I am an engineer, and I’m thinking about becoming a builder – any tips?
(I had originally written a bit more, but I’ve been slammed for it so many times now that I decided that the above should suffice.)
Edited 9/17/2002 1:32:49 AM ET by Robert
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Edited 9/17/2002 1:32:49 AM ET by Robert
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What can you do?Why are you going into this with no experience ?Do you have $ to back yourself up ?If not can you get someone to back you up?Most backers want the guy there backing to have some tangible experience.I'm not trying to knock but the reality is if you want to do this because tou think it's "fun" and oh 'they make a lot of money'you need a reality check.In the last 4-5 years where I live in N.Y.,I can't tell you how many guys like youself tried to get in this bussiness for your same reasons.IF they make $ at it there lucky;usually they just give the guys that will do this type of work in;in good times and bad; a worse rap then we already got.From your post it sounds like you've done some reading on this ; IS it a good time to enter the market?This is not like buying stocks ;not only do guys lose $ but you could lose your mind.Build a good house on a good lot and a fair price and it will sell?You needed to spend$ on that book to learn that?Keep your day job.
Robert,
What a coincidence, I was just thinking I could be an engineer.It looks like fun and I could get a book or two to see how.And if I draw a nice picture with alot of numbers on it I bet I could make a lot of money....
What 're you on crack?
Vince Carbone
Vince,
That has got to be one of my alltime favorite responses!!!
Concise and to the point.
With a healthy dose of sarcasm.
I want to shake your hand!
Mr T
Read my tag line and know it!
Do not try this at home!
I am a trained professional!
Robert,
Fasten your seat belt pal. The ride you are about to go on will be the biggest emotional rush you have ever experienced. Have at it fellas.
DanT
Get thick skin, I mean divorce lawyer thick. May I suggest working on a few crews, to get a hammer in your hand. Also work with a builder, or gc to see what it's like to be on the cell phone all day. Seriously, you have to know how to handle subs, clients, inspectors, suppliers, etc... Don't just walk in blind. Learn as much "hands on" as you can beforehand.
Good luck
Can't I go 1 day without spilling my coffee?
Don't take all this stuff personal - There are a lot of threads here like this one, and they always ruffle some feathers.
I feel kind of like I'm in the same boat you are - I'm sort of in engineering, and would prefer to be a builder. But I just don't feel that I'm up to it - A man's gotta know his limitations.
Do you work for yourself now? If so, you might be able to build a spec house on the side, and run the job from your office. Get started small, and work into it slowly.
My thought would be to ease into it. Start doing some side jobs on nights and weekends. That will give you at least a partial "feel" for dealing with customers, unreasonable expectations on their part, etc.
Don't take lightly the guys who said things about having lots of cash on hand. You're bound to have a lot of up front expenses, and you'll ALWAYS be carrying some recievables. An you most likely won't make a profit immediately.
Seems to me that the most difficult things about being a contractor have nothing to do with building houses - The biggest problems are estimating, scheduling, bookkeeping, customer relations, labor, etc. Maybe some of the builders here can elaborate on that.
One of these days I'm going to werite a book called "Spec House Building for Fun and Profit". See my Spec House Thread for more info on why.
DW always laughs during sex - no matter what she's reading.
Robert,
Read Boss' story very carefully,and,when you're done......
Read it again.
jwwhat the heck was I thinking?
Boss- hate to interrupt the thread but what did you do with the dirt you had to pull out from outside the basement walls? Speaking of the 60 tons of backfill gravel you used when fixing the leaky basement on your spec house?Half of good living is staying out of bad situations.
Forget the primal scream, just Roar!
Trying to dig up some dirt on me ???.................(-:
Well, some of it I gave away. And I came over one day to find tracks where someone had helped themselves to a few truckloads without asking.
The rest I gave to an Uncle who was building a levy to keep flood waters from washing away one of his fields. He furnished some of the equipment, and I furnished a loader and a couple of trucks. Took us about 4 hours to haul it off.
We're good together. But I like it better when we're bad together.
First design build your own home and move into it selling the one you live in now. That should cover just about all the bases, then duplicate that same house,same plan a half a dozen times .
One thing about your post I forgot to cover -
" built a good house (floor plan), on a good lot (location), for a reasonable price (value) - and it will sell in any market."
Why exactly determines what a "good" house is, or a "good" location? What's a "reasonable" price?
