Anyone GC their own home?

In the middle of doing it all in Arizona. Cost is gonna be about 200$ a foot for a decent house but nothing special. This is for my parents, I'll be damned if I am going to do it right now when costs are at the highest I have ever seen.

vinniedelpino said:

So builders in my neck of the woods are swamped with work and cost of new construction reflects that. I know the cost of materials is still through the roof, but I’d like to get into a new home before rates go up. The way I see it, inflation is going to rear its ugly head and a mortgage at less than 3% is too good to pass up.

Right now I’m getting quotes of around $230 a square foot for garbage materials. I’m talking MDF cabinets, vinyl plank and ceramic tile. Nothing wrong with that, but I cant bring myself to pony up that kind of coin. Nobodys doing allowances anymore either and upgrade charges make the primer situation look tame.

If you’ve done it, how’d it go and would you do it again? We’re the savings worthwhile?

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Seems a pretty even trade off of rates vs materials currently. It comes down to who is getting your money IMO.

Log home in TN looking like closer to $250 sq ft for heated space. Additional from there. This is all good stuff however-not a typical home build.

Not sure there ever is a "great" time across the board. I sure haven't seen it yet.

I am getting longer in the tooth and for me it is now buy once cry once time. This should be my final stop if I do it right.

While not a true GC, I did a build on your own lot home. I was responsible for all the permits, they built the house, they ran the subs.

What you are really asking about seems to be much deeper than what dollar per foot you will be paying. I'd find a better company to build your house with the materials you want or can afford. Maybe you best be able to wait as well. Building the foundation up to the point of being dried in seems to be the 100% most important aspect. From there the rest can wait in my mind.

So to the point of being dried in means you should have windows, doors, main framing materials, trusses, and roofing materials picked out. All other work can be done in time.

Honestly there is a house in my neighborhood that is like 6000sqft, has been "under construction" well over a year at this point, is WELL behind in property taxes.....and NOT finished yet. It's been dried in well over 9 months.

I know here in TX if you are going to be taking a loan out to finance the construction you can not be your own GC.

vinniedelpino said:

The main reason I posted is because my brother just built a house in Nags head for a little over $300k where comparable homes are selling for $700k+. Granted, he did a lot of the work himself and did a lot of wheeling and dealing on surplus materials, bought at restore Etc. That’s nothing to sneeze at though. Being frugal runs in our family I guess.

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No doubt-it is a costly proposition at the moment. One can find fine homes already built with sunk costs accounted for. Or, build one at today's prices.

I could not find the land and the house together, so I went deep end of the pool. Doing each on their own.

I'm down with frugal. But at a place right now in time where that is only gonna happen on a small scale. I want to move while it is all lined up for me-for that, I will surely pay. But it isn't just for me. Generations should enjoy what I am doing in chasing my dream. I am only the first to enjoy it proper. Once it is all said and done.

vinniedelpino said:

Its pretty easy to get a limited license here. Covers projects up to $500k not including land and land improvements.

I already have the study materials tabbed and highlighted from my bro. I’d just need to pass an open book test and show proof of $17k in working capital.

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$17k should get you a pick up bed full of sheathing

Best I can add is ready any contract you want like three times.

I found an electrician that just got his GC and doesn’t have a portfolio of builds to show the bank to get financing. I’m going to pay the guy a full rate as an electrical sub and a “consulting” fee for him to be on the permits. I save 20% and he gets a successful build to show his bank so he can finance the next one.

GC the project is easy if you have a set of plans, then your the one getting quotes for excavation,masonry,framing,roofing,windows and door,sliding,plumbing,electric,hvac,insulation and drywall,flooring,kitchen and finish trim. You should save 20-30% on the over all cost of paying a builder. If you have no experience with construction or dealing with subcontractors then you might be better paying the builder.

Did a small shop space, not too difficult if you’re handy, have some equipment, sales and research skills.

17k might pay for the architectural drawings, maybe...

I did it without a license. The hardest part was finding a bank to finance the build. I put up a lot of cash because they wouldn’t loan me the full amount it would have really cost. Plan on spending double what you think it will cost. I think you will get a better built house but it will consume your life for 7 months to a year. It took me 1 year one month to complete it. Weather didn’t cooperate and I designed the house on my own. I quickly figured out why some architects make what they do. I think the bank expected me to fail... they were wrong. My wife’s brother in law who has been in construction for over 20 years walked in and said, “I wasn’t expecting this, this is the best built house I’ve seen in 20 years.” You will get a way higher quality house if you do it on your own.

