I acted as the General Contractor for my new custom house build. It wasn't really by choice...
Our first builder came highly recommended. He only did a few projects a year, we liked him, and everything seemed great. But he dropped the ball so many times before we even had a foundation, so we ended the contract.
Our second builder was larger, more expensive, had a great reputation, and focused on green homes (which we were building). They were young, utilized technology (!), and were actually up to date on building science.
Then they started work on our house and they made major errors from the start, including pouring our foundation too thin and taking months to fix it. The bids they got on our behalf were astronomically high (often 50% higher than the bids from our first builder, which were only a few months old). They went bankrupt shortly after (not related to us).
Frustrated and at our wits ends, we decided to build it ourselves. Both builders demonstrated so little oversight and no attention to detail, I figured it had to be better under our care. It was also going to save us a lot of money.
It wasn't easy, it was a lot of work, and I will never understand how hard it is to get something done correctly. But we persevered and love our house.
We started this site to help other people through the process. Even if you hire a builder, you have to be your own advocate and act as your own inspector. I'm here to guide you through the nitty gritty details of things you probably wouldn't think about and no book at the library tells you (believe me, I read them all!).
Our backgrounds
You might be wondering if you can actually be the general contractor for your own custom home build like us. If I were you, I'd already second guessing my credentials... waiting for me to quietly disclose that I'm an architect or used to be in the trades, pretending like that doesn't make a difference... when you know it would!
That's not the case, at all. I have a degree in advertising - probably the most unrelated field. My husband is a computer programmer. Neither of us have a history of home building, and have limited remodel experience. In our previous homes, we had hired professionals to do 1 full bath remodel, a partial second bath remodel, install a new furnace, and replace a patio door, repaint the house exterior, and install solar panels.
Prior to building the house, I personally patched drywall, painted several rooms, replaced some can lights and a chandelier (not as scary as it seems!), and that's about it.
So how'd we do it?
First, we chose a few professional 'consultants' carefully. They were each invaluable and worth the cost.
Before we officially took on the project, we called our architect. We asked him if we could hire him for an as-needed basis, even though he was very busy. He agreed and we paid him hourly rates when we needed his help.
We had also hired a structural engineer during the design process. She actually saved us a lot of money by making the structure more efficient and use less materials. We hired her two more times: once for a structural integrity walkthrough after the foundation was poured and again after the framing was complete.
We also hired a construction lawyer out of necessity from the two previous builders. But she turned out to be invaluable during the build process when big problems arose. I would highly advise establishing a relationship with a construction lawyer before starting your build - they often take a small retainer and bill by the hour.
Next, we actually read the architectural plans and installation instructions for everything. You'd be amazed at how easy it is to spot problems when you read instructions for something like joist hangers, tyvek house wrapping, windows, etc.
What's coming
I want to educate you on the entire custom home building process and experience, including:
- Detailed experiences with our two different types of builders (and how to survive a builder bankruptcy)
- Hiring a builder (pro's and con's) & why I wouldn't hire one again
- Builder fee structures
- Title companies: why you should absolutely use one
- Permit process & tips
- Requesting bids from each trade & what to look for when making the hiring decision
- Our positive experience working directly with trades as a homeowner-GC
- How to submit draws (payments from the title company) + templates
- The order of each part of the build (foundation, framing, windows, drywall, electrical, etc)
- Timeline of each build process
- Details about each process of the build & what to look for on your own inspection
- "In the weeds" details, like vacuuming stud bays before insulation goes in, or why you should cover vents during the build process.
- Costs for various professionals (including architects, structural engineers, and construction lawyers)
- Case studies of my house & others, on what can go wrong and how to fix it
- Products we used & evaluated (from insulation to countertops)
- Insights as a female GC (general contractor) in this field
Lastly, we will share what we've learned along with links to resources written by experts in each field and interviews with tradespeople. That should save you a lot of time searching for the information yourself, which can be hard to do when you don't even know what terms you should be searching for (like a vented or unvented roof, or the best type of sealant to use on ducts).
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