How realistic is building your home singlehandedly in 2021? Any one ever accomplish this on their own?
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first thing is to define "singlehandedly" - I do most of my work by myself, however, every once in a while, I find it necessary to get at least another set of hands, if not several extra sets on hands - things that come to mind quickly - pulling wire from the basement to an upper floor, gluing/positioning 3 or 4 inch pvc drain lines between floors or running the length of the house, window installs, installing sheets of drywall/blueboard, plywood to the roof or siding
having said that, you can get a lot done working alone if you plan it right and think it out.
good luck
My dad did this in 1954. (he was not a builder)
banks were not keen to loan him money for materials, but he found a family friend who was a builder, and with him involved, they ok'd the deal. He was able to get discounts on the materials, and stopped by to keep the novice on the right track.
he did not have U tube, but had a full set of 20 or so builder encyclopedias. He purchased a set of plans.
Today, some places require a licensed individual to do certain work. But it is not out of the question to study up and get licensed only to do your own work. Always good to understand and engage with local building inspectors.
My dad replaced the original furnace, and the inspector told him he had the wrong kind of wire. None of the local lumber yards or hardware stores had any idea what the problem was. My dad worked as a letter carrier, (so knew were everyone lived). He happened by the inspector's house as he came home for lunch, and asked him about the wire. The inspector went to his shed and pulled out the right wire and gave it to my dad. He refused any payment for the wire.
There is a lot to be said for hiring experienced folks for certain work that has technical, equipment, or learning curve challenges.
Building codes are developed for good reasons, so it is important to learn and comply with them.
For most folks, it is a better idea to find a career which you enjoy and learn to excel at, and engage professionals for building your house.
Part of the questions would be where the house is, how big it is, and what kind of skill and resources you have. Almost every part of building has steps which are easy to screw up, having impacts from being expensive to deadly. (sometimes right away, and sometimes in the distant future.)
In 2017 with hardly any construction experience, I set out to build my own log home. Completed construction, electrical, plumbing, and all finish work on my own. Best experience of my life. I have since become a licensed GC and now do it as a side business.
It's entirely realistic if you do it with cash and you realize that it will take you a year or more of steady constant work.
I did my own 20 years ago from the foundation up. I ended up paying for someone to finish out the siding (busy with other stuff inside the house) and also forked over for a drywall finisher. It took me two years while holding down a full time job. Failure is not an option once you start.
My father-in-law built his own house in the late 50's, with help from his father, who was a carpenter. They did the foundation, framing, plumbing, electric, siding, roofing, finishing, and made the kitchen cabinets.
My father-in-law encouraged me to build my own house, though I had very limited experience in any of the trades. His three sons all thought it was a bad idea, as he spent all his free time building the house, and subsequent additions. When he died 7 years ago at age 83, the interior was not finished!
Since I retired from engineering management with IBM, I've worked for a home renovation company, and now I take on home renovation/improvement projects on my own. I do the framing, plumbing, electric by myself. There are times when I have my wife helps out, usually with drywall installation, taping, mudding, and painting, as she is very skilled in those activities, and it's fun working together. When I need some muscle, my 24 year-old and 30 year-old sons are able to help for an hour or two, as they have their own full-time jobs...
If you have the skills and at least one faithful helper (more is better), it's doable, but it's a huge undertaking. I've heard about people living in an on-site trailer while building their own house, if that is allowed where you are.
As one responder stated, once you start, failure is not an option, and indicated that it was a two year process for him, even with hiring some subcontractors for siding and drywall. I think that is a great idea, to sub out some of the work, and serve as the GC, if you have strong relationships with some subcontractors.
Read Larry Haun's "The Very Efficient Carpenter" to learn about framing, and Taunton Press has a number of excellent books on building a house, such as "The Complete Visual Guide to Building a House", by John Carroll and Chuck Lockhart...
I have constructed my own home in the city center singlehandedly. Being working in the construction field, I have well knowledge about drawing, plumbing, electrical and related works. It was a amazing experience . I was overwhelmed with joy when my new house construction got completed within in a year.