Sounds like a bunch of BS to me. Somebody oughta smack that guy........
A lady is one who never shows her underwear unintentionally. [Lillian Day]
Wow This made my day... Robert no offense but you must understand that this is these guys trade, how they make their living feed their families. Just like it took years of schooling to be a engineer, it took these guys years of the school of hard knocks as well to learn their trade. Some of them may find it insulting to them. I mean If you walked into microsoft and said I build houses and know how to hook up switches and recepticles can I be a design engineer as after all I read computers for dummies so It should be easy right........ Darkworksite4: When the job is to small for everyone else, Its just about right for me"
Edited 9/12/2002 10:33:55 AM ET by Ron Teti
And, uh, how did you guys start building? I took the traditional route of working for other people, then starting a carpentry business, then saying, yeah, I can build that house. But one of the best builders I ever subbed for as a carpenter started out as a computer geek for an insurance company. He almost never swung a hammer. And some of the worst started out as tradesmen. So, my take is that if it's in your blood, you know it and you'll be good at it. Eventually.
Andy Engel, The Accidental Moderator
Edited 9/12/2002 11:36:30 AM ET by ANDYENGEL
I'm doing the "weekend warrior" thing, working as an engineer and building my house on the side, out-of-pocket. When this one's done, I plan to sell the house I'm in and use the money to start saving for the next house (converting the one I'm building now into garage/workshop/rec room space).
This kind of project has been a good learning experience for me...I don't think I'd be able to jump straight into a really large-scale house without some background like this. As indicated by others, estimating (especially of work durations) and dealing with subs have been the toughest skills to get a handle on, and the most frustrating responsibilities. I've been able to learn most of what I know from reading books, magazines, posts here, etc. I think any intelligent and interested person can pick up the fundamentals of building (and engineering for that matter) without too much trouble, but experience is the big decider on how quick jobs get done and how profitable they are. I've learned a lot just from my experience so far and really enjoy the work on a personal-fulfillment level, but I don't think I'd be able to cut it professionally.
I got my start in 1972 when I got kicked out of high school. When my father found out, he said "Now your'e going to work or move out" He, being an Electrical contractor, got me a job in the ditches working for a local "legendary" builder. Taring foundations, backfilling, chipping concrete, I didn't get a chance to touch a saw for quite a while. After a few years, I had learned a lot about every aspect of building a house(besides being a helper to my father when I was a kid) and I went on to work for other contractors (in the later years I was always stuck with the trim work because I didn't get bored and sloppy.), and finally for myself after 10 or12 years. I learned millwork and built pre-hungdoors,windows,etc... now I own a small cabinet shop and cater to local builders. So much for the life story, what it comes down to is that it takes a lot of time to learn to do it properly, and one of the many conclusions I have come to is that before an architect can get a lisence, they should spend the same amount of time they spent in school, working on site from the ditch up. I'm not knocking arch's, I just think it should be a law.
Robert,
First, I would read all that you can. Subscribe to JLC and FH. Buy, borrow, or check out books on all aspects of construction. I would start with books on foundations and masonry work, then to framing, then to the rough aspects of electrical, plumbing, and HVAC, etc. Follow the construction process and you should at least learn something (I'm assuming that you have a good ability to understand concepts and techniques if they're explained well in print... Some people could read it 20 times but they have to see and do it to understand. Hopefully your engineering experience will help you in this aspect and reduce the learning curve). No matter what course you chooses, you should know at least the basics of construction. Are you an avid DIY weekend warrior? That's a good way to get some experience. Or maybe you could work on the side for a builder.
I think the more important aspect is the business side. Many (if not most) start-ups like yourself fail because they have the technical knowledge but no business smarts. Take some classes on marketing, finance, and taxes. Talk to the real estate agents and do some market research. As your author stated, if you build a good house on a good lot for a good price it will sell. Who determines whether you have met those criteria? The customer! What do you know about your target market? If you can build what they want where they want it and for a price that they find reasonable (and assuming that there is a demand of this mixture) you will do well.
There is alot to know. Alot of risk. But, as you have pointed out, alot of satisfaction (if you can stay organized and not lost your shirt).
Good luck.
I think I want to be a movie star......yeah.....a movie star
Maybe I'll move to LA and be a movie star.....