If you do it be at the job all the time. The work will go faster for many reasons. Mostly because you can solve problems right away. No delays for comms between you and the sub-contractors.

It’s not easy. But it can save lots of money. It’s not for the weak, you need to be tough.

Not by choice.

Original builder failed and we had to take over.

We had a brother in law do it on time and materials.

Thought it was going to be a disaster but I think we ended up doing better.

Ask you subs for references cause you don't want a sub who intends to hammer you with change orders

pmclaine said:

Not by choice.

Original builder failed and we had to take over.

We had a brother in law do it on time and materials.

Thought it was going to be a disaster but I think we ended up doing better.

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I put an addition on last year and that happened to me. Took out the loan the the builder kept putting me off. finally got my neighbor who knew framing etc, and did it my self. The builder had quoted me $38,000 with contingency to $40,000. My neighbor and I did it and added a beautiful deck for $22K, which included paying him really well. You can do it, just be sure you have at least ONE knowledgeable person...and as mentioned above, be there most of the time yourself.

We're in the process of a house being built for us just south of Raleigh. Small development, price is about $150 sq/ft. With the BS "due diligence" payment you need to fork over in NC, a new house became much more attractive than an existing home. Probably won't close until January, but that gives us time to prep our current house for sale

Today's work included:
Tying in my circuits to new breaker box.
Prefitting brackets and drilling line holes for 3 zone mini split.
Hung a bit of sheetrock in the closet yesterday.

Work for this week.
Wall vent for stove hood.
Mudding some drywall.
Hand trenching for 2" conduit from meter to breaker box, if I can hit a time when temp is in the 80s.
Run dedicated circuit and conduit for Mini split, with disconnect.
Setting shower, and surround.
Thats pretty optimistic work load for a half cripple.

Last weeks work.

I read 2 books on the subject 13 yrs ago to do my own home. I'm a contractor but GCing requires more knowledge. One book was written by a couple who GC'd their own home. Best experience they ever had and they were preparing to do a second. The second book opened with this statement, "Every contractor you meet is out to screw you and take your money". I'd like to believe most contractors are like me and do their best but I'm not naive. The truth is in the middle. You need knowledgeable, honest sub-contractors or you'll be in trouble.

I do a fair amount of general contracting now and at least in my area, getting subs to pay attention to anyone building one house or small projects and additions is difficult. The best advise I can give is to quadruple check on your subs before you hire them. The best price in the world won't help you if they don't show up or do shit work and you need honesty if you don't have knowledge.

Another problem you will encounter is finding quality subs that arent covered up with work. Then when you do its hard to pull them away for a single build when you have contractors providing them work yearly. If they are available for work immediately definitely a red flag most of the time. Im more on the civil side of building doing developments so i see a lot of stuff. At least this is the case in the Nashville area and its been exploding here for a few years. Also never pay up front period.

I added on 1300 square foot, I had the contractor do all the framing and electrical and then we finished the inside. We ended up saving a shit load of money, it did take a little longer to finish but it was worth it.

vinniedelpino said:

the $17k in capital is just the requirement for the license. My point was that the barriers to entry in my state are minimal.

I wouldn’t be posting about building a home if I was working on putting $17k together.

Id be building a yurt or looking for a used camper.

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Wasn’t poking at you, just how stupid expensive stuff is right now.

do you have any general construction knowledge? Subs can pick out pretty quick when the super intendent on site doesn’t know shit and will start cutting corners because they know they can get away with it. Can you read plans?

this is not a job for a guy just trying to save money. You really do need good background in construction knowledge before you attempt something like this. You have to be able to problem solve construction problems, and be able to call out shit that’s wrong when you see it.

this is a really good way to have a home that’s thought out and built extremely well that you know all the ins and outs of, or one that was thrown together with shoddy work. Doing this on a cost saving basis will lend toward the later

TxWelder35 said:

Wasn’t poking at you, just how stupid expensive stuff is right now.

do you have any general construction knowledge? Subs can pick out pretty quick when the super intendent on site doesn’t know shit and will start cutting corners because they know they can get away with it. Can you read plans?

this is not a job for a guy just trying to save money. You really do need good background in construction knowledge before you attempt something like this. You have to be able to problem solve construction problems, and be able to call out shit that’s wrong when you see it.

this is a really good way to have a home that’s thought out and built extremely well that you know all the ins and outs of, or one that was thrown together with shoddy work. Doing this on a cost saving basis will lend toward the later

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Yeah I had to fire my first framer in 3 days. I caught the first major mistake they made after they deviated from the blueprints and I had no choice. He was also pushing me around and delaying showing up at the job site also. They made the stairway opening 3 foot wide instead 4 foot wide. It was a pain in the ass to fix and the framer was in shock when he got fired. Make sure you get a good framer.

