I am getting ready to design and build a new home in Colorado (Evergreen) and I am trying to think about what work I should do personally that will give me the best value for my time. My background is in facility design and project management of commercial construction. I have several family members that have had long time residential construction businesses and I have worked for them over the years during summer months while in highschool and college. Mostly carpentry and tile work, some electrical.
I have found a builder that I like that is more then willing to do as little or as much of the project as I want him to.
I just moved here from California so I was thinking that I am definitely going to let him run the show until we are at least out of the ground. I have no experience building anything on hillsides or with basement foundations etc….. At some point in time I am going to take over and GC the house myself. I am not sure at what stage though.
I have a friend who lives in the area who is a GC but specializes in kitchen/bath remodels so I have some good leads on subs that I can use.
I am not working right now so I have the time to put into the project and run with it full time.
Right now I am definitely going to be doing the radiant floor heating system. I already have a pro who is going to do all the design work and then I will do the install. This is going to be a HUGE money saver. I talked to a couple subs and what they are charging to do this is unbelievable. Only the highend custom homes are using it so it doesn’t surprise me. I am also going to do all the tile work and other finish flooring and all the finish carpentry and hanging all the cabinets. I am also thinking about doing the electrical. My friend said his electrical sub would be willing to spend a few hours looking over the job, giving design advice, answering questions etc…. For a very reasonable hourly fee after hours on weekends etc….
Now I don’t want to do everything because it would take too long, but what other projects do you link would be good to do from a dollar savings vs. time stand point?
Replies
When I left Colorado, the Workman's comp costs for roofers was running about 47% if memory serves.
I assume you will not be buying a policy on yourself si if you are capable of doing this extremely strenuous and dangerous job without falling off and crippling yourself...
Welcome to the
Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime.
where ...
Excellence is its own reward!
Its funny that you mention this.
I was over at a friends helping him clean out some gutters and as soon as I stepped up onto the roof my first thought was, "wow, this sure is steep"
I was thinking if it was any steeper I would have to break out one of my old climbing ropes :)
The other funny part was that the house was cut into such a steep hillside that on the uphill side of the house I swear I could of easily just jumped off the roof to the ground. Of course the other side of the house was wayyyyy up there :)
I am going to go with a metal roof so I won't be doing it myself.
I just went through this a few years ago. As a handy engineer, well read in building techniques, I have the skills to do nearly everything. But, of course, not the time. My house was 2900 square feet.
First, consider your cash flow. Unless you'll be paying cash for the whole thing, you'll begin a construction loan at the start of the project. When the house is completed to the satisfaction of the lender, and you have a certificate of occupancy, you'll convert the construction loan to a mortgage. Construction loan interest is not deductable on federal income taxes, so your effective interest rate is higher during construction. (Interest on the construction loan is instead capitalized as part of the cost basis for the home.) It will cost you money to drag the project out, so you should be reluctant to take on much that could delay the schedule. To get a certificate of occupancy you'll generally need all the life safety features (smoke detectors, railings, fire blocking, etc.) fully functional, some method to cook (but not necessarily a finished kitchen), running water in the kitchen, and at least one functional bath.
That suggests that it would be less risky to take on the later finishing items, such as laying ceramic tile, installing the second bathroom, installing kitchen cabinets, landscaping, etc. -- items that can happen after you've converted to a mortgage.
I did all my own wiring which saved me, according to the builder, about $2000. But, I couldn't keep up with his schedule. Once the house was framed, I couldn't rough it in without him having to take side jobs to keep busy. Someone taking his daughter through the house said there was over a half mile of wire. I thought about it and he was right, I was on my third 1000 foot roll of Romex. There's also wiring for smoke detector signalling, telephone, cable, data network, doorbells, intercom, and central vac. So, I got all the lights, switches, and outlets exactly where I wanted them, and it came out great, but I'm not sure it was worth all the work.
Another statistic: there was over 1000 feet of trim in the house. I'm glad I didn't try to fit and finish it all myself. It would have taken forever.
I did save money coordinating my own subs on parts of the job. For example, I knew a union mason who moonlighted, so I hired him on the side to do the stonework. It was much less than a full time contractor would have had to charge. You can hire your own flooring installation and avoid the GC's markup. I'd recommend letting a painting contractor come in and spray all the walls and ceilings white, and you can paint some rooms in color if you wish.
I did all the tile in the house. I could keep up with the contractor, and, being anally-retentive, I enjoyed fussing over the layout. There were lots of fancy borders and color patterns. Tile setting is expensive to hire out and good artisans are hard to find.
I also built all the kitchen cabinets, which I think saved quite a bit of money for the time it took to do.
You'll also be really busy making design decisions. Driving all over several states (including Canada for me) looking for just the right materials. It takes up nearly every weekend so there's not much time available to actually do work on the house. I also spent time procuring uncommon materials which the contractor did not want to take time to do, so I saved money there. I bought the fiber cement siding, stone, tile, timber framed porch, walkway brick, copper shingles, appliances, craftsman light fixtures, etc. I timed many of my purchases to coincide with the local hardware store's annual pajama party night, so I got 30% off the regular discount price on flooring and bathroom fixtures by wearing pajamas to the store.
So, I guess the general advice is to do what you like to do, and take time to make careful design choices, but don't take on too much that's on the critical path.
At some point in time I am going to take over and GC the house myself. I am not sure at what stage though. It would be best if you determined that point before starting work. Otherwise it is unfair to the professional contractor, because all he knows is that at some indeterminate time he's going to be fired. It would also be best if you could decide what work you will do yourself...like tile and interior paint, etc... for the same reason.
Whenever you are asked if you can do a job, tell'em "Certainly, I can!" Then get busy and find out how to do it. T. Roosevelt
Absolutely!
I wouldn't leave it open ended. Everything will be put into a contract before hand etc....