Later guys I have to go pack my bags so I can be a movie star
Robert, I started out with the intention of easing into contracting and it has worked out well foe me. I now have a full compliment of tools, and the experience to apply them wisely and profitably; However, during my transition, my wife and I had a very difficult pregnancy and an extreamly premature child. The fact that I still had a very profitable "day" job kept us from drowning while we went through years of e.r. runs, icu stays, and general stress. I'm still working two jobs and splitting my work time 50/50 it keeps me sane and fed until we finally recover. Just plain good justification for working your way in slowly. By the way, a friend of mine was an automotive eng. who had very few tools and little experience. He quit when the quittin looked like the best option and just started contracting. He is making it but has a wife with a good job. so you may get lucky going cold turkey.
Thanks for the tips. Some of you guys are a little rough around the edges (especially in the NE), but I guess that's to be expected. No doubt building houses is harder than it looks.
I may have a backer. He's in the family. Maybe I could develop some land, sell lots to other builders, and build a house to use as a model - reproduce it 5 or 6 times. I might need hire a general contractor on the 1st one, so I could learn how it's done. I'm not planning on swinging a hammer much - mostly just looking for a way to make money in an honest and satisfying way.
Thanks again for all the tips.
Robert
(LA's liable to fall into the ocean any day now...not a good choice.)
Rob,
Good luck and stick around to let us know how its going.
dl
Hi Robert,
Dan T put it right when he wrote, "fasten your seatbelt". I have to assume he's had the same "emotional rush" that I've had many times. But I'm type-A and I get off on it. Others tell me I'm crazy.
I'm an engineer also and I thought "it'd be fun". Now I've built 2 homes. I have no idea what I'd do with my free time if I weren't building.
Now for the advice: Forget all those books called, "how to build a home". They're worthless. All they contain are the same chapter on how to frame a wall. You learn how to frame a wall by your carpenter freind who you pay to come over and help you. That's how you learn to frame a wall, but framing a wall is the TINIEST of your concerns. I could write a book called "what those other books never told you". The absolute best materials to read are old 'Journal of Light Construction' articles. (no offense Andy. Finehomebuilding has the best articles concerning architecture, like Sarahs column. No other architechtural rag I subscribe to comes close to the quality of Fine Homebuilding).
Friends. You gotta talk to that plumber you know at church or the concrete guy you met at your brother-in-laws barbeque. How else would I have realized that I can spray paint the whole house interior while the windows are still all covered after the drywallers. Or that I gotta have a 3-phase oulet hooked up and ready for the hardwood flooring machine. It all seems so obvious now, but there's a hundred little things you will not find in those books.
Oh, the books WILL show you how to do balloon framing, like, if your town hasn't updated it's fire code since 1922.
Darrell Hambley, PE
get out now while u still can... go to work for the city, county , state , 'er federal gomint.....send your wife out for a state yob...
ok.. just wanted to get that off my chest .. now i'll go back & read what the other 22 responses were......Mike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
the building skills all seem to come one by one.. the business skills are the hardest... especially the part about knowing how to get your price...........lucky for me i started in Heavy & Highway....estimating & pricing were always job #1...
it's a business... not a trade..... if you want a trade go to work for someone else... if you want a business, make up your mind to run it like a real one..
and , if you're married.. don't even think aobut it if you don't have support on the home front
but hey, whadda i no ?Mike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
it's a business... not a trade..... if you want a trade go to work for someone else... if you want a business, make up your mind to run it like a real one..
and , if you're married.. don't even think aobut it if you don't have support on the home front
but hey, whadda i no ?
Mike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build
To All,...
I think this guy could be my partner . I will reply after reading all of this.
Tim Mooney
So, D, who hipped you to the 3 phase power for the floor sander? Boy anybody's gonna be able to do this job if you keep giving the secrets away! <G>"It's okay, I can fix it!"
My 2 cents, what you don't know will hurt you .......I've learned that the hard way. Get your hands dirty and learn the building side. That's only part of the picture. Learn the business side ....estimating, contracts and legalese, building codes, bookeeping, people skills etc. It will increase your chances of success. Me ...... I'm not there yet but I'm working on it. Know your own weaknesses. And then there's Lady Luck. The people I consider to be really good make their own and hang in there year after year, good economy or bad, doing good work. It requires commitment. Good Luck
Robert,
Don't worry the guys around here will be a little rough on the edges (grin). Just flip the coin, and what advice would you give to a "kid" who wants to be an engineer? Maybe work on getting an Associates degree, working as a tech, going to school part time (good value when the employer picks up your schooling cost). Basically spend 10 years learning.