HeavyAssault said:

Best I can add is ready any contract you want like three times.

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Along these lines.... Retain a Construction Attorney FIRST...... Have him look over your shoulder / read contracts for subs, etc.... Every reputable GC I know keeps attorneys on retainer. What ever he cost you will be returned 10 fold when it's time for the final inspection....

NO, I AM NOT AN ATTORNEY !!!

Hobo Hilton said:

Along these lines.... Retain a Construction Attorney FIRST...... Have him look over your shoulder / read contracts for subs, etc.... Every reputable GC I know keeps attorneys on retainer. What ever he cost you will be returned 10 fold when it's time for the final inspection....

NO, I AM NOT AN ATTORNEY !!!

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I date an Attorney. She is currently representing Architects and Engineer's. Via Insurance coverage.

She is losing her mind over what I am doing-but the truth is...

Do it right. Get the right people.

Worry less.

They all seem worthless-but when you need them and the law they stand on-priceless.

Too many things can and do go wrong. Even with "your" people in place.

It is a big deal-do it right once. Sweat less.

If it is worth doing right-it is worth doing "right."

My opinion.

Measure twice-cut once. Mo betta.

If it were me it would come down to how much liability I would be willing to absorb. Most people can do the job until something goes wrong then the experience of a professional can make the extra cost worth it. What happens if the material supplier sends the wrong material if its a special order item someone will have to eat that cost, also the labor situation right now makes it very difficult to find decent skilled tradesmen

I had a great experience - 37 years ago. But I had a lot of help. Short version below - yeah, actually a very long story but a happy (not THAT kind of happy) ending.

I had a 9-5 office job; lived and worked 40 miles from the job site. My father-in-law (FIL) was the architect and his oldest son (BIL, roughly my age) was a framing contractor. Also had several of my brothers in the trades (key - plumber!) and worked with my dad growing up (plumber also) so I wasn't new to home construction. Pretty sure I wouldn't have considered doing it if I was a complete beginner.

Didn't need any license to DIY GC (at the time) and found at least one bank that agreed to the construction loan as long as they did the conversion to the mortgage, which I'm pretty sure they promptly sold off. I think they set a time limit on the construction loan but can't really recall. Came in on schedule!

I did all the paperwork - permits, arranging for soil tests, payout (waivers), got liability insurance, and such. FIL and BIL gave me leads on subs - used some but did some independent research and found a few on my own. Fared pretty well - FIL ended up using my stone mason and plumber (yeah - my brother) on his house the next year.

Key advantage was my BIL being on the job up to the point it was dried in and ready for mechanicals. YMMV. Disadvantage was - 37 years ago so - no cell phones. I tried not to bother him daily, but we talked pretty regularly.

I went on site about one evening a week and then every weekend and did a fair amount of work myself - extra insulation (walls between bedrooms - noise cancelling!!), ran the ductwork for the AC that we planned to install at a later date anyway, put in the chimney for the fireplace insert, installed low voltage wiring (phone, network), all the tile work (baths and kitchen) and put in the central vac system. At the end helped my BIL with the trim.

Couple of "lessons":

FIL said to have at least a 10% cushion in the budget for "problems". At FIL's urging I used his excavator/concrete guy who usually did commercial work but really did my place as a favor to my FIL. Glad we did, because we spent the entire 10% cushion on problems with the hole. If I had a "lesser" contractor I would have been less confident in what the guy was telling me. (Short story - took two soil tests at the foundation - NW and SE corners. All good. When it came time to dig they went down nearly 15 feet below the basement floor level before they found bearing soil at the SW corner. Underground "stream" or some such. Guy said I could backfill and sell the lot, or invest in a shit ton of gravel. Good news is the basement NEVER ever got wet.) Fortunately that was the only real issue, but it would have been nice to spend it on something other than gravel . . .

