I would like to build a garage at my home this summer and would to do as much of the work as possible. My problem is i don’t have much experince building. I do have the desire basic knowledge and a good back. how should i go about finding someone with the knowledge to help me learn and still let me do the majority of the work. my request is two fold, i dont have alot of money, and i take great pride in being able to accomplish this project. having done smaller projects i feel nothing is better than looking back when your done and saying i built that.
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Go to you local small mom and pop lumberyard and see if you can find a retired carpenter looking for something to do. Most of them have a few that have been around for years. Or you can go HD and some pimple faced orange smocked girl can tell you everything you ever need to know about building anything up to and including the twin towers.
Hmm, you might have luck with the freelance design/build consultant types. Basically you hire them as consultants on an hourly fee or a flat rate for the job basis. Granted, overseeing a garage is pretty small scale for that line of work, but maybe you get lucky checking around and find the new guy who's interested in ANY work at the moment. You don't need him, you don't call. You get in a bind, he's there to talk you through it. Think I'd try small architectural firms were I looking for that. Most of these types can draw their own prints, but need a certified archy to stamp them.
" I have learned silence from the talkative, toleration from the intolerant, and kindness from the unkind; yet strange, I am ungrateful to those teachers." Kahlil Gibran
you might try running an ad in your local newspaper, looking for professionals to do sided jobs, or weekend work. I oftentimes find that there are several good journeymen types available for a reasonable fee, or barter. Do not look for general contractors, first start looking for concrete people that can help you with your footings and foundations, wood carpenters are very easy to find, you might have to spend a little money for advertisements, but you should be able to save a lot by using personnel looking for weekend work. Be careful to check backgrounds of the individuals that replied. I find that with a little persistent, the correct questions asked, in a small amount of cash (under the table) you can get almost any job done. Good luck, Mark