Being my own GC in LI (contractors, inspection, professionals)
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Is it a crazy idea to serve as my own general contractor to build a house in Long Island (probably Port Washington)? The idea would be to buy an older "as is" type house as a tear down, and then hire subcontractors myself to save money. There are websites and books about this that I plan to look into, but what does the forum here think? Is that a crazy idea? I'm a relatively capable person but I don't have a lot of experience in this area so I would have to read quite a bit and risk some "learn as you go" activities. My biggest concern is that the subcontractors won't prioritize my work since I am a one-off, as opposed to a regular builder that they frequently get work from. Thoughts? Thanks so much in advance!
If you're going to do it, once you hire your first sub, they will have a treasure trove of referrals for you. Hopefully you will make the right decision on the first hire. Good contractors usually only refer others that are equally as competent.
Definitely do-able, and you will save a bundle of cash. With all the cash you are saving, it's a good idea to pay your architect to do onsite visits during the build. Whatever time frame you are thinking about, double it.
Someone mentioned you'll need a licensed GC to apply for the permit. There's guys out there who will do this for $$$. Usually, you would just pay extra to the first sub you hire to use their company name. If the Foundation guy can't help you with this, then try the carpenter (framer).
I did mine with a lot of googling. I doubt any single book can give you all the information you can get from researching on the internet.
/\ I was corrected by chrisk. You just need to have workers compensation insurance. When I did mine I had my good friend pull permits as he is a licensed and insured home improvement contractor. Any of the board contractors wanna chime in on the process and cost of getting WCI? ?
Is it a crazy idea to serve as my own general contractor to build a house in Long Island
It's foolish and anybody here telling you otherwise is a fool as well. The overall quality of your project will suffer and you'll be at the mercy of the contractors you hire. You'll not save a penny and will spend more then you budgeted for. They are not your "subs" so get that out of your head. Don't forget your permit will expire and if you're not following proper protocol with the dept and get on the wrong side of the building inspector things can get more difficult. Fines are one thing especially if neighbors start complaining about the job site and conditions that are affecting nearby homes.
A working experienced contractor is priceless and has close trade relationships that get things done in a timely manner. He will represent you with your best interest and ensure all details that you and most other people are unaware of are taken care of. HE will guide you through the entire process from foundation, wall finishing to your kitchen cabinets and you'll sleep at night knowing he's got your back.
Working contractor meaning he's on the job working with his crew and trade relationships. Always there to answer questions, discuss issues (problems) that arise and find solutions not to mention a multitude of responsibilities such as SUPERVISING his trade relationships to ensure all is going per spec and keeping you informed of everything and I mean everything on a day by day basis.
I'm not going to wish you good luck because luck will not get your house built properly with no issues but do wish you well.
It's doable if you know people. Your first obstacle would be getting a permit to begin work. Most towns won't issue a permit for major renovations without a licensed GC beforehand. Next you are going to realize that sub contractors are just regular contractors that are not going to give you the same price they would charge a GC. If everything goes smoothly you may be able to save a few bucks but, with no experience in the field it's going to be very difficult.
Mostly false info. Getting a building permit is not an "obstacle". It's a step in the process.
I'm not a licensed GC. I pulled my own permit(s). One needs a licensed plumber & electrician listed...that's all that's required.
Even a GC can be a sub-contractor if hired by another GC. Pricing info. is dubious.
"A few bucks"? I'm sure GC's would agree they don't make a better margin but I think "a few bucks" is just your way of being discouraging to the OP.
in theory you can save money but it's a huge risk. And do you work full time? If so, who's going to be on site taking delivery of materials, checking what the subs are doing, securing the site at the end of each day, meeting with inspectors, etc.? And then there's insurance concerns.
And then you're going to have to grease the local politicians for the sudden zoning problems that always come up. Then there's the kickbacks to the carpenters, and if you plan on using any cement in this building I'm sure the teamsters would like to have a little chat with ya, and that'll cost ya. Oh and don't forget a little something for the building inspectors. Then there's long term costs such as waste disposal. I don't know if you're familiar with who runs that business but I assure you it's not the boy scouts.