As GC I was able to make a LOT of changes - usually without incurring change fees. At one point I figured I made 30 or 40 changes: Samples - Design called for the master closet being two separate closets, but before the dividing wall was ever put in we decided the space was better used as one big space. Created some "open space" in what would have been walled off attic. Moved an exterior door two feet to the right - where it opened UNDER an overhang instead of out in the weather. Added some exterior lighting and switch locations (could turn on the spots into the backyard from the master bedroom on the second floor, or the kitchen on the first floor, or the walk-out basement.)


Meant the place to be a lifetime home, but moved out of state less than eight years later. When I came back to the area I went into business with my BIL as GCs. I again did all the paperwork, but in truth spent 90% of my time with a hammer in my hand and over the next couple of years I became a decent framing carpenter. Rough working up North in the winters though - moved down South 20 years ago and went back to office work. My dad had good advice - learn to work with your head and not your back. But I'd GC my own house all over again if given the chance. Probably do even more work on my own this time . . .

I’ve been a contractor for 35 years. I’d suggest you don’t do it. It’s a shit show out here and if you don’t know what your doing you’ll find yourself in a world of shit. I’d highly suggest you pony up you’ll save yourself money and a lot of headaches. Good luck!

TxWelder35 said:

Wasn’t poking at you, just how stupid expensive stuff is right now.

do you have any general construction knowledge? Subs can pick out pretty quick when the super intendent on site doesn’t know shit and will start cutting corners because they know they can get away with it. Can you read plans?

this is not a job for a guy just trying to save money. You really do need good background in construction knowledge before you attempt something like this. You have to be able to problem solve construction problems, and be able to call out shit that’s wrong when you see it.

this is a really good way to have a home that’s thought out and built extremely well that you know all the ins and outs of, or one that was thrown together with shoddy work. Doing this on a cost saving basis will lend toward the later

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I'm not completely sure this is true. Construction experience helps considerably but the home builder that did your home was on their fourth "builder" before they got it done. It was a hot mess, we almost walked and I still kind of wish we would have. Dealing with warranty was an experience from hell. Never again will I do a new build and we bought it as a mostly completed spec home. I would be willing to hire some help to build it but never a home builder.

More internet advice: lacking a strong background in the overall big picture of home building, develop a quality, comprehensive PLAN, not a general idea. don’t start changing things around. It’ll drain your budget and time faster than anything else. Don’t do anything you saw on the internet that someone “saved a bunch of money” on, guarantee it cost em double for a shitty product. Never look at F’ing Pinterest. And always hire professionals. Think of the little things that’ll bite you in the ass and fix em before they do.

And do the research on what soil type you’re building on, well, septic or city services, electrical service, gas, building dept, city planning and all the other bullshit stuff just getting off the ground. My new motto is “DIY is overrated “

JJMoody said:

More internet advice: lacking a strong background in the overall big picture of home building, develop a quality, comprehensive PLAN, not a general idea. don’t start changing things around. It’ll drain your budget and time faster than anything else. Don’t do anything you saw on the internet that someone “saved a bunch of money” on, guarantee it cost em double for a shitty product. Never look at F’ing Pinterest. And always hire professionals. Think of the little things that’ll bite you in the ass and fix em before they do.

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I was so freaking nervous, I had a spread sheet with EVERY cost. Estimated vs actual, including interest rates. Any changes recalculated my monthly payment. Yeah, I nerded out on Excel big time. I did alright, I had almost zero overages because I knew changes would kill my budget.

I’m 4th generation construction guy. Built spec homes during the last bubble, flipping properties etc…lost it all, was a super for a few commercial contractors etc… building our shop/house right now and, although it’s nice and we’ve done it with a grand total of 6 guys helping (electrical, plumbing hvac and drywall). We’ve saved a lot of money, cash flowed the entire project and are completely debt free. All that said, it’s been a pain in the ass. Even with experience and time, it’s always staring you in the face and little things will bother you if you’re a conscientious type. It’s never done…. lol. But i keep telling myself it’ll be worth it.

I just got finished building a house (not personally, but hired a builder). We moved in Mother’s Day weekend.

It was a freaking nightmare.

Builder was a crook. Went bankrupt during the build, but I kept riding him to get finished. I think the reason he worked to finish my build was because I was the only one who wasn’t tying to sue him.

