Be our own General Contractor for our Modern House? Opinions?

Hi everybody,

We have a land in Los Angeles, steep (45 degree) hillside, construction + structural documents are done, approved by LA Building Dept. We have received a bid from a General Contractor reccomended by our Artchiect, but it's too high for our budget. The construction cost is $391 p/sqft for a 2007sqft house on a steep hillside. We have heard from friends who gave up and sold their properties, as the bid came up to $500p/sqft for a 500sqft hillside addition.

We have spent 20months working with the architects on this house, and years hoping and saving up to build our dream modern house (since it's too expensive and hard to buy a 1600sqft modern in LA for $1million). We do not want to give up that quickly.

We are currently trying to cut down costs, and as sad as it may be, seeing all the cabinetry, tiling, flooring, window wall system, changing to the cheapest method, we still don't think it will meet our budget.

Well Fargo Bank, reccomended that we hire a Project Manager, to manage the construction, and skip the General Contractor. This way, we pay for all the insurance and overhead that a GC would, and it will save us maybe $100k. I am guessing we would end up having to do alot of the GC work ourselves, besides handling our 50 to 60hr week jobs.

Do anyone of you reccomend us doing it? Our architect says that we need skilled subcontractors as building a modern house requires perfection (eg drywall etc), and he was the GC of his own house before, and as a professional, he would never be his own GC again.

In case you wonder, we did an estimate with this GC a year ago based on the design schematics, to make sure it meets our low budget. But a year has gone by, not much changes, but adding 2 structural steel, and the final bid came out to be 80% more.

What do any of you think? Otherwise we will have to sell the land and plans, and succumb to buy a cape cod, or a horribly design modern house.

Thanks for reading this ranting essay!

in no particular order; some completely non-professional advice from someone who plans to be my own GC (already in the design/bid process, but no ground broken yet)

-first, i'd check to see if there are any barriers (city/county/other) to being your own GC (here in Jax, we have to take a 40-question test).

-second, you could talk to people like "Buildmax," who charge a minimum $6500 fee to get you 100% financing on an owner-builder loan from Indymac bank (they may use other banks, but i don't think so). they are basically just a go-between for you and the bank.

-third, yeah, the architect might never do it again, but you have to remember that he is "a professional." not that you want a crappilly built house, but the standards and demands of an architect are more than likely a little higher than most homeowners. (you might want to take a second look at your design if everything requires "perfection"). also, he might not do it again, but how many houses do you plan to build?

-fourth, if you have a network of people who can give references for great (or good) subs, you'll be much much better off, and it will probably take a lot of the GC load off of your shoulders at the beginning (because you have a good idea of which subs you'll hire, without having to get too too many bids). but, you should always get more bids, of course.

-fifth, check out blogs on this site, like the one by sarasage (they've done a lot of the GC-type stuff for the sitework) and splatgirl.

-sixth, check out sites like www.ownerbuilder.com for advice and lots of how-to-GC stuff. i really love this site, and printed up every page of the free guide and use it often.

-seventh, i'm guessing you already know, but delays happen, and they are frustrating, and they happen, and i haven't even started building yet, and, oh yeah, delays happen too

Tough situation. I have to say that having dealt with both a GC and subcontractors directly in a recent project, and going through it again for minor remodels of a home we just purchased, I wouldn't wish the GC job on my worst enemy.

I also have a demanding job, and I just don't see how you can properly manage a project like this and also have a fulltime job.

It might be different if you already had a list of reliable subcontractors and tradespeople you could deal with. Half the problem seems to be finding reliable ones.

I find it hard to resist posting a response to a level adequate to answer such a question. However, it would only get me too worked up, and screw up my relaxing Sunday afternoon. So, having just GC'd a house with my wife while we both maintained our 50hr/week jobs, I offer these tid-bits.

1. My wife and I agree, we'd never do it again in the area we built (politics), totally custom, and building while trying to hold down jobs.

