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Being Your Own General Contractor - Anyone Done This? #8211034 03/22/21 09:14 PM
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We are looking at adding a room onto our house. We have begun the bid process , but quite frankly would like to shed a few bucks. Does it make sense to be your own contractor? We have never done this before, but do have several contacts who can help out. Not sure what kind of savings this could give us....

Re: Being Your Own General Contractor - Anyone Done This? [Re: Texican] #8211044 03/22/21 09:21 PM
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@FiremanJG will have good advice for you

Re: Being Your Own General Contractor - Anyone Done This? [Re: Texican] #8211051 03/22/21 09:22 PM
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I did it on the roof of my patio. Worked out fine for me. The contractor would not take any money until the job was one and done.


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Re: Being Your Own General Contractor - Anyone Done This? [Re: Texican] #8211056 03/22/21 09:23 PM
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we had a shop/apartment built. i was the gc/laborer/trashman/do what i could man. dont really know what i saved but figured about 25-35%. if ya dont know the procedure/process of building it mite be a mistake. we are not in the city limits either

Last edited by Poppa; 03/22/21 09:23 PM.
Re: Being Your Own General Contractor - Anyone Done This? [Re: Texican] #8211072 03/22/21 09:34 PM
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If you know how things need to be done and in what order, and get good subs that know how things need to be done you can save money. If things are as busy in your area as they are around here it will be hard to get good subcontractors, most like to avoid homeowners that are acting as the contractor.

Re: Being Your Own General Contractor - Anyone Done This? [Re: bill oxner] #8211079 03/22/21 09:39 PM
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Originally Posted by MRR
If you know how things need to be done and in what order, and get good subs that know how things need to be done you can save money. If things are as busy in your area as they are around here it will be hard to get good subcontractors, most like to avoid homeowners that are acting as the contractor.


This. Although it's mainly the busyness that gets them. Being your "own" GC is difficult- mainly in terms of timing everything right- and that is at the mercy of the subs.

Originally Posted by bill oxner
I did it on the roof of my patio. Worked out fine for me. The contractor would not take any money until the job was one and done.


That's not being a GC. That's getting a bid and having a single-phase job done.


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Re: Being Your Own General Contractor - Anyone Done This? [Re: Texican] #8211135 03/22/21 10:45 PM
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I see this all the time. Being a GC is easy. Why let them profit from something you can do yourself?

What do you do for a living? School teacher, pharmacist, truck driver or whatever else? I am sure your skills will match up well with whatever it takes to make sure the A/C works as expected, the slab is strong and the roof actually holds up over your heads. The very reason you are not wanting to afford what it takes to conventionally build the addition makes me queezey. Scares the dickens outa me.

If you can't afford it, back up and build up. If you wanna go build it by yourself, get your wife to learns the lyrics for Sofy Kitty and be prepared to do a job without insurance, be your own warranty and be at peace with outcome.

Re: Being Your Own General Contractor - Anyone Done This? [Re: Texican] #8211137 03/22/21 10:48 PM
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You can for sure do it on your own. One of the bigger values that a person like me offers is that I have already vetted my guys and know they do quality work. You're kind of rolling the dice when you do it yourself unless you know them. Plus my guys discount their pricing because I'm able to give them a ton of work. That means you're do it yourself pricing may be less, maybe not less, depending on your subs. I would probably be comparable, but you wouldn't have to worry about quality control if that makes sense.

And like others said you wouldn't have to worry about timing and order and all that jazz. It would just be done and would be done in a timely fashion

Last edited by jcarring99; 03/22/21 10:49 PM.

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Re: Being Your Own General Contractor - Anyone Done This? [Re: Texican] #8211142 03/22/21 10:51 PM
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Yeah, it can work for you. Give it a go..

Re: Being Your Own General Contractor - Anyone Done This? [Re: Texican] #8211155 03/22/21 10:59 PM
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Check with city hall building permits and inspections, they might have a guide that can lead you through the process of the permits, inspections etc.. I did it, not rocket science, just have to have all of the contractors on board and in the right order, and coordinated with the building inspectors. But I had a building inspector that lead me through each stage, the slab, the framing, the exterior, the electrical, etc..