There’s still about $12k to $15k worth of stuff that has to be completed. Might or might not get done. We will see. From signing the contract to closing on the home was 16 months and 1 day…..and it really isn’t 100% complete.

I’ve been in commercial/industrial construction for 23 years. Residential construction is the most bass-ackwards thing I’ve ever dealt with. While this doesn’t apply to every single person, the vast majority of residential subcontractors are dipshits that couldn’t cut it in commercial/industrial construction. I felt like a dang Mensa member trying to communicate with these people.

I could write a novel with all the crap we went through. I won’t say I will never build another house, but if I do, the situation will be totally different and I will pay the absolute top dollar for every single sub. Life is too short to deal with retarded people.

I could give multitudes of advice to anyone building a home:
1. Read your contract 3 times.
2. Record every conversation and take detailed daily notes/photos of work performed.
3. If you are hiring a builder, only hire a builder that actually has some kind of skill….not a general contractor….someone with actual construction ability.
4. Forget asking for 2-3 homeowner references, builders cherry pick those. Call around to local building supply companies and check on their account statuses. You can tell a lot about someone by how they pair their bills. Ask every sub if they have worked for the builder before. If everyone is a first timer or are doing their 2nd job for that person, watch everything like a hawk.
5. If you can, ask the builder to put up a P&P bond on your project. Offer to pay for it out of pocket. It is cheap peace of mind. I know that’s not super common in residential construction, but if you find a builder who can bond a project, use them.
6. Get everything, and I mean everything, in writing. If you discuss something verbally, follow the conversation up with an email of your understanding of the conversation. Tell the builder to reply to the email to correct anything that may be wrong or misunderstood. I’ll say it again: EVERYTHING IN WRITING.

I could go on a on. It was a horrible experience and really sucked the wind out of what should have been a great experience for us (building our “dream” home).

"Construction Build Contract Lawyer" - it cannot be a one way street. If I eat costs at the far end of a construction loan-so should they. This is the shit of nightmares and why the woman is freaking out over my build. She see's the worst examples obviously in her gig....

Ya gotta get verbiage in there to protect your interests. My opinion.

Shit is too loose today.

Jethro3898 said:

I just got finished building a house (not personally, but hired a builder). We moved in Mother’s Day weekend.

It was a freaking nightmare.

Builder was a crook. Went bankrupt during the build, but I kept riding him to get finished. I think the reason he worked to finish my build was because I was the only one who wasn’t tying to sue him.

There’s still about $12k to $15k worth of stuff that has to be completed. Might or might not get done. We will see. From signing the contract to closing on the home was 16 months and 1 day…..and it really isn’t 100% complete.

I’ve been in commercial/industrial construction for 23 years. Residential construction is the most bass-ackwards thing I’ve ever dealt with. While this doesn’t apply to every single person, the vast majority of residential subcontractors are dipshits that couldn’t cut it in commercial/industrial construction. I felt like a dang Mensa member trying to communicate with these people.

I could write a novel with all the crap we went through. I won’t say I will never build another house, but if I do, the situation will be totally different and I will pay the absolute top dollar for every single sub. Life is too short to deal with retarded people.

I could give multitudes of advice to anyone building a home:
1. Read your contract 3 times.
2. Record every conversation and take detailed daily notes/photos of work performed.
3. If you are hiring a builder, only hire a builder that actually has some kind of skill….not a general contractor….someone with actual construction ability.
4. Forget asking for 2-3 homeowner references, builders cherry pick those. Call around to local building supply companies and check on their account statuses. You can tell a lot about someone by how they pair their bills. Ask every sub if they have worked for the builder before. If everyone is a first timer or are doing their 2nd job for that person, watch everything like a hawk.
5. If you can, ask the builder to put up a P&P bond on your project. Offer to pay for it out of pocket. It is cheap peace of mind. I know that’s not super common in residential construction, but if you find a builder who can bond a project, use them.
6. Get everything, and I mean everything, in writing. If you discuss something verbally, follow the conversation up with an email of your understanding of the conversation. Tell the builder to reply to the email to correct anything that may be wrong or misunderstood. I’ll say it again: EVERYTHING IN WRITING.

I could go on a on. It was a horrible experience and really sucked the wind out of what should have been a great experience for us (building our “dream” home).