2. People warned us how hard the job was. We are both engineers, and felt we had a good chance to prove them wrong. Of course, we were wrong, and that was the hardest thing we've ever done in our lives by such orders of magnitude to anything else, it is simply impossible to describe....The difficulty in explaining our feelings is the equivalent of having a woman go through 20 hours of labor to deliver triplets without drugs, then try to explain to her friends over a glass of wine 1 year later how hard that was.

3. Building a modular seems easier (though Ive never done it)

4. It takes a person who has thick skin and a black heart. You must be willing to be firm, to fight with your planner, subs, neighbors, etc if neccesary. You must be willing to take abuse from every angle. Also, you need to be strong enough to not let stuff bother you.

5. In short - My wife and I acted as the GC. We too probably saved 100k or so by doing that. However, I imagine the bill for our shrink we will inevitably need to see for the next several years will eat up that savings.

Ok, those are the negative things. There are positive's, but Im still too jaded and damaged from the process to discuss those. I would read through all the posts, especially by Splatgirl. If at any point you think you can avoid the CFH (Contractor from Hell), then remind yourself that;

1. You are kidding yourself
2. Assume you will have 2x the amount of problems (to be safe)

Then, really give some thought if you can take it. We lucked out to have a couple build down the street at the same time. We were able to comfort and console one another; to share similar frustrations was quite theraputic. However, to see such a kind person break down in tears every other time you see them is heartbreaking. You shouldnt have so much anger associated with the place you want to be your home.

I hope I dont sound too negative. Im just trying to be realistic. Of course, many people do just what your saying with total success and much fewer problems.

Well, stepping off my soap box.

We contemplated doing the GC of our home but opted for hiring someone to do the job. I have just heard to many horror stories to take the chance. However, I do know some people that have never swung a hammer and were able to successfully GC their own home. Tough decision for you. Good luck in which ever route you choose.

Thanks you all so much for your comments. Yeah, from what our architect says about his experience, I can remember my experience being the GC for remodel of my old house, x 10 times the headache or something. So we're pretty hesitant on doing so. Though that might end up to be the only way we can afford to build this place. So maybe we will really have to tough it out.

Wells Fargo Bank gave me a name of a Project Manager, and I talked to him and got a contract of roles and responsilities between him and us (homeowners). But it just sounds too good to be true. I will research more with the Bank, and see if I can talk to their clients who've worked this way before, and listen to their experience. Shall let you guys know once I find out anything.

And mjfreestone, thanks for pouring your heart out and destroying your beautiful Sunday morning. Albeit the sticky situation, you all have a great sense of humor, and I'm glad to have this forum to discuss matters.

Most everything that's been stated here rings true for me. I've been playing GC since March of 04, and I think we're about two months away from being finished.
My blog gives a fairly good account of events, but doesn't come close to illustrating the big picture.
MJ's analogy is absolutely true.

Some thoughts:
As your own GC, you will make mistakes, and these mistakes may end up costing you more, or not. A pro will most certainly make mistakes too, simply because a custom/modern/challenging site is bound to present circumstances that have not been encountered before. So, in my mind, it boils down to who's best judgement do you want to use...you, the (hopefull well informed, educated)homeowner who has your dream home and best interests at heart, or a someone who's primary goal is to make money on your project? Keeping in mind, of course that it's your responsibility as GC to maintiain a list of expert resources you can to go for help.

Do you want to be insulated from problems in whatever way someone else sees fit and have them solving these for you accordingly, or do you want to be first hand, up close and have all the information and work on solving the problem yourself? Your best compromise solution is probably drastically different than a paid stranger's.
For me, it's a lot easier to live with mistakes that I've made than with those of others.

Which brings me to the idea that you absolutely MUST educate yourself about each and every step of the construction process. I've found this takes as much time as the actual activities of being GC, and is an ongoing process as things change throughout the build. In my case, I really enjoy this because I'm interested, but if you're not, it would be extremely tedious.

