whether the exterior had some lick 'n stick stone on it. Not my definition of "custom home".

Custom homes in my opinion come from an Architect.

 

[Hay Dude]

Know what they say about opinions?

 

[Sberry]

It was just ironic they listed every phase of the construction and said, other than that we did it all ourselves.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

As I look at different counties permit processes, some allow, almost expect the homeowner to be the GC. In more populated counties it appears to be discouraged. They want a list of licensed trades doing the work.

 

[PILOON]

OK, I've always been a DIY handy type guy.

I DIY built my first cottage starting @ age 18 when I discovered some gov't 'free' land within 1'5 hrs from home.
I hired out the purchase of enough logs to build a 16 x 24 log cabin.
Included was the use of the logger's chain saw as well and he coached me on how to cut the corner notches.
Big expense for me back then, LOL $200. for the quantity I needed, peeled and delivered on site.

The deal was, he used my boat and 5 hp in exchange for using his chain saw. (no road back then so all was boated in) That was a win/win situation especially in that my boat was always dry come Fri night.
Oh and my boat/barge was also a DIY.

Them were the days, no permits, no surveys just go and do it.
LOL taxes were, like $15, $20 .
Well sure have been a few increases as my taxes now top $3K/yr.

Now that all led to a prosperous renovation and building trade 4 me.
Ive built 6/7 houses, raised one while dynamiting the bedrock under it and all in all had a very enjoyable time at it.
LOL we now have the county's newest best road right up to our back doors.
Oh, must add I bought a dozer to help build this road as well.

Hey, have never been bored and always had fun. (and no, I have no trade papers at all except those related to Aviation which was my 'bread and butter' trade)

All to confirm, YES U can DIY but study all the rules and permits you will need to comply with.
Laws here do permit DIY construction but that only applies to your principal dwelling.

 

[mgstevens]

When I 'apprenticed' with my architect/mentor for 5 years, we discussed a lot of aspects of home/building design. After that, I could not look at standard or trendy home design the same way. From the trendy dormer-deluge to the hard to insulate, hard to maintain and more expensive than necessary, I was going to have to have a custom home, designed from scratch and based on our lifestyle, the property and setting and a firm nod to eventual resale, because life happens...

Anyway, it's a non-trivial project. With my experience in carpentry, tile, paint, plumbing, electrical, etc and the years learning design and drafting, and a consulting electrician, plumber, and excavator/septic guy, and only 2 subs (spray foam and drywall) it took me some 3 years end-to-end. Sure it was rewarding to simply do it, but there was also a cost incentive. Saving a full quarter-million dollars over a contractor-built home was nothing to sneeze at.

I was just out taking a few pics to document the couple of feet of snow we've gotten here in the past week.

 

[Fahmahdave]

I'm a little late with my response, but to answer your question, it depends on local building codes where you live, as well as your ability to look at the "Big Picture" and not miss some important details. I worked in various capacities and trades in the residential and commercial building world for 20+ years and felt competent enough to double the size of our recently acquired home. The most important thing is to build it safe and structurally sound. The only things needed to build in our small town were a permit for septic, a rough electrical inspection before the power company would connect a new service, and a rough frame inspection. Otherwise, because our town population was under 2000 people, we didn't have to meet state code. The state code would have required architectural drawing, a site survey, separate plumbing framing and electrical permits. Each would need both rough and finish inspections. I might add that when we has questions, I called the towns Code Enforcement officer. He was happy to see that I was willing to seek his advice, and follow it too! He even addressed a couple of items that I hadn't thought about, and weren't required, but made my project that much better. It's been 20 years since we finished it, and it's still standing straight and true, and we're still loving it all. Good luck with your project, it is worth it to be a part of it!

 

[rScotty]

Custom homes in my opinion come from an Architect.

That's true here in that either a PE or an architect has to approve the plans before the county building dept. will look at the plans and issue a building permit. But anyone can still design their house to suit themselves.

Some people want an architect's design, and others prefer to design the house themselves. It's personal, and the owner is free to design any type of house that he wants.

I found that doing the pencil drawings of how the house would look inside and out was half the fun and almost none of the actual work. The next step is then to hire an engineer or architect to make the basic design meet code and obtain the building permits.

Then with an approved design in hand - which usually includes a list of required inspection points ... .congratulations, you have just become the GC. It's now up to you to decide how to build it.
rScotty

 

[Hoodoo]

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....

 

[Sberry]

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.

Like all the GC are genius and do such a great job. I ruff the wire in one a while back where the owner did and was as good as any I have ever seen. He did all but a little water and a little wire. Seen great houses built by contractors, seen some real crap too.

 

[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.