The first paragraph is a legitimate concern. I would not recommend anyone being their own GC for a *major* reno unless they're onsite at all times.
If you know what to look for and know good contractors you will probably get a better quality home. Our current home was a new build and its so sad to later realize how many corners were cut that didn't need to be. The few dollars the builder saved have already cost us in unnecessary repairs. The warranty is nearly useless. According to the builder the house was "built to code" but it seems that the code is very slack. I would avoid buying new construction in the future. Should we ever move, we would love to do exactly what you are thinking of doing, a custom build, where you can supervise all the construction to make sure its built to your quality standards. It's the ideal time to put in quality materials and reinforce the structure.
Unfortunately, this is a common occurrence and I don't imagine any tract-built house would be any different. I've inspected homes where the time and effort (and, sometimes, cost) of "cutting a corner" was greater than doing it the right way. Cutting corners seems most often done out of ignorance or indifference and not because of cost in time or money.
Our town plans examiner was very gracious about helping me proofread our construction drawings to make sure they exceeded the NYS Building Code. Our framing inspector was even more diligent in finding and pointing out where anything wasn't exceeding the code but could.
We estimate using steel I-beams, microlam headers (+2" above code), double thick support columns (placed closer together), increasing the specs on footers & underpinnings, etc. only increased the foundation + framing budget total by 6-8%.
I'm not sure what "quality materials", in regards to the construction (foundation & framing), might be referring to. We had several concrete samples taken for testing, to ensure it was according to our specifications (most at spec, the rest above spec), but other than that all wood materials are stamped by grade.
BTW, in town of hempstead you don't need a GC. You do need plans from an Arch and you need workers comp insurance.
I think you mean, the sub-contractors need to have workman's comp. An *employer* would need to have workman's comp to protect his *employees*. This has nothing to do with the homeowner hiring each trade himself.
It's foolish and anybody here telling you otherwise is a fool as well. The overall quality of your project will suffer and you'll be at the mercy of the contractors you hire. You'll not save a penny and will spend more then you budgeted for. They are not your "subs" so get that out of your head. Don't forget your permit will expire and if you're not following proper protocol with the dept and get on the wrong side of the building inspector things can get more difficult. Fines are one thing especially if neighbors start complaining about the job site and conditions that are affecting nearby homes.
A working experienced contractor is priceless and has close trade relationships that get things done in a timely manner. He will represent you with your best interest and ensure all details that you and most other people are unaware of are taken care of. HE will guide you through the entire process from foundation, wall finishing to your kitchen cabinets and you'll sleep at night knowing he's got your back.
Working contractor meaning he's on the job working with his crew and trade relationships. Always there to answer questions, discuss issues (problems) that arise and find solutions not to mention a multitude of responsibilities such as SUPERVISING his trade relationships to ensure all is going per spec and keeping you informed of everything and I mean everything on a day by day basis.
I'm not going to wish you good luck because luck will not get your house built properly with no issues but do wish you well.
Mostly false info. Getting a building permit is not an "obstacle". It's a step in the process.
I'm not a licensed GC. I pulled my own permit(s). One needs a licensed plumber & electrician listed...that's all that's required.
Even a GC can be a sub-contractor if hired by another GC. Pricing info. is dubious.
"A few bucks"? I'm sure GC's would agree they don't make a better margin but I think "a few bucks" is just your way of being discouraging to the OP.
You need workers compensation insurance in ToHemp to file for a permit. Chrisk corrected me and I looked it up and there it is. IMO it is not a good idea only because he has no experience or knowledge of construction.
Written by a homeowner with one or two projects under his belt and now thinks he knows everything?
LIHR obviously is a contractor and gives out excellent and responsible advice here. The OP would be wise to listen closely.
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