Being your own GC is very demanding. When you're not on site (which should be every day that work is going on) you'll be on the phone sourcing, organizing, problem-solving and scheduling. You'll lose sleep and gain gray hair. You'll cry. You'll want to kill your partner. You'll eat fast food every day and shop for groceries at the gas station and not have time to work-out, socialize, engage in hobbies, etc. I still believe it WILL be worth it, but the scales are teetering.

Frankly, I can't imagine doing all of this and working full-time, but I guess it depends on your tolerance for stress.

I would never choose to build a regular house as my own GC, because it's done so often by so many that they've got a decent handle on it, but if I was going to do something unique again (hopefully modern will be regular someday)I'd stil want to be the GC, just because there's not a recipe book for modern yet and the depth of experience just isn't there. Modernism is about innovation and best practice, two things that are constantly changing and facts that are, unfortunately, still at odds with the residential construction industry at large.

Please feel free to PM me if I can assist you in any way with getting a handle on what's involved.

Splatgirl - you crack me up. You also bring up good points, and I think I have a different opinion of them.

First, it is absolutely true that a owner builder will make mistakes. Also, a GC will make mistakes. For my wife and I, we know every single mistake, even if it is covered. Since we were so involved in all the details, walking by those minor mistakes every day drives us nuts. I would hope I wouldnt know about so many mistakes if GC had done the work - ignorance is BLISS!!!!

Second, my neighbor went the GC route. She also had a CFH, and probably endured more stress than my wife and I.

This brings me to the final point I would like to make. That is, I am really starting to believe in hiring a project manager...somebody that is independent, who can be a fiduciary to your cause. This will give you the insulation to the subs, but also makes sure that the person running the project has your best interest in mind. Many GCs cut so many corners and do shotty work to turn that much more profit. On top of that, they make 20% on everything, so they are always going to pitch the most expensive option. After watching the hell my neighbor has been through with her GC - I would try a PM on my next build.

Best of luck

MJ, Splatgirl,

Youz guyz make me want to crawl under a rock and cry.

I, too, have notions...arrrgh... mussst beeee strongggg... I WILL be my own GC. I may die in the process, but I'm taking some bastages down with me, damnit!!!!

ops::disgust:8)

OK. I'm in the early stages of what you guys went through and have no notions of grandeur or ego about the process. I just want... HAVE to learn for future reference.

I wish I had words of encouragement, but I don't. I can only thank the gods that metro Detroit (albeit $$$) is not $391PSF expensive. THAT is beyond ridiculous!


WHAT is the breakdown that causes such a massive price? I figure something like California means opportunity to use migrant workers. There are certain nationalities that have taken over certain trades around here and are OFTEN subcontracted by owner/builders AND full time builders. I would think IF you can find them, then that COULD be a savings.

Steel? How about engineered lumber instead, so a steel fabricator and erector does not get involved? A 45 degree slope cannot be cheap. I assume retaining walls and cranes to help build??? Dragging material up/down a slope? How about a SIP house? Most dealers are installers and you sub them to build the closed shell. SIPs are more $$ than stick to a point I would think. They erect faster than a custom stick. Maybe your huge cost is a lot of labor time? PREFAB stuff like SIPs and/or precast walls for foundation like Superior Walls mean quick erection and maybe lower labor?

Finishing stuff yourself? Drywall? You're in California! Skip the drywall ceilings and just use openweb truss joists that can be left visible for an industrial look? Use cement fiberboard for walls all over (and maybe even sheet metals) for interior and exterior walls. The interior stuff can be done by yourself! Drywall can be costly when you factor in the rough and finishing labor time. Hanging sheets of sheetmetal and CFB yourself IS doable and cheaper.

Flooring? Poured slab? Or how about forget the nice wood and go with different type... Medium Density Fiberboard? Sierra Pine is a company that makes Medite product line that is free of formaldehyde! Lay them down in 4x8 sheets screwed to subfloor or cut them in half for 4x4 tiles? Cannot get easier to DIY than that! How about VIROC cement particle board... with same tile and screw-down install? DIY again and easy!

IKEA furniture and cabinets?