I do things a little different... I'm an electronics engineer and write checks to the folks who know what they are doing!
So to get some "hands on" experience... volunteer! Habitat for Humanity is a good way to see if you enjoy this work, while helping someone out and feeling good about doing something. I've learned a lot from the more experience folks out there, and also been able to help out young framing crews.
Tom W
P.S. There is an old car racing joke, but also applies to building spec homes: "how do you end with a small fortune in building spec homes? Start out with a large fortune... "
Edited 9/13/2002 11:25:39 AM ET by Tom
This probably could go off as its own thread but................
How much minimum 'hands on' experience do you guys/gals think that a gen. contractor should have, and how vast. Obviously, the more you have the better. But for a g.c. following Roberts route ( mostly admin., not the hands on) how much is enough to keep him from drowning too bad. I think a good g.c. has got to be incredibly good at trouble shooting ( the foundation was poured wrong... now what, the framers f*#$% the layout up....what to do, etc,).
Guess he could try and hire the best subs around, then pay them extra on top of that, in the hopes that the jobs go right. Id like to think that the subs that we do hire are the best around, but it seems sometimes like we have to babysit them ( more like the blind leading the blind at times).
-M2akita
Robert,
For fun read http://forums.prospero.com/tp-breaktime/messages?msg=20860.1
KK
What you need depends on what kind of builder you are going to be? If you are going to be doing a lot of the work yourself, you'd better have a lot of field experience. You can most easily get this by working for someone who has got it. If you are going to sub all the work, this is not so important. Instead you need to be well organized. If you are somewhere in between these extremes you need to be able to do it all. Most important, for anybody, is your ability to deal with a wide variety of people, to be able to negotiate, cajole, motivate as the situation demands. Can you talk comfortably to the guys setting the concrete forms and to a customer with a doctorate in economics and leave them feeling like you are a stand up guy? A contractor runs a small business and often is a small business. You will learn a lesson every day if you are humble enough to recognize your profound ignorance.
You are so right about the people part, if you can learn how to inspire your crews to do a good job at the same time convince your customer everything will be alright or if there is a problem you'll fix it over and over again to there satisfaction you stand a good chance of making it.I built my own home first while I was working 12 hr days and in my first year of marriage to my second wife.This was a true test for all and I was lucky I didn't lose her. There is no way to have a steady income at this profession . One of the best situations is for wife to make a good living and your income be a bonus. I started small fences and decks etc. and worked my way up to having a framing crew then couldn't seem to make a profit so I switched to doing punchout for several builders. This helped me learn a good overall concept of the industry and who were some of the best subs out there. The last two years I have been doing additions and remodeling along with the punchout work. The job I am doing right now is my first taste of general contracting . It is a 150000 worth of additions and remodeling I work for the home owner on a cost plus basis with a 10 percent bonus at the end of the job . I think this will be my last step before I get my general contractors licence. I would never build a spec home unless I was a multi millionaire one of my best friends is exactly this and after 5 years of taking a beating he'll never do another he is going strictly custom.
GOOD LUCK ANDYSZ2
Bob,
What you are likely going to find, as you go out there, is that no matter how much you know or think you know about building or design the customer will automatically know more than you. Nevermind the fact that Joe customer barely lifted a tool in their entire life and sits in an airconditioned office engorging themselves on snickers bars and cokes while you are out working in the heat trying to build something that you are sure proud of but Joe customer certainly has alot of questions about. Your crew is risking serious personal injury and wear and tear to support their families and be professionals at their work, meanwhile Susie customer has a problem with the whole affair. That is just half of the battle. You actually have to be nice to these people! Another little tidbit. Your subs are not going to wait around for you to decide how you want something done, you have to know what work needs to be done and in what order to keep them all happy and coming back. If I were you I would forget all of this unless you are willing to gain some real experience, what it takes to "make it". I know some engineers and from my point of view it is a good profession. Why not strive to be the best in engineering?
Good luck though, I really mean it.
The three biggest reasons a business fails is:
1) Underfinanced.
2) Not enough information or skills.
3) Quit before success was attained.
Edited 9/14/2002 12:56:03 AM ET by Larry
I haven't read the rest of the thread yet so this may have been covered already, sorry if I'm butting in guys.
