I got a great question from a reader and thought the answer would be beneficial to everyone. He asked:
I have a piece of property I would like to build a home on. Perhaps some of the subcontractors [you know] would be interested in building my house if they are needing work. I need everything; masonry,carpentry, HVAC, plumbing, concrete etc. Would you PLEASE provide me so trades people; names & numbers that I could get in touch with? Thanks. They may really need the jobs.
I love the question, and there ARE lots of trades people out there that need work right now. However, there are something to know and think about. Below is my reply:
Have you built your own home before? It's a MAJOR undertaking. There are two things I like to cover with those building homes themselves:
1. Unless you don't have a job (and can be on-site most all of every day), and you have lots of construction experience, what you really want is a good General Contractor (GC) or Construction Manager (CM) to oversee the project. They can be indispensable in making sure things are done right and you're not taken advantage of by individual vendors/subcontractors.
2. Unless you have existing relationships with vendors/sub-contractors, prepare to pay more. The beauty of hiring a good GC or CM is that they have existing relationships, and do volume work, with good vendors and subcontractors. So, they can usually get things done for less than you can. Of course, they have to be paid, so this usually means that you get good subcontractors and vendors, with the supervision of a GC/CM, without paying anything extra. You just pay about what you would have if you hired everyone individually (and generally did a lot more work yourself with less subcontractor supervision).
This is the advice I would give to clients, friends and family members. If you have experience as a construction manager, and lots of free time, then you might ask around for more subcontractors and manage the project yourself. Most individual vendors that I know specialize in repairs on existing homes. I don't know how many of them do full-blown new construction work, but I'm happy to give you some names and numbers for you to check. In closing, I would recommend most people seek the help of a good GC or CM to oversee the project. Call me for a few referrals and contact info. I know a few different builders/managers/contractors who are great resources. Thank you!
I hope that helps any of you considering building on your own land/managing your own construction. Let me know if I can be of any additional assistance.
Ryan Cave, The "Caveman"
Truth, Honor & Personal Integrity
214-789-9366
www.CaveRealty.com
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