None of my ideas are necessarily proven, but they are thoughts I have come up with myself over the years to do on my own home and over the years have noticed OTHERS using the same, too.

Hope it helps. I'll also pray for you tonight. Keep up the good fight!

MJ, Splatgirl,

IF I was a Vulcan, I would love to do a MindMeld with you and download all of what you learned GCing!

Well, I talked to Wells Fargo tosday, and he said that the Project Manager program is only allowed if construction costs that are over $650k (we're beyond that, that is simply cos we're in Los Angeles, too bad, eventhough it might end up being migrant workers doing the job, but the state of construction here is amazing, they are so high in demand that they can pick what job to do!).

Anyway, he said this is a new program for them, and is only 6mths old. He has closed only 2 loans this way... blah, blah... Nobody is even mid-way through their project for me to ask about their experiences. Also, he doesn't have a list of PMs handy, and has to ask around his co-workers. I think the program is what Indymac provides for owner builders. We end up as the GC.

We have thought it over the weekend, and read all your posts and Blogs, talked to our architect, made a few more calls to other GC (since we only got 1 bid). Basically speaking, we're $150k short. So, meanwhile we're cutting down on materials -- losing custom cabinets, custom doors, losing bamboo floors, lesser tiles, prefab bath, standard sized doors, etc. And hope this contractor can also re-bid some major items, and hopefully use average skilled workers, rather than the best people. If he can't meet our budget, we've decided to get more bids, but are aware that in LA it's going to be at least $300psqft, esp on a steep and narrow hillside.

Doing it with a PM, and GC ourselves, I doubt that'll happen. My work hour is too long (sometimes 100hr week), and losing our jobs is the last thing we want to do. And your comments are all correct -- I've never met anyone who've GC their own custom house smoothly. But who knows! Maybe we might get desperate later and would get into the GC job.

Thanks again. Shall keep you guys updated if we ever get to build this house!

Oh, and all the luck to anyone of you in the process of building!

UncleHo, Thanks for your input and suggestions. Our house is a 3 storey hillside, with the top level being the carport and rooftop terrace, so might be stuck with drywall ceiling, and bamboo is the cheapest hardwood I've found, but we're now changing to a better quality plywood sub-floor (and that's it, we'll add later down the years). Yes, we're now making all possible downgrades. Kinda hurts though, but if we strike lottery early in construction, maybe we can add some all back! Ha! :grin:

This is a sad state of affairs. I am a GC and passionate about the building industry, especially modern design. It is a shame that so many people have such negative ideas and stories regarding hiring a GC to build or remodel your pride and joy. I know that the almighty dollar is the number 1 decision making factor when considering being your own GC; however, consider the trade offs as discussed in the previous postings. I am a builder, a mechanic, a craftsman, and a businessman. I don't try to be an artist, mortgage broker, architect, etc., etc. or try to take on tasks that I am unqualified to perform. The list goes on. Hire someone who is qualified and who has weeded out the bad subcontractors and your quality of life will be minimally impacted during the construction process.

Does the entire home need to be completely finished to get 'move in' status?

Could you leave one floor open, with plans to add second bath/more rooms in the future?

Skip built in cabinets in kitchen and go for stainless steel tables until later?

Use super-cheap hollow core interior doors and upgrade later?

Skip closet doors? use 2 pine trim? finish the subfloor (sand the ply and seal?)

Basically, is there anything nonessential for final inspection that you can skip and add over the next several years?

kstender, are you located in Los Angeles?! If so, we like to talk to you! Well, as evil as GC normally sounds, I'm sure if you add up all the painful work required, they deserve to be paid what they're paid for. But on the other hand, I believe there are modernists who are too f---ing rich, and many (more) who are the status quo. And it's not cheap to build in this climate now, so the only person we can point to, and hope to do the work to save the money is the GC.

incubus, the Bank we get the construction loan from, needs to see the entire house is built according to the plans that we're approved for. We have a 1600sqft house. 2 bedroom, 2baths, and we're currently also having difficulty appraising it at the amount that we can afford. So losing 1 bedroom (maybe the mastersuite level) may be a great idea to save cost for now, but won't do good for our appraisal, in order to get sufficient funds from the Bank.

