Do I need a general contractor to build a house?

[PILOON]

OK, I DIY'd our present home and still have no regrets as it came within budget and expectations.
Only downfall is that I developed a water problem after 20 years.
While I have French drains and did provide a pit for a sump pump I only developed water infiltration issues after 20 years.
But back then the norm was clean stone over the french drain (or straw) but B4 filter sleeves on the drain pipe.

OK, I added a sump pump* and good to go unless a power failure but with a generator I have that covered, (as long as I'm home)
*had even provided a 'hole in the wall' for output.

Oh and I did all my own electrical work (inspected and signed off) all way above code.
But I was aviation endorsed in electric and avionics so I knew where I was going.

Must also add that I drew up detailed plans on my kitchen table and they were approved at first presentation.
My trick was to give them more detailed info that was actually required like many detailed side blow ups and a list of specifications.
At that time my plans were approved within a week.
My only trade accreditations are all in aviation and still are after many more building projects.

My first DIY build was at age 20 when I built a log cabin on crown land and that cabin is still occupied today but after a few additions. LOL back then no permits were required. All that construction called for boating all supplies as we had no road back then but later on that was addressed when we DIY'd our own road and had it approved to city standards.

 

[dstig1]

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!

I would also put my own build up against any builder, without hesitation. Now if you mean someone who has never held a hammer before and says "sounds like fun to build my own house!" then yeah, I would agree it is not going to come out well 99.99% of the time. But you do realize the audience you are talking to here on TBN, right? This is one of the most hands-on and capable groups of people you will find on the net. To come in here and say "nobody can build their own house and have it come out decent" is a rather foolish statement to make to this crowd.

I see your point, but I think you are sort of "accusing" the wrong audience about it, so yeah, expect the push back.

 

[jigs_n_fixtures]

Not to sound like an ass, but: if you have to ask if you can do it, you probably don’t have the skills and knowledge to pull it off.

 

[rScotty]

Not to sound like an ass, but: if you have to ask if you can do it, you probably don’t have the skills and knowledge to pull it off.

Everything requires some learning. We are born not knowing much - certainly not the ability to build a modern house.

But truth is that all those building skills are pretty simple to acquire. Especially withthe level of craftsmanship and ability that is common on this TBN forum.

So I predict that the OP won't save any money and it will take longer the first time he GCs his own house. He will get more what he wants since he can make on-the-fly design changes. He shouldn't do that, but he will..... and he will be able to set the build schedule to match his own.

The second house the OP does he will save a bundle....time and money both. Probably save enough to build a third with minimal mortgage. Or maybe no mortgage at all.
rScotty

 

[Root Cause]

Not to sound like an ass, but: if you have to ask if you can do it, you probably don’t have the skills and knowledge to pull it off.

Asking others who have built one themselves is a way to learn from others' mistakes. That doesn't make me incapable, it helps me to avoid others' mistakes. I was asking for advice from others who have built their own homes not an uneducated guess as to my capabilities.

Quote:


I designed it in 3D and I made many, many changes. I had my wife review it so we were aligned before sending it off to an architect to have it laid out and stamped. I expect some minor errors within the design or the execution of it but my changes and updates were done months ago.

 

[JDZ735M]

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

Very Nice!

 

[check]

Very Nice!

Hey, you got the fireplace on the wrong side!

 

[Hoodoo]

I would also put my own build up against any builder, without hesitation. Now if you mean someone who has never held a hammer before and says "sounds like fun to build my own house!" then yeah, I would agree it is not going to come out well 99.99% of the time. But you do realize the audience you are talking to here on TBN, right? This is one of the most hands-on and capable groups of people you will find on the net. To come in here and say "nobody can build their own house and have it come out decent" is a rather foolish statement to make to this crowd.

I see your point, but I think you are sort of "accusing" the wrong audience about it, so yeah, expect the push back.

I knew that this group was pretty tractor savvy, but actually didn't realize that the TBN group was so skilled in homebuilding.....

I can only speak from my experience and it has been with 'wanna-be's' who think building a house is easy. I have no problem with the push back, I was just stating my opinion and I believe it to be 'generally' correct. Of course there are carpenters and ex-builders who can build a house along with and better than some working GC's.

I hope the OPs project turns out fantastic for him and his wife...... but if we were taking bets, I would bet a lot that his budget and schedule are going to be waaaay off.

Once again, just my .02....(lots of touchy folks on here...

 

[PILOON]

On my first DIY build the neighbor complained that my septics and shed was on her land.
The jokes on her, when I sold it naturally a survey was needed, and that showed that her staircase and paths to the waterfront were clearly well inside my property and (by luck) all my buildings and installations were well within current setbacks.
And that was B4 the many of today's regulations.
Heck when I built that house not even a single permit was required.

 

[Fahmahdave]

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....

