Home Improvement Contractor - Licensed Contractors - How difficult is it to be your own general contractor when building a new house?

How difficult is it to be your own general contractor when building a new house?

I have the time and moderate building skills. Also, we will use an architect for the plans. House will be around 2400 square feet or so, built on pilings. We already own the lot.

Public Comments

If you have never done it before, it will be VERY difficult. The contractors will all take advantage of you, or try to, and will expect things doen in a certain order ,etc, etc. If you have done it before go for it, if not, hire one that will let be heavily involved.
it is probably a lot of work cuz ur doing it all b urself but at da same time u will b saving a lot of money!!!
I am just finishing building my first home. I did much of the work myself but subcontracted foundation, roof, some plumbing, some framing, carpet, tile, stucco, and glass. I have 30 years construction experience including 4 years in the trades and an MS in Const. Eng. and MGMT, and I had a tough time managing subs. They have problems and they love to make them yours so you have to come up with solutions. Some want to be paid before the work is done, don't ever do this. Offer to pay for delivered material and work completed only and never pay ahead. Sometimes when legitimate problems arise, they want a technical solution and a change order to cover their increased cost. Will you know how to fix problems and how much to pay?
If you are not their all the time , things will get done on the cheap .Get all changes in writing with a set price .Changes will cost you a fortune. Stick to your budget. Check every thing they do and know your local building codes. Check out the builder and don't always go with the lowest bid,you get what you pay for. You will need above average skills in all trades.Co-ordination is the key any time one trade is waiting for another one it costs you money.
I built my 1800 sq. ft. home 8 years ago. I used NO outside labor, except for carpeting. I have been "hands on" building for 40+ years. This was a breeze. The county inspector told me it was very unusual to see homeowners ( my wife and myself ) do a complete and professional job. I think I know why. Most people who "build their own homes" don't really do that at all. They sub out all the work, and herein lies the problem. You have no leverage to get a contractor to do anything he doesn't won't to do. This includes, doing a good job a lot of times. They do not really care about the one time jobs. Most have builders they work for and will leave you hanging in a heartbeat. What I am saying here is building the house is easy, getting any cooperation can be impossible. You knowing "how" to do something, doesn't help you at all if you hire it out. They only resent the fact that you claim to know their trade. The one thing you must do if you want to survive is to have a good plan of action ( this is not the same as a house plan). Get your act together BEFORE you call ANYONE! Don't change mid-stream, un less it's for good reason, and expect to pay for every change you come up with. Most people I know in this situation regret ever trying to be their own builder. This sounds bad, because it is VERY trying to deal with. Good luck!
We run a construction company here in NJ, we sub out some things to guys that we trust but it took us years to find honest reliable subs that knew what they were doing, dealing with guys that are unsure of what they are doing beacuse you do not know how to lead or just don't know what they are doing. A good contractor, will have guys he trusts things will go much better, if it costs you antoher 10 to 15% so be it, it will be done, it can cost a lot more than that if you get dead beat guys in there who screw everything up on you, all it takes is for the foundation to be out a couple inches and it will ruin everything down the line.
I will tell you what I learned the hard way and what I wish someone had told me: YES. IT IS DIFFICULT. PAINFULLY DIFFICULT. Now, if by "time" you mean that you're 100% available 7am-7pm, 6 days a week, than maybe. Not mostly available, not sort of available, 100% "get a call one minute and out the door the next" available. (I'm not exaggerating.) Plus, unless you're aware of all local building codes and permit requirements, you're moderate building skills won't be enough. Extremely valuable, yes. Enough? Afraid not. The key thing to figure is that general contractors have built reputations with subcontractors, which means that they know who to work with and who to stay away from AND they get the best prices. They also have access to supply yards that "regular folks" don't. Now, unless you cannot afford a general contractor, than you're it. In which case, here's what I learned: 1. Check for licenses and insurance. Make sure all their employees are licensed. 2. Get at least three bids for each trade in writing. 3. Do NOT move on with anything without a written contract. 4. Don't pay anyone more than 1/3 up front, 1/3 halfway through, and 1/3 at completion. 5. Pull permits for everything. If someone doesn't want to pull a permit, then don't hire them. 6. Buy the "important" materials and fixtures yourself. Everyone will buy the cheapest stuff possible so if you want modern toggle switches as opposed to the regular kind, let them know or buy them yourself. 7. Don't assume people know their jobs... trust me on this. 8. If you have questions, ask. Always. 9. Have a clearly defined schedule and let all the subs know when you expect them to be done with their job. 10. Be aware that whatever answer they give to #9 will probably be a lie, so add another week to it. 11. When you inspect the worksite, which should be daily, ensure that everything is being done the way you want. (Always go at different, unannounced times so that they don't "plan" for your arrival.) And finally... 12. Coffee and donuts can do wonders for motivating a work crew. Still, I'll say it one more time, if it's at all possible, hire a GC. For the love of God and all that is DYI, hire a professional. P.S. www.angieslist.com. It's worth every penny. Especially if you decide to go ahead with being your GC. Lots of luck! (You'll need it.)
It'll be a nightmare. Especially for the subs.
It will be very difficult . Best thing is to find reliable general contractor to do it for you. 1 - You have one person to deal with - and your only work will be to write checks. 2 Its usually cheaper this way - the contractor will use some of his employees , and subcontractors working for him on regular basis will give him better prices 3 Acting as general contractor makes you liable for everything and everybody on the construction site and beyond - so you better have good liability and workmen's compensation insurance or risk loosing the house
Generally speaking this is a bad idea It is also a bad idea to be living in the house if it is a remodel...really really bad idea.... These sources are very helpful for stuff like this http://www.constructioncommando.com http://www.cslb.ca.gov In my experience I have never seen anyone be their own general as a homeowner and have it turn out well. You run into workers comp issues, your liable for everything, on and on and on. You should always pay on progress payments, have contracts , hire only licensed bonded and INSURED contractors!!! General liability insurance is usually not a requirement make sure they have it and that they name you as additional insured. You will also probably want a wrap policy to cover the property but this may not be necessary. Good subs can be found at http://www.angieslist.com Check the ratings for contractors and check license information at your states board...