Yes, we are currently switching to the cheapest Home Depot doors now, and even lost a few custom doors that we can live without, lost closet doors, and even the closet itself! We are using subfloors for flooring now, prefab baths, and tons others that we can add years down the road.

We will have to have the new changes be re-bidded. And see have much money we've saved so far. Hopefully it'll be close to $100k, but still $50k short. It'll be a while before this house gets built.

Thanks again! Any idea is always a great idea!

There are as many different answers to this question as there are people who have undertaken this type of project. Although I also have a full-time job, I am technically the GC for my modern house construction project, but I have hired someone that considers himself to be a Building Consultant. I don't know how that differs from a Project Manager. To be honest, his role is largely undefined, as is mine. In general he:

-Recommends subs/trades that he has had good experiences with in the past.
-Provides some sense of costs.
-Negotiates with the trades.
-Supervises/schedules the work of the trades.
-Suggests contingency scenarios/materials along with cost/benefit analysis.
-Navigates the project through the regulatory/permitting process.
-Creates CAD drawings for last-minute, on-the-fly changes.
-Is an overall sounding board for (my) ideas.
-Tries to save money wherever possible.

My role is:

-To be the piggy bank.
-To track costs and budgeting.
-To choose all interior/exterior materials, finishes and systems.
-To provide design/structural ideas.
-To help tease out the solutions to problems.
-To be a sounding board to the BC's ideas.
-To contribute to the overall building strategy/timing.

So far the approvals are in and the basement plus first floor decking are in. Admittedly we are FAR from reaching the conclusion to this journey, but so far it hasn't been a particularly gut wrenching experience. Yes, there are always glitches and unexpected budget items. And you can pretty much count on the costs to be about 50% higher than what is expected. And even though neither of us have ever done modern building with such unconventional building methods, we have not made too many costly mistakes. Sure, there are things that I would do differently if I had the insight and wherewithall, but overall, t'ain't too bad.

Here are my own anecdotal observations about how to have a less stressful GC experience:

1. Don't work with a firm deadline. The house is going to take as long as it takes. And invariably this is longer than you could have ever imagined. So if you must leave your other home by a certain hard date, you have instantly upped the angst factor by orders of magnitude. Your current living situation should ideally be open-ended.

2. You must have wiggle room in the budget. A lot of wiggle room. There is always something unforeseen that needs to be addressed, or there is always something that turns out to be a lot more expensive than you originally anticipated. Don't put yourself in a situation where you need to go to the bank to beg for more money.

3. Always have a Plan B. Or even a Plan C. And be prepared to make compromises on the small stuff. In other words, pick your battles. If having a 9-foot window is going to cost five times as much to frame and install as a 7-foot window, perhaps it's a good idea to back off of the 9-foot window.

4. As much as I hate to admit it, using immigrant trades is invariably the way to get the most bang for the buck. I hate to paint with broad brushstrokes, but there appears to be a greater hunger and passion for projects among immigrant workers. And sometimes you may be able to benefit from the building methods used abroad. For example, my basement slab was formed and HAND-POLISHED by a Brazilian crew using a method commonly used in Brazil. The result is a beautiful (as slabs go), crack-free, smooth as silk floor that was done very quickly and very affordably. Similarly, the first floor deck was beautifully framed and finished within two days by the same crew.

5. Be patient. But do not hesitate to cut and run if the CFH or whatever else is halting your progress.


My building consultant is planning on building his own modern house after finishing mine- after having learned from this experience. Similarly, my parents are now interested in building modern houses on the building lots they own in south Florida. Of course, they want to see me go through the ringer first to see whether they still want to do it.

Im always impressed with the thoughtful posts on livemodern. Every participant really makes this a worthwhile assortment of threads.

Be patient. But do not hesitate to cut and run if the CFH or whatever else is halting your progress.