Let's see if we can trade information.
I was thinking about going into engineering, you see. I know those guys make a lot of money and they have permanent jobs with benefits. It can't be all that hard. I've read a couple math books, including some far out stuff by Steven Hawking and Albert Einstein. R Buckminster Fuller was an engineer too, I think and he's really famous for applying engineering and thinking outside the box in construction circles. I got high scores in math so if he can do it, I can too. Right?
I was wanting to get out of building because my back has gone bad fom all the hard work and the housing market is starting to slow down, according to some figures. Everybody is putting money into housing since the stock markeet is down and the experts are warning that real estate could be the next Tulip Mania Bubble. An engineering job should give me a soft landing because I have a family to support and this construction gig has so many ups and downs. The medical insurance you guys have should help me with a large part of the families maintainance costs too.
What do you think is the best way for me to get started? I know a couple of guys who are engineers but I haven't talked to them yet. I wonder if they could use me in their office. Whadya think?
Thanks in advance for any help or advice you can give me.
Should I let the wife have the credit card yet or is there a special rate for engineers on a GE card?
Now excuse me a minute while I get my tongue out of my cheek, it's getting cramped. I'll whistle through it while I read the rest of the thread.
Well, I guess everybody else pretty well covered it, didn't they?
Here's what I have to add from a constructive standpoint.
I came up the hard way. The mistakes I made meant that I had to work extra hours to make up for them and learned from those mistakes that way. How will you make up for your mistakes? You will make them! If you are financing this deal with someone elses money and lose it, will you be able to look them in the eye? If you lose it all, can you stand to be the family pariah?
It sounds more like you plan to be a developer as much as a builder. You need to develope an airtight business plan. Then be prepared mentally to throw it out if the business climate changes. You need good communications skills to succeed. Right now, if you'll pardon my candor, you sound just a little bit naieve or maybe too flamboyant. Wise old hounds on building sites will spot you from miles away and either use you or avoid you unitl they know whether they can trust you to deal right with them. These same wise old dogs are the ones you need to become a success. Decide who you are before you introduce yourself to them and let them teach you.Excellence is its own reward!
experts are warning that real estate could be the next Tulip Mania Bubble
Pretty intuitive
david
That's what my tenth grade English teacher said.Excellence is its own reward!
1) Underfinanced.
2) Not enough information or skills.
3) Quit before success was attained.
A wise man once said, "Take what you get and leave the rest!"
Edited 9/17/2002 3:31:26 AM ET by Robert
Edited 9/17/2002 4:04:53 AM ET by Robert
I did some thinking on this.(OH No!)
Engineers and Architects have to pass a board exam to get a license.
How tough do you guys think the test would be if builders had a similar test.
I suspect that, if the exam was to be at all comprehensive and representative of what is really needed, the other boards would pale in comparison.
Truly, most of what you need to know to be a successful builder can only be learned from experience.
There are no formulas for building a house. Or making a house a fine home.
I have often thought about all the myriad facets of this work and how each one has it's own learning curve.
I have been doing this for twenty years. I have an engineerind degree.
But I dont presume to call myself a builder or an engineer.
I AM a finish carpenter, and I have worked hard to get here.
It is the only way I know
So seriously " Are you on crack??"
Mr TDo not try this at home!
I am a trained professional!
You came here , and you asked .
I think youve got your answers already. But just in case you havent made your decison ;
Be sure you read Bosses post . Be sure you do, because its one of the best sources of imformation to what you are asking.
You are evidently an educated man. Research all data . Pick a house to build , and built at your desk. Get all pricing. You will have to hire all the work done at this point , but hey , dont quit your day job. I know of no one pounding nails that makes what you probably do. Figgure out what your house is worth and deduct 20 percent . Thats for not getting into a situation of needing a bigger truck! After you are done with all this , your answer should be clear to an ecucated man.
Tim Mooney
I have been following your question with interest because it is something I am beginning to pursue a similar goal, so here is my take on becoming a builder/developer. Managing the building process of the average house is really not that difficult an undertaking no matter what the others on this board say. By average I do not mean average quality, but the average 3/4 bedroom 2.5 bath house.
I am basing this statement on the fact my father, who was also not a professional builder, and myself built two homes together for our family. One of which my mother lives in still and which would blow most professionally built homes away in the area of quality. I also recently built a home for my family which I sold a year later for a nice little profit.