A year and a half, nights and weekends while working as a Union carpenter. Plenty of help from talented friends, hired out the roof and drywall. Clearing enough of the lot for the house provided heat for about 7 yrs.
I've done it twice. It's a LOT of work. You will have no spare time for a year or more. Codes have become more and more complex, so make sure you have a sound understanding of them. I've been in the trades (Including 20 years as an editor at various building mags such as FHB) since 1979, and I learn new stuff all the time. Keep it small and simple, view the building department as a resource and not an adversary, ask lots of questions, and find good subs for stuff you probably shouldn't do yourself (HVAC, electrical, plumbing), and you can have a wonderfully satisfying experience. There's an article from an old FHB I'll try to find a link for.
This article is from 1983, but I think it's one of the best pieces FHB ever ran. https://archives.finehomebuilding.com/finehomebuilding/apr-may-1983-14/flipbook/36/
Wow. Good read.
This is one of the greatest essays I've ever read, thank you for sharing this, Andy.
It may have extra resonance as I sit in the living room of the house my wife and I are slowly restoring ourselves, where the missing crown molding and cased opening casing are staring at me while I'm on my computer.
It resonated enough with me nearly 40 years ago that I remembered it here. There's a spirit in that piece that seems rare today.
other questions
why do you want to build it yourself singlehandedly?
what's your level of expertise in building(framing/drywall/finish/painting) plumbing/electric/hvac?
I know I might annoy someone, however, how much money do you make working? if you make a decent living, it's usually more cost effective to pay someone to do some tasks so you can work, especially if you can make more working than what it costs to have someone else do the project. if the plan is doing it "after work", when do you sleep, eat, cook, have family time, etc
I'm not trying to discourage your thoughts and efforts, but as mentioned previously, it's a lot of work with the potential for various pitfalls that could be either life threatening or very costly.
good luck in your decision
A typical person might be clearing $20 and hour after taxes and it's hard to pay someone else $75 an hour or more for their labor.
I agree totally.
you're right about the labor costs, however, if the task takes you 4 or 5 hours, the $75 is cheaper if you could have been working,
Also, most of the trade/licensed guys I work with let me do the actual labor part then they come in for the "finish" work, so they're usually in & out quickly and I get a break on their cost, and they do a better job than me
just some thoughts
I am almost finished, no prior experience. Started about 12 months ago.
It is possible. Just put your head down and go! Also read lots, ask lots of questions and listen! Don't be afraid to pay for knowledgeable helpers from time to time.
I have been working on my own properties for about 20 years now. My prior experience was that I had a Dad who was a building inspector, and I grew up in a family that had been through the depression and had the mentality of do it yourself because that's what they could afford. So I watched and helped. Although I didn't build it from the ground up, I have been remodeling it and doubled the size of it through additions. There are few greater pleasures for me than walking through your own house, seeing your family using it, and knowing you did it yourself, and knowing that you spent the time on it to do it to the best of your abilities... watching it keep out the rain and snow, keep the family comfortable.
One thing is: if you have to learn everything, from the code, to the various ins and outs of all the different trades involved- it will take a LOONG time. You will have to most likely pull things apart that you did wrong, backtrack, etc. I don't know if it's cheaper... probably you would save more money driving an Uber and paying pros who are 5x faster than you. But it is rewarding. Do the research and talk to as many people as you can before you pull the trigger on various things. Plan it out as much as you can ahead of time, and show your plans to as many people as you can for their input. Keep it simple as possible, and overbuild where you can (generally the materials are cheap enough, not much more for a 2x10 than a 2x6, etc). I think it's a blast, but that's the only reason it's worth doing, for the love of it. Saving money is probably not a good reason to do it. And do pay attention to the safety stuff. That is something you want to fully understand and implement: electric, gas, getting the CO out from the heater, that you either really need to study to the point that you understand the code and WHY it is as it is, or get professional help.