This is where the real pain can happen. I fired a sub doing a large part of my job due to poor performance. It seemed like the right thing to do until I landed myself in a plethora of legal actions to desiminate how much we owed him at the day we fired him. Dealing with poor performance is one thing. Paying lawyers 250.00/hr (junior) and 400.00/hr (senior) rapidly deteriorates one's mood. The nights I could not sleep more than an hour during this legal manuvering are truly uncountable.

kstender - I hear what your saying. I got a really good sub on my site - without him I truly feel my project would have failed. We paid him an OBSCENE amount of money, but every inspector that came on site knew him and congratulated us for having this guy on site. After that, we hired almost all of our subs off his contact list, and had no problems at all. Cheers to those GCs and builder who are not hacks. It is unfortunate there are so many bad GCs and subs out there, deteriorating image of the industry.

just a quick observation to muzeon:

if you are having to cut that much of the materials list and contractor price just to get under your top price point, you're most likely (definitely) going to run out of money during the building phase. like hejiranyc said,

2. You must have wiggle room in the budget. A lot of wiggle room. There is always something unforeseen that needs to be addressed, or there is always something that turns out to be a lot more expensive than you originally anticipated. Don't put yourself in a situation where you need to go to the bank to beg for more money.

it will cost more than you plan (maybe not 50% more, but more nonetheless), so if you don't have wiggle room, you can't afford it?

(maybe if you want modern, you need to move to Austin, like everyone else is doing these days)

ezekieltattoo, We are currently $100k to $150k short on a $1.13mil house (as of the original plans). A contingency amount has always been set aside, and included in the budget.

I am aware that if we hire a GC, they add at least 10% of the construction cost as a line item in the bid, to cover anything that can go wrong if it can't be absorbed by the subs. So on top of that amount, we have another set of contingency, in case anything wrong happens. All in, we're short on that above amount, and are currently working on cutting down on things that might not matter as much, or things we can add in later. Also looking into finding cheaper alternatives to build some things, like the window wall system is now changed into making use of store front systems, so we can avoid the complicated installation, the steel support, and the ever increasing price of Fleetwood Windows (heard they are in high demand).

True, in my own home remodelling experience, things always end up costing 1/3 to 50% of what I originally expected, let alone building a house.

The other thing that arises now, is that we only received bid from 1 GC, so there is a possiblity to get several more bids, but that means delay, and time = money. But we've already waited at least 20months now.

If you are orgazined, not easily ruffled, and have 2-5 free hours a day for the entire duration of your project- You can be your own GC. Take the time to read EVERYTHING at Barnes and Noble (or your local little book seller).
1-Things WILL go wrong. GUARANTEED. Be prepared to deal with these on a daily basis- wether the mason misread a 20' and built a 30'- or the bathtub shows up on site chipped and you have to deal with getting a replacement and getting the supplier to pick up the old one without charging you for two tubs.
2-It takes a HUGE time commitment. You have to be able to drop what you're doing at a moments notice to go explain to your framer what X means, to meet with the inspector who doesn't get Y, or figure out how to connect A to B because C is in the way.
3-Listen when your sub tells you something. If he isn't clear ask him to explain it until you do get it.

DON'T think that because you're good at what you do for a profession that YOU know more than the trades you bring in to work on your job. ASK as many questions as you can think before you make ANY conclusions. After 10+ years of swinging hammers, I still learn something new with EVERY job. I love when a client tells me I've been a CEO of a biotech company for 22 years and I know what I am talking about. I won't tell you how to bioengineer a cancer cure so don't try to tell me how to size a cripplejack.

There's so much bad written about contractors it's easy to fall into the trap of believing that their sole purpose is to run off with money and make your life hell. It's so silly that I usually don't waste my time defending us. There have been some great points laid out above and I'll only add this...