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Let me see if I'm catching you on this.

You walked into building a home assuming you new more than everyone involved but didn't read the contract properly, didn't document change or work orders, hired a shitty paper general for your builder and lowest bidder subs. You had a bad experience? Go figure, it must be all of residential construction that's the problem.

Good luck with your home.

@Nailbender

Seems I struck a nerve…..perhaps a little close to home, I reckon.

Just in case reading comprehension is not one of your strong suits, let me recap a few atatements

“while this doesn’t apply to every single person”

“I’ve been in commercial/industrial construction for over 23 years”.

Just because I offered helpful suggestions to people who may have never built a home before, doesn’t mean I didn’t do those exact things I offered. That was your first misconception.

In hindsight, I should have offered a 7th point: if you have to wait to get your preferred builder (we all likely know a builder(s) with exceptional reputations), then wait. They are busy for a reason.


The second misconception was regarding price. My home builder wasn’t the cheapest of the 3 I approached for pricing…..he was in the middle. The high guy obviously was throwing a number at it was way, way in left field. The builder I chose also happened to be the most helpful and thoughtful during the process, which I took as a good sign. Unfortunately, he ended up being a snake in the grass and I didn’t catch it until after we were 40% thru the build…..at that point we were well under contract and there was no easy way out. No matter your preparation, people can still be psychopaths.

Misconception number 3 is that You have absolutely no idea what I did and did not do on the front end of my project. I’m a planner. My wife and I saved for this house for nearly 10 years and had researched and planned what we wanted for easily 4 years before we ever got the ball rolling. The company I work for is essentially a subcontractor, so I understand that role too. We bid, sell, and perform a specific function on projects (structural steel and miscellaneous metals). We work under a GC or a Construction Manager (depending on the contract structure), we are almost never prime. I bid work, negotiate contracts and perform design assist. Heck, I even consult on construction lawsuits in my free time, so I’m not entirely a moron when it comes to the general thrust of modern construction. Do I build homes? No. But I do build things far more complex and with higher price tags than a house.

Misconception #4 is that I had any control over the subcontractors who worked on my home. That was the function of my builder. In fact, our contract strictly prohibited me from hiring my own subcontractors to complete the work without approval from the builder…..and he wasn’t about to approve anyone I suggested (because he was a difficult person).

So yes, I would say I felt I was relatively prepared to take the leap and hire someone to build a measly 3,400 sq ft house. Furthermore, because of the planning we put into place before we signed the contract, we had 1 change order and 3 allowance overages…..whooptee freaking doo. You live and die by the contract, so I’m the one constatntly reminding the builder of the contract language and repeatedly told him I only want what he was bound to in the contract. So ultimately, yes….I know more about the construction process than he did.

So….good morning. And thank you for your assumptions.

If you took my post personally, that’s on you.

When we built out here in the middle of nowhere OK we paid as we went and hired as we needed. We also did a lot if the work ourselves.

The framer was the guy we relied on most, and he is a former basketball player for my F-I-L (coach). We used his suggestions for electrician, drywall, and foundation. The Choctaw tribe ran water to the house, but I had to do the septic myself. We also did everything once we were dried in.

Permits...LOL, not out here. The county did send an assessor out twice to make sure they were getting their cut...joke's on them, at 100% VA disabled, I'm property tax free on this section.

The biggest problem is dealing with guys who wake up and determine that they are a drywall guy, or a plumber for the day. Skilled labor is hardly that out in the country.

Got one of the prisons with a vocational program to make all of our cabinetry. It cost us materials only, and they actually did a great job.

I did the concrete counter tops, stained the concrete floor, painting, tiling, shower work etc...

We did spring for geothermal, and six inches of spray foam on all the exterior, but our house is 2,974 Sq Ft, and my power bills are always in the $95-105 range (run the thermostat at 68 in the winter, 74 in the summer).

Total cost for the build was a touch under $210K, but $30K of that was in the geothermal...if I had my choice again, I'd probably not do that. I'm pretty sure by the time I get close to getting our money out if it, it'll need major repairs.

As I'm having harder times moving around already, we tried to keep this build as maintenance free as possible.

The issues we have in my neck of the woods is that the larger contractors are taking up all of the lumber. The average Joe, is taken out of the picture because the big boys have lumber reserved for more than a year out from now. The lumber yards took in more business than anyone thought was possible in the last year. Even concrete is a problem for most folks because the contractors have that on reserve for some time too. Anything contractor grade is like vaporware. It's there but try to buy it.

