Competent, reasonably priced mid-coast Maine Builder? (Camden: homes, construction, contractor)

[OpinionExperience]

Originally Posted by OutdoorLover

Thanks, Midcentury. I have been having issues with a second builder I contacted as well. Multiple times, he makes promises, then the day comes and goes and he doesn't deliver, and he also doesn't contact me to say "Hey, such and such came up that I didn't anticipate, so there'll be a little delay, but you'll have what I promised on Friday"... in fact, he ignores my emails so I am in the dark. Only if I catch him on the phone does he at least communicate, but then he makes new promises that he also doesn't keep and another deadline comes and goes in silence.

All of this is kind of scaring the poop out of me really. Although the bank will be lending the money, ultimately it will be me, not the builder, and not the bank, who will carry all the risk, and I am coming to understand that this could go very badly, and in the worst case, it could lead to financial ruin for me.

I am trying not to panic though, have ordered some books on the custom home construction process, and have contacted an engineering and surveying firm to see if they can be on my team to help provide guidance and project oversight. I am a research IT architect, so I am used to working with project managers, which is one of the principal roles a builder would play, and unfortunately I have seen a lot of people in that role in business who aren't good communicators, well organized, or possessing pride in the product they deliver - initially they're focused on winning the project, and then next they're focused on getting past it and getting paid, i.e., not all the stuff they tell you they are focused on, which is delivering exactly what's promised, on time, on budget and with high quality. I suppose people being people, homebuilding may be a similar world. The personal stakes will be much higher for me here though - if a project is in trouble at the office, even if it's a couple of million dollars, the company isn't truly at risk. If this homebuilding goes badly, even though it's only say $400K, my financial security would be imperiled.

I would suggest a subscription to Journal of Light Construction. It is a contractor based magazine filled with good construction practices and business management.

The building envelope and heating system should be top priority when building in a cold climate. Good material installed wrong doesn't make a good house. Its the details that count.

[Midcentury]

OL, Most builders in the midcoast are sole proprietors with little conventional business acumen (like giving a damn about returning phone calls). Sounds like you may need a more conventional construction company. Knickerbocker in Boothbay is excellent, but you will pay for their service. As far as I know, they will travel to Camden.

As to your financial worries, relax. A reasonable project in-town Camden will not imperil your mid to long-term financial situation. That isn't to say you couldn't overspend a bit, or hit a weak market when you eventually want to sell, but your investment will not go up in smoke (unless it is something that makes all of us go up in smoke!). I have made and lost money on real estate in the midcoast, and it has more to do with the market at a given time rather than the quality of the project or people involved.

Where projects get out of hand are mid-course changes. There is no such thing as a little change. Read that last sentence again. Building is an interconnected system, and switching things around has a cascading effect. That said, you will be standing in a half-finished structure and think of something to alter. If there have not been any changes so far, and this one seems important, plus you understand the cost aspect, go ahead. However, if one alteration turns into 3,4,5 or 6. Expect a much larger bill. In metro areas, builders have long figured out this point of conflict and whip out the change-order form right away. I have not seen that on the midcoast, and it can lead to hard feelings when the final bill hits.

Finally, Maine operates at a slower pace. It is both a charm and a curse. Don't let people run over you, but don't get "in a puckah" over minor delays or missed texts. It won't do you any good. A gentle, friendly, continual presence works better in most situations.

[tarragon]

Originally Posted by OutdoorLover

Can anyone recommend a builder who is up to date in construction techniques, pays attention to detail, takes pride in their work, but doesn't ask for your firstborn child to build a house? If so, please pass along a reference, PM-me is fine too.

I just got back a first draft on pricing from a builder in mid-coast Maine that I won't name, who wants to charge me $475K to build a 1280sq ft ranch with a small 2-car garage, and modest front and back porches. End cost of the house on the lot would be $600K. I think he's absolutely insane. I have seen a larger version of the same plan delivered in a great town in seacoast NH, using energy-star certified construction and fine materials, for $395K, so this guy wants 50% more for a smaller place than my reference builder here. I can't pay this much, and no one else would ever buy the house back from me for anywhere near what I paid for it.

There have to be decent builders up there who don't rip you off. If you know of one, please pass along their name to me!

Insane! I know what you are saying and I cannot figure out why they charge so much. I think it's cheaper to buy than build.

[OutdoorLover]

Thanks people, for sharing your thoughts, they are helpful. I am proceeding with the land purchase and am targeting a closing for mid-Feb on the lot. Then I will have two years until I am ready to build the house (child support rolling off at last). I can use that time to do research on construction features and materials, systems, and the builders themselves. It seems many builders have about a year's worth of work already scheduled, so I might want to get into someone's queue in less than two years.

Thanks too for pointing out the Journal Of Light Construction - looks very useful! One place I have been reading through already that has good info is the Green Building Advisor. They have good diagrams there - always helps me to understand better if I can have a clear mental image of how something works/is put together.

[OpinionExperience]

Glad that JLC helped. Their show JLC Live in Mass is very hands on.

Building Science Corp. is a more advanced source.

https://buildingscience.com/
https://ne.jlclive.com/en/home.html

[hotkarl]

Just curious, is it a pain in the ass to build in Maine?
Like as far as codes, permits, regulations, etc?
Generally speaking of course. I know things can vary by municipality.

Where I am it's a few grand and a bunch of nonsense and a spool of red tape before you can even lift a hammer.

[AustinB]

Originally Posted by hotkarl

Just curious, is it a