For every individuals horror story about their one contractor experience I can give you a horror story client. Contractors are amongst the hardest working people in ANY profession who would only do their work if they cared (YES there are exceptions!). We keep long hours, and put up with the CRAZIEST of people's most personal emotions and the most irrational behavior that most people/families reserve for behind closed doors. Your contractor is there to work with you- he is not your hired whipping post. Be reasonable and understand that some petty problem with your job is not the end of the world. It's not something he has done to you- it is something that has happened. Give him a chance to fix it before you unload your daily frustrations on a person who is trying to help you. If you bark at him don't be surprised if he spanks you back. Mutual respect is the name of the game.
Many people who undertake GCing realize quickly that there is a reason GCs make a good living. It's hard and sometimes thankless work. People complain about the %20 cut that a contractor takes. After overhead, taxes, licensing, insurance, workmans comp the industry average is %5-8 profit.

As a former Orange County resident I feel your pain on costs. I moved here (Myrtle Beach, SC) partly due to the crazy cost of living in SoCal.

I guess I would offer 2 thoughts to you: 1) Review your plans and finishes/materials/extras and make as many compromises as you can live with - then offer it out for bids as a turn key job to as many GC's as possible. Maybe you will find one who is looking to make a name for himself and will do you right. 2)Buy one of the many mid century modern houses in your area and do a restoration/update.

Its hard for me to get my head around the math. I bought a building lot 5 blocks from the ocean for $50K and will spend 150K tops on a new house. Its mind boggling that one cannot build in LA for a million-though I do believe you!

tominir,
we're also currently looking around to see what's available. The decent mid-century houses now are over $1mil easy. Although alot of listings are saying mid-century or modern, since realtors now finally realize those are in high demand, esp in Los Angeles. But many don't look anything close to it. We'll keep looking, in case this building thing fails, plus puts the cost of construction into perspective for us.

I am a Gc/designer/importer in portland oregon.I think that what you are trying to accomplish is totally feasible if you have some construction backround and some trustworthy subs.If you have no experience whatsoever then proceed with caution(particularly w/subs, as they have been known to prey on newbies)Get everything included in your contract even beofre you even think about starting.Make sure that you make all of your changes before you start(and sign contracts w/subs)I can't emphasize it enough.Change orders will slow your whole schedule(sometimes completely stop).They can create friction between both parties if there is any lack of explicit communication.Now that that has been said, it sounds like you have the will now just go and buy every applicable book(how to etc)and be prepared to absorb alot of info.Particularly pay attention to the chronilogical order of construction(for planning).I don't think it is neccasary to hire a P.M.If you are willing to dedicate 50-60 hrs/wk, you can do it.Good GC's earn their money, poor ones just cost you more and more and more.I you have any ?'s feel free to ask me.-Alex

Alex, Thanks for the tips!

hejiranyc,
May I know approx how many hours did you end up spending time on the project, during construction phase? Was the PM doing the scheduling, and at the job site most often? Or you guys just lucked out by finding reliable subs? Your answer is very much appreciated. Thanks!

muzeon,

Please keep in mind that I have just started on the construction phase after nearly a year of permitting and design work. As I type this, the first floor walls (precast concrete) are being craned into place. And, not to go off on a tangent, there was some drama at the job site today- the 85-ton crane broke down while the first wall section was being hoisted! I thought I would mention that, just to give you an example of how things can go wrong at the job site! Anyway... to be honest I have hardly spent any time at all at the site, which is approximately 100 miles from my home in the city. Virtually all of our communications are via e-mail, fax, cell phone, etc. Sure, there are times when we need to meet face-to-face to discuss structural issues or design-related concerns that we have. So I will occasionally take the day off from work and drive out for the day. We have become fixtures at the Princess Diner in Southampton due to our occasional lunch meetings.