Note: I was at Home Depot recently and you could buy PT lumber cheaper than you could pine or fir lumber. PT 2x4x8 studs were more than $1 cheaper than conventional 2x4x8.

Don't discount this as an option.

Good luck!

I added 1500 sf to my ranch. GC'd it. I paid a draftsman $3K to draw plans that included plot, foundation, walls, roof, electrical and plumbing. it was all i needed to pull a permit and do takeoffs for the lumber order. I hired out the poured foundation, framing, drywall and roofing. I did the siding, electrical (new panels), interior trim, and plumbing. Hired out for the larger furnace/ac. I used Hurst hardwoods for a 1500' of walnut floors (put down myself), and put in the kitchen myself. Went with Blue Bahia for the island - really nice granite. I didn't skimp on anything, but it costs quite a bit. Took 18 months. Did 10' ceilings, a few extra bucks but worth it. Windows are expensive, but if you have good views, fill the place with them.

BullGear said:

Note: I was at Home Depot recently and you could buy PT lumber cheaper than you could pine or fir lumber. PT 2x4x8 studs were more than $1 cheaper than conventional 2x4x8.

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Plywood (3/4") is down to $32/sheet, got some last night.

Jethro3898 said:

@Nailbender

Seems I struck a nerve…..perhaps a little close to home, I reckon.

Just in case reading comprehension is not one of your strong suits, let me recap a few atatements

“while this doesn’t apply to every single person”

“I’ve been in commercial/industrial construction for over 23 years”.

Just because I offered helpful suggestions to people who may have never built a home before, doesn’t mean I didn’t do those exact things I offered. That was your first misconception.

In hindsight, I should have offered a 7th point: if you have to wait to get your preferred builder (we all likely know a builder(s) with exceptional reputations), then wait. They are busy for a reason.


The second misconception was regarding price. My home builder wasn’t the cheapest of the 3 I approached for pricing…..he was in the middle. The high guy obviously was throwing a number at it was way, way in left field. The builder I chose also happened to be the most helpful and thoughtful during the process, which I took as a good sign. Unfortunately, he ended up being a snake in the grass and I didn’t catch it until after we were 40% thru the build…..at that point we were well under contract and there was no easy way out. No matter your preparation, people can still be psychopaths.

Misconception number 3 is that You have absolutely no idea what I did and did not do on the front end of my project. I’m a planner. My wife and I saved for this house for nearly 10 years and had researched and planned what we wanted for easily 4 years before we ever got the ball rolling. The company I work for is essentially a subcontractor, so I understand that role too. We bid, sell, and perform a specific function on projects (structural steel and miscellaneous metals). We work under a GC or a Construction Manager (depending on the contract structure), we are almost never prime. I bid work, negotiate contracts and perform design assist. Heck, I even consult on construction lawsuits in my free time, so I’m not entirely a moron when it comes to the general thrust of modern construction. Do I build homes? No. But I do build things far more complex and with higher price tags than a house.

Misconception #4 is that I had any control over the subcontractors who worked on my home. That was the function of my builder. In fact, our contract strictly prohibited me from hiring my own subcontractors to complete the work without approval from the builder…..and he wasn’t about to approve anyone I suggested (because he was a difficult person).

So yes, I would say I felt I was relatively prepared to take the leap and hire someone to build a measly 3,400 sq ft house. Furthermore, because of the planning we put into place before we signed the contract, we had 1 change order and 3 allowance overages…..whooptee freaking doo. You live and die by the contract, so I’m the one constatntly reminding the builder of the contract language and repeatedly told him I only want what he was bound to in the contract. So ultimately, yes….I know more about the construction process than he did.

So….good morning. And thank you for your assumptions.

If you took my post personally, that’s on you.

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If anyone struck a nerve, I think it was me.

Sounds like great "planning". If I keep responding to you, will you keep proving that you feel above residential and think you know it all? Your advice for the OP is decent, I just can't figure out why you condescend rather than follow it.

Again, good luck with your "measly" home.

To GC, you should have a pretty good handle on the whole construction process, from drain tile to roof ventilation. You also need good subs, and need to time them correctly, not easy if they are in short supply. My county inspectors did a nice job, pointing out minor issues, and praising out areas where work was done well. I'm not sure how your financing will go, as mentioned, banks might want someone other than the owner as the builder (as they release funds).