I also say this because you seem to want to be the general contractordeveloper not the guy out there hammering the nail. Which would most definitely have a steep learning curve if you have never done that type of work.
In my opinion the difficult for a newbie is not actually building the house but managing the building process and the associated cost. You could easily build a great house and have nothing to show for your work because you have no experience in managing the cost associated with building a home. Because you are not a professional builder you have not developed the relationship many gc's have with the subs in their areas. Therefore when you go to build your first homes how do you know if they are screwing you on the price of their services. You definitely will not get the prices and attention their regular builders receive. Which in turn will add to your cost in time.
My advice is read as much as possible about what makes a quality home so your can talk intelligently to the guys who will actually be doing the work. Then why not build a home for yourself. Once you make the decision to begin start looking for around for quality subs and begin getting bids for your new home. Once you have all the prices and your ducks in a row you can begin looking for financing, the really tough part. Not many banks want to lend money to someone who has no experience building a house. It will be your job to convince them of your ability to see the project through.
Also, do not try to save money by buying a set of plans out of some catalog you find on the grocery store shelf. Yea, it is cheap in the short run but could cost greatly down the road when you have the house framed out and discover the design does not meat local code. An architect is really that much more money and they know what works in your area.
Also, depending upon were you live, this is the point you may have to develop a high level of patience as I did in my last home. It is now time to deal with the local building department. If you live in a rather rural area such as the one were I grew up, they will be used to people building their own homes and they will be fairly easy to deal with. However, if you live in a large or metropolitan be prepared. The building inspectors and everyone in the building department are already overworked and the last thing they want to see is another yahoo who has watched one to many episodes of "This Old House" wanting to build their own home. Trust me be nice no matter how trivial or annoying their requests. The last thing you want is to piss off one of these gentlemen who can truely make the process a trying event.
Once construction begins make it a point to be around the construction site while your subs are there. While there find something to do, clean up the construction site, perform small jobs within your ability. You don't want it to look like you are spying on them, you are there to develop a relationship and that will be easier if you are working alongside them and not watching every move they make. I have found most of the guys I worked with love talking about their jobs and homebuilding and will talk your ear off about it. So be a very good listener this is the best source of information you will get. These relationships will serve you well should you decide to pursue this career. Even though I have not built anything recently I talk to them from time to time and refer them to my friends for work.
When the home is done move in and evaluate your work, would you buy this home? How much did it actually cost you to build it and what is the actual market value?Could you sell it and make money if so how much? What is the final quality is your profit going to be eaten up in callbacks? Evaluate what you would do differently? Then decide if this is something you want to pursue. At the very worst you will probably end up in a new home with a sizeable chunk of equity built in.
Finally, if you are married make sure you have a very understanding wife. Because this is going to take up most of your time away from work. You also need to look at the licensing requirements were you live without verifiable building experience you may be unable to get a license so none of the above will matter.
"......would blow most professionally built homes away in the area of quality."
Not picking on anyone in particular here, but............
Perhaps you've heard the statement/joke that 99% of the people in the USA think they're above average drivers.
Seems to me that more or less the same thing is true of builders - They all think they build high quality homes. At least I've never heard one admit otherwise.
Bumpersticker: Honk if you see something fall off.
"Seems to me that more or less the same thing is true of builders - They all think they build high quality homes. At least I've never heard one admit otherwise."
Boss -- Head on over to Austin, TX. We have some builders that make boxes, and claim they are NOT HIGH quality... but cheap! I don't want any lawyers on me, but there is a builder who's price does NOT include toilets! Yes, bathroom toilets are an upgrade. You want a SHINY finish on that tub? Upgrade?
There is another builder that was well known for using the cheapest material possible. Once again, cheap homes... drive through a three year old subdivision and notice how many homes have bare wood exposed (who needs primer?), or siding that is falling off. No, sadly not kidding. A buddy had a problem with a shower head... couldn't find anything to replace the old one. It had some ODD threading on the pipe and shower head. Ended up making a brass adapter on the lathe for him... Builder since sold out, name remains but prices went up 20% (& 100% on the quality).
To really get a good idea if a home is "high quality" or not takes about 10 years. Amazing how some homes will look identical when built, yet after 10 years the truth is known based on repairs/maintenance. Best story was a couple of college kids who were "framing that house" they hired a local kid (8 years old) to tell them in the walls looked straight from below! Yes, my neighbors house. This was in the '93/94 boom around here. Bust in '85, boom in '94, hmm... feels like bust time again!