My building consultant does most of the legwork- talking to the crane provider, the concrete wall people, the framers, the steel yard, the stone yard, etc. I also do some as well- calling the excavator, the surveyor, the solar contractor, etc. When I am out at the job site I also pay a visit to the lumber yard and the steel yard to pay up my debts. Fortunately my building consultant has hooked me up with a great young, eager (immigrant) crew who has done great work so far. They are trying to earn my trust so that I will award them the entire structure- concrete, framing, drywall, stonework, etc. And as bizarre as this sounds, they are willing to work on an ala carte basis, which means that I am not giving them the whole general contracting enchilada; rather, we are giving them discreet individual tasks to bid and work on. This makes for a more accurate estimate of the man hours needed to accomplish each task. But it also forces the crew to strive to earn the next chunk of work. And because of my building consultant's existing working relationship with this crew, we are basically working on the honors system. In other words, we do not have tortuously detailed written contracts or estimates for each task. We don't even necessarily agree on a fixed price either! Basically he verbally gives a ballpark number of hours that it will take to accomplish a certain task and he asks the leader of the crew to see if it is doable. After minimal haggling, the time is set. I buy the materials and the BC keeps tabs of the crew to make sure that the work is done properly and within the time allotted. I believe I have saved a good chunk of change so far, while at the same time paying a decent living wage for the labor (approx. $25-$30 per hour for each crew member). But most importantly they have done outstanding work with a can-do attitude. I guess you can say I lucked out in this regard.

By the way, I am paying my BC about 10% of the anticipated building costs. I will certainly go above this for a job well done and reasonably within budget. I can assure you that he is worth every last penny. I could not do this without him.

hejiranyc,
Wow, sounds like you really lucked out! Just wondering, how did you find your BC? Word of mouth? Cold calls?

muzeon,

I have to admit that I kind of Forrest Gumped my way into this. Unlike most rational, sane people, I took the construction plunge without any experience or doing hardly any research whatsoever. My initial assumption was that I would be doing something prefab/modular, and that the GC (whoever that would be) would take care of coordinating all of the site work. Also, this was way before I even remotely entertained the notion of building a modern house; I had initially assumed I was going to build a very Hampton-y house with reversed gables, cedar shingles and mouldings for days.ops:

I basically made one call to a modular home dealer in Southampton that I found listed in the Southampton Press. And that was pretty much it. I spoke with Ron the builder, who was working there at the time (he is now working independently). Instinctively I felt like I could trust him. But more importantly, he had a very positive, eager, can-do attitude, and he really gauged where I was coming from. In fact he was the one who initially encouraged me to do something modern ala Res4a. I never felt the need to contact anyone else. It really is true that you have to actually like the person you are working with on a personal level- it is like a relationship. Sure, we've had some terrible arguments, but in the end, you mend fences and you persevere. In hindsight I don't think I could do this with someone who seemed like he/she was doing me a favor.

Being a GC is incredibly stressful, and the only thing that can lessen that is real experience, a cadre of reliable high quality subs, and a thick skin--all things that take time to develop.
Sadly, too many folks jump in thinking they are going to save money, but end up spending the just as much in inefficiencies and fixing oversights. You need to be motivated by the excitment of construction, not thought of budget, in order to really make it worthwhile

On the other hand, I think many of those that build one project and thus understand what a GC does, have a greater respect and appreciation for the professional brings to the table. And are maybe more inclined to pay the GC his or her hard earned fee in exchange for a less stressful experience the next time.

I would like to make a comment regarding the a la carte method. In theory this works great, but towards the finishing stages, of course the most visable, you could find yourself in an awkward position. many contractors do not like cleaning up anothers mess, so to speak.

I would also be very careful w/ imigrant labor. This is a revolving labor pool and a person on your job today, may not be there tomorrow.
good tradespeople are booked months in advance. Getting on a schedule means planning months in advance, a contract, and cash. Oh and the moons need to align, or something like that...

Through our loan, we have a site supervisor. essentially a project manager. We use him when needed We came to terms at the start of the project, He let us know up front how much time he could devote to our project, came up with areas where we felt we would need a GC's help, and so far this relationship has worked out well. Depending on your experience in the construction industry, a full time PM would be a judgement call.

By the way, we have 30+ yards of concrete being delivered Monday at 7:00am, a concrete pump scheduled, and the flatwork contractor we thought was going to be different from the rest, failed to call by the end of the week as he said he would.
-Priceless