All it takes is one sub to not do their job, or not show up on time, and it causes a cascade of delays and problems.

In my case, it was the plumber, wouldn't start until stairs were in the house, even though everyone else was fine going up and down ladders.

My construction loan went from a 12-month, to 18-month, and eventually a 24-month loan. Delays cost me a lot of money. I had to hire an electrician crew to help me finish pulling wire because I had to get insulation in, which originally had planned to do myself, but luckily the insulation (fiberglass) install was low cost compared to everything else. However, the guy doing the spray foam insulation took his damn time, and that caused delays in itself.

24-months sounds excessive, but part of that was a 6-month gap between getting the foundation done and the start of framing because we get a huge amount of snow, and I would have been pissing money away trying to build in severe winter conditions.

One big problem we have here with "almost all" contractors and subs are they don't show up on time, or days at a time, even though you have it scheduled, and they don't call you to tell you they're not coming (and they don't return your calls or messages) so you're sitting there waiting on them. And I won't even go into the piss poor excuses I hear from them. I just shake my head and say to myself, how can you run a business like that?

At one time I contemplated GCing my home build. Even with all the issues I had, I'm glad I didn't.....it might have put me in the grave.
My brother in law builds nice custom homes in the northern part of our state and gave me some sage advice when I was thinking about GCing everything myself.

1. Can you do GC it yourself? Yes. Should you do it? Probably not....mainly because it will totally consume your life and you have a full-time day job....not a good combination. Construction requires constant supervision and direction/input.

2. You may find it difficult to GC your own home because often time subs see you as a "one and done" customer. Builders can typically control or strong arm subs better because they have xx number of houses coming up and it is more enticing for a sub to frame or rough in 10 houses for a builder than 1 house for a homeowner that he likely will never get any repeat business from. For example, if a guy isn't working like he should, you can always dangle the carrot of "hey bud, if you want a shot on these next 8 houses, I'm gonna need you get on the ball". Someone GCing their own home just doesn't have that kind of leverage. If a sub is slow and out of work.....there is usually a reason.

3. You might not be able to purchase materials as cheaply as a licensed contractor/builder can. That can be a huge factor with the current raw material market.

4. Some states or municipalities will not allow "un-licensed" people to build their own homes. That's not a problem where I live, but I'm sure it is in many other places. Some lending agencies (if you need a construction loan) have the same policy.

5. If you don't perform some/most of the work yourself, at best you'll save 15% on the cost (at least in my neck of the woods). My wife and I decided that 15% was worth my sanity. It is a challenging endeavor regardless of which way you go.....it will stress you in many different ways.

Again, I think it would be fun/educational to GC my own home, but it would have to be a totally different set of life circumstances for me.
I've told friends and family that building a home would be a breeze if cost and schedule was of no consequence. If you like to do things yourself and have plenty of time, I can imagine it would be very rewarding to build your own home.

Nailbender said:

If anyone struck a nerve, I think it was me.

Sounds like great "planning". If I keep responding to you, will you keep proving that you feel above residential and think you know it all? Your advice for the OP is decent, I just can't figure out why you condescend rather than follow it.

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You are correct and I do apologize.
I was being a dick and was trying to be hyperbolic for Bear Pit entertainment purposes. In fairness, not everyone who worked on my home was bad, but the bad ones sure made an impression on me.

My nerves are still rather raw from the whole homebuilding process. It was not a rewarding experience, although my wife and I did set forth with the intention for it to be rewarding. I made a lot of mistakes even with all of the planning and thought we tried to put into absolutely every facet.....still things fell through the cracks. One of my major mistakes was being too trusting and lenient at the front of the build. I paid for that mistake for sure.

Every time I meet someone planning to build, I always try to give them tidbits to help them avoid the freaking mess I have lived for over 20 months (up to this point). I just wish the majority of the subs that worked on my house (again, not all of them were bad) would honor their word, treat everything as if it were their own, and endeavor to get things right the first time. The constant trips back to fix things that weren't right became tiring and, I'm sure, cost them a pile of money. It didn't really have to be so hard. Couple all of that to a builder who was....shall we say.....less than full of integrity, and I ended up with a witches brew of dung to sift through.


I need a drink. Ha Ha Ha.