I suppose you're right, to a degree. Unfortunately, I've seen too many questionable GC's in my time, and I worked a VERY short time for a couple of them. Even the best of the best leave some "punch list" worthy items either undone, or poorly done. I does depend on the GC as well as their sub's. We personally didn't have any sub issues on our home build. I guess that's mostly because we didn't have any except for a septic installer. Yes, he was a couple of weeks late (certainly less late than most I've seen), but the system was done properly and has worked without issue since new, even the septic pump is still hanging in there! I did the rest either myself, or with the help of a few experienced friends. From the excavation to the roof, to the finishes. The only thing I'll still ***** about is that I shouldn't have built the kitchen cabinets out of pine. Oh well, I have failed! Anyway you look at it, I saved about $40K by doing it myself.

 

[52wej]

Well I am a member of the DIY club. My wife and I built our home over 40 years ago and did all the work except for grading, well and septic. We actually sawed the beams for a modified post and beam house. One thing we learned is that if you want to do something you can do it with enough work and study. It took 2 1/2 years and all of our spare time, but it belonged to us when we moved in and not the bank. It passed all inspections with no problems. But we made sure to exceed the code in all we did.. Saved a lot of hassles.

Could I do it today? No because I do not have a contractor's or plumber's or electrician's license. And to me that stinks. I understand why the codes are written and respect the safety concerns that drive them. Sadly many do not. And I also have seen a lot of shoddy workmanship, that met codes but created numerous problems later on. Let me also add that I have hired good contractors whose workmanship is something to be proud of.

Just my two cents. W. Jones

 

[m1garand762]

Even if you hire a gc anyone with common sense would be on the job daily to inspect and criticize the work. I work in the trades and most people show up once or twice and get a poor product as a result. When I built my house I refused 3 loads of lumber and the carpenters tried to sneak some bad lumber in. I told him to remove it he said no I said your fired and had another carpenter in 2 hours. Even with a gc you are the boss and need to take ownership and be there every day

 

[PILOON]

While never a General Contractor I've DIY'd a number of homes.

A good neighbor hired me to represent him during the build of his new home.
Essentially I was the owner's representative.

Fortunately he had made good choices and mostly it went very well.
I did from time to time have them re do or change a few minor things.
Was a nice project and pleasant experience.

I'd do that again.

 

[YanmarFever]

My lovely wife and I built two beautiful homes in the past, we were our own general contractors.
We saved over 30 grand alone on the first one and everything was great, we used red oak for all the cabinets and trim work. We built the second one the same way and it turned out even better than the first one.
Yes, it took 2 years to build, but there was no bank or general contractors involved..

 

[Redneck in training]

I was my own GC when we built our last house. Since I didn't have a track record the bank demanded high downpayment close to 50%. We run out of money to finish the house. The bank inspected the work done and lent us whatever we needed without much hustle. When my wife was trying to get us the initial construction loan the big banks looked at her like she was a leper. But the local small town banks are more entrepreneurial and lent us the money. Later on when we added another building (shop) we had no issue to get a loan using another small bank. The VP of the bank hopped in his car and drove to see our place and saw nicely landscaped property. We got the loan next day with very reasonable interest rate.

 

[rScotty]

I was my own GC when we built our last house. Since I didn't have a track record the bank demanded high downpayment close to 50%. We run out of money to finish the house. The bank inspected the work done and lent us whatever we needed without much hustle. When my wife was trying to get us the initial construction loan the big banks looked at her like she was a leper. But the local small town banks are more entrepreneurial and lent us the money. Later on when we added another building (shop) we had no issue to get a loan using another small bank. The VP of the bank hopped in his car and drove to see our place and saw nicely landscaped property. We got the loan next day with very reasonable interest rate.

I sure do like to hear stories like that. Lots of them nowdays. There was a time when it was pretty much impossible for young people to get loans for education or houses. What a waste of time and resources that was.

 

[SandburRanch]

There's a world of difference whether your bank balance has cash available or applying for a loan . Time is usually considered when borrowing from a lender . If you're the GC can you coordinate the project to satisfy the lender or are you willing to pay the penalty(s)

 

[jk96]

Hey, you got the fireplace on the wrong side!

Love our two sided fireplace. No need to bring wood into the house. Load and clean from the outside. No mess inside.

 

[check]

Love our two sided fireplace. No need to bring wood into the house. Load and clean from the outside. No mess inside.

I’m jealous. That would be so cool to have!

 

[check]

Even if you hire a gc anyone with common sense would be on the job daily to inspect and criticize the work. I work in the trades and most people show up once or twice and get a poor product as a result. When I built my house I refused 3 loads of lumber and the carpenters tried to sneak some bad lumber in. I told him to remove it he said no I said your fired and had another carpenter in 2 hours. Even with a gc you are the boss and need to take ownership and be there every day

That is what my wife tells me all the time! If I’m not there, sure as heck they will screw it up. In fact, the only person I would trust to build me a house or whatever with no screw ups is my own father. He was an absolute genius carpenter, and people who hired his company that he worked for very frequently insisted that they would not hire the company unless my father did the job. The sad part, very sad, was when finally he got too old to do stuff anymore, although he still climbed up onto the roof of my cottage to help with the siding. My friend, who was basically in charge of the job, turned around and found my father standing there getting ready to do something and he said “John what are you doing up here?“ My father said without any hesitation “I may be old but I’m not dead!“

He is gone now. Miss him a lot.