Tom W
I know you are not "picking on anyone in particular" but let me explain why I would make a statement such as that.
When we built my father decided to build a new home he began the process a year before building began. By the way he was a very anal retentive person as you will see. In that year each time he received his paycheck he would go to the local lumber yard where he was luckily friends with the owner. There he would cull through the lumber and select each piece of lumber take it home and store it inside. Through this process he hand selected every stick of lumber that went into that house, joists, studs, rafters.
Once he had everything to frame and dry in we began building 2400 sq ft ranch. Framed with 2x6 studs on 16" centers and completely sheathed in 5/8 plywood not OSB. The subfloor was a double layer of 3/4 tongue and grove plywood, glued and screwed to the joists not a squeak in twelve years. You can drive a tank across it. As said this house is 12 years old inside there has never been a single nail pop or seam crack in the drywall and the joints in the wood trim are still as tight as the day it was installed. In fact the only maintenance this house has ever required is a pump replaced for the hot water heating system.
My experience is based on the homes I have viewed in the Atlanta, GA area and within six months the owners, my friends, are calling the builder back to fix nail pops, gaps in trim. Worse in several homes the builders did not install adequate ventilation and their roofs are failing prematurely. So therefore I stand by may statement better than 90% of the homes out there. Of course I also, realize if a builder was as anal as my father he would never make a dime selling homes.
My 2 cents. Your current knowledge will be very useful in building. If you plan on being a hands on builder, time spent learning the trade is essential. If you plan on being more of a manager, skills in the trade are less important, but being able to recognize and head off problems, is important. Being a GC is alot about trouble shooting. Subs will come at you with many different questions that are not percievable on the plans. Being available, and able to provide guidance to them is also essential. I.e." theres something in the way, where should I run this pipe instead" . Having the persistence to drive the customers into making neccessary decisions on time is also important, as plans are'nt always perfectly complete. Changes will come up, and being able to incorporate them quickly can be critical to both project scheduling and budget. Being organized is something I work on improving every day. Being an engineer, you are most likely proficient at multi-tasking. This is important as you will have to be able to deal, not only with the project at hand, but the next several down the road also, at the same time. It is true that many of us fail, for various reasons, as have been pointed out. But some of us also succeed. Work hard, treat your employees, subs, and customers fairly. Educate your self, so you can tell if they are doing the same for you. This can be tough, but also very rewarding. The last couple of homes I built, were intended to be in the families for many generations, and were designed and built as such. It is moving to know that your work will be there to shelter your customers descendants, and for them to enjoy, even long after you are gone. Best of luck! You know where to go for both encouragement and criticism, as this is a great place to get both.
Brudoggie
PS. I was supposed to be an engineer, but ended up building. Funny, maybe there's some defective gene involved here, that we share:)
You can do this!!!!
Twelve years ago I retired at age 48 from the nuclear industry. I also was an engineer. Always loved houses and construction. Had a fair idea of how a house was constructed but did not have any real hands on experience. Volunteered with Habitat for Humanity for a year, spent 2-4 days a week learning how a house went together and sharpened my people skills.
Designed "my ideal home", built it with my wife. It is perfect for us, but not for everyone, or anyone with children. (clue #1)
Sat around for a few years getting older and fat. Went into business designing and building "special" small structures. I work alone, so big projects are out of my scope. Advertised the first year, after that it was all word of mouth and repeat business. The remainder of this year is fully scheduled and I have signed up the first project for next year. I take the winters off. (clue #2)
All but one of my clients have become personnel friends. We have dinners together, trust each other, and work well together. (clue #3)
If you want to get into this business pick your niche carefully. Nobody can go head to head with Wal-mart. Do not think that you can design and build a house more desirable than the others out there. Study your local market. Find out what is under served, and then provide quality construction and service. Start small. develop great, dependable, subs and treat them well. If you find a great concrete sub send him a case of his favorite at Christmas. I have yet to connect with one.
In summation. No house is ideal for more than one person, provide custom design services. If a client is left happy, they, and their friends future business will keep you busy. People are a lot more comfortable doing business with people they like, and have some experience with, than with a total stranger. Building contractors are thought of as not much above a used car salesman.
You can do this. Anyone who can master the calculus can master this business.