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Re: Being Your Own General Contractor - Anyone Done This? [Re: Texican] #8211167 03/22/21 11:08 PM
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You paying cash or trying to use a bank loan; might have trouble with the latter - ask them.

Re: Being Your Own General Contractor - Anyone Done This? [Re: Texican] #8211171 03/22/21 11:10 PM
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If you're borrowing money, you can't be the "contractor" on paper. Have a friend be that on paper.

I had two out of three days available to be on site, and I was for 13 months. All day, every day I was off duty. If you can't give it that kind of time, don't try it.

Subs put you at a lower priority than their Builders that keep them busy all year. That can slow things down.

You had better know the order things need to happen, so that one trade doesn't screw the next one, or two trades later.
You need to have working knowledge of every trade. That way you can make corrections as they happen.

Lead times subs need for notification, and how long they will be there affect the flow of the build. Supply ordering, scheduling delivery, the ability to unload tractor trailers, the ability for tractor trailers to get in and out of the property are all things that must be addressed. It is every day, on the phone, and answering emails.


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Re: Being Your Own General Contractor - Anyone Done This? [Re: Texican] #8211180 03/22/21 11:15 PM
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And realize how loyal your subs will be when contemplating this one time job for you.

Re: Being Your Own General Contractor - Anyone Done This? [Re: Texican] #8211613 03/23/21 09:37 AM
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I never work for any contractors or home contractors, no way no how.

When someone mentions the term I am General Contractor then I bolt........

Re: Being Your Own General Contractor - Anyone Done This? [Re: Texican] #8211645 03/23/21 11:02 AM
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Many of the subs down here charge an excessive fee to people serving as their own GC. Saw this soon after the U-Build Something programs came out. The reasoning is these people are ill prepared for what needs to be done, cause delays and other things which add to the subs' costs so they charge higher.

This is not completely a blanket statement, but most should avoid this. The savings look easy and so do the tasks since you are to sub out all the labor. That's just not what happens. I remember the school teacher who was going to build their 3,000 SF house over the summer. It was actually finished the next summer. Right now dealing with a fine gentleman who is retired and very effective. He was gonna be able to move in in about 6- 8 months from starting. Started his place in November of 2019.

There's a remodeler down here who says, "You can build it yourself, but then you will have to live in it.". I get what he is saying.

Re: Being Your Own General Contractor - Anyone Done This? [Re: Texican] #8211646 03/23/21 11:02 AM
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I wouldn’t right now. Seeing way too many shady subs picking up where the good ones can’t and a lot of people put thousands of dollars. I am one of those people. Hired a builder for a shop, talked to and even went to see his prior builds. Signed a contract, paid the deposit and he ghosted.


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Re: Being Your Own General Contractor - Anyone Done This? [Re: BigPig] #8211664 03/23/21 11:28 AM
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Originally Posted by BigPig
Signed a contract, paid the deposit and he ghosted.


Rather common occurence

Re: Being Your Own General Contractor - Anyone Done This? [Re: Texican] #8211733 03/23/21 01:00 PM
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As many have said, good subs and knowing the jobs they need to complete and when is very important. Subs don’t like having to work around other subs. If you know how the job should be done and it’s pretty easy stuff like demo, floors, cabinets and paint, then I say give it a go.

You can find a decent crew in the parking lot of Home Depot or Lowe’s. But be there right when those stores open. Subs that are serious and really want to work will be there at that time. Walk up and start asking questions and most will have business cards.

I did just that when we were looking for some new flooring for our house. They did such a good job, we let them do the kitchen, and then paint. I was a very involved throughout the whole process. Ended up enjoying it so much I started my own business and kept the same crew for 6 years. Then they started getting sloppy, product started disappearing, and they didn’t show up when they were supposed to. The juice wasn’t worth the squeeze at that point.

Good luck!

Re: Being Your Own General Contractor - Anyone Done This? [Re: Texican] #8211769 03/23/21 01:35 PM
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I built for about thirty years. I never wanted to go big. The most homes I ever had going at once was three. I usually kept one, maybe two going. I signed off on the last one in January of last year.

I've also been a Realtor for over six years and decided last year to wait for a while to build another home. There is too much chaos with materials and subs right now. Good subs are busier than I can ever remember and materials are higher than ever and in some cases temporarily unavailable.

OP, what you want to do may have been possible at one time when things were slow. Even then, some won't work for "do it yourself" owners. One electrician told me do it yourself homeowners just require too much extra time.

Re: Being Your Own General Contractor - Anyone Done This? [Re: Texican] #8211907 03/23/21 02:54 PM
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If you have NO experience in the construction trades or have relationships with qualified subs then NO, do not attempt to do this yourself. You will get run over and it will cost you more money in the long run.


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Re: Being Your Own General Contractor - Anyone Done This? [Re: The Dude Abides] #8211929 03/23/21 03:09 PM
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A lot of good advice and some bad on here. It can be done but never as good as full GC can do. We have the buying power and the labor control. Especially at punch list time. One mistake on design or planning,scheduling can cost you what you think you would be saving not using a GC.

Pride can get in your way and cost you time and money. Many men think “Hell, I can do anything, can’t be that hard” only to get halfway into it and get overwhelmed. Can’t count the number of projects I have been called on that wanted me to finish what they started. Cost the a lot more than if I would have done it turnkey.

Your house is one of the most important things in your life, do you want to take on the risks that come with missing something that could cause serious issues in the future, warranty issues,(if you can even get the subs to give you a warranty) not to mention all the little things can can and will go wrong.? Builders risk insurance? General Liability Insurance? Do you have that? Probably not.

It can be done but like previously stated, you better have alot of experience in construction and trade/sub knowledge. Many people build one house and automatically think they know it all. And they don’t.

Good luck in whatever path you choose.


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Re: Being Your Own General Contractor - Anyone Done This? [Re: GUTIT] #8211986 03/23/21 04:19 PM
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Originally Posted by GUTIT
A lot of good advice and some bad on here. It can be done but never as good as full GC can do. We have the buying power and the labor control. Especially at punch list time. One mistake on design or planning,scheduling can cost you what you think you would be saving not using a GC.

Pride can get in your way and cost you time and money. Many men think “Hell, I can do anything, can’t be that hard” only to get halfway into it and get overwhelmed. Can’t count the number of projects I have been called on that wanted me to finish what they started. Cost the a lot more than if I would have done it turnkey.

Your house is one of the most important things in your life, do you want to take on the risks that come with missing something that could cause serious issues in the future, warranty issues,(if you can even get the subs to give you a warranty) not to mention all the little things can can and will go wrong.? Builders risk insurance? General Liability Insurance? Do you have that? Probably not.

It can be done but like previously stated, you better have alot of experience in construction and trade/sub knowledge. Many people build one house and automatically think they know it all. And they don’t.

Good luck in whatever path you choose.


This, and what Fireman said. I'm a Superintendent for a commercial construction company and I see this all the time. Heed their warnings, they are absolutely correct.

Re: Being Your Own General Contractor - Anyone Done This? [Re: Texican] #8212041 03/23/21 05:06 PM
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I have a buddy who was his onw GC for their house. Some of his family is in home construction and he had a year off of work to do it. He took more than a year, and after hearing what he spent on it, I am not convinced at all that he saved much if any money. He also didnt earn any money that year, but he can say he was incredibly involved in building his home.

We built a 1400 sq.ft. 3 bed 1 bath with a loft at the ranch. We did it ourselves except for the septic install and the electrical. It took a lot longer than we budgeted. If you do not have the time commitment i wouldnt do it.

We are currently having a house built and i wouldnt have it any other way. I do plan to build my shop, but that is much simpler than the home and it will be in my yard, i can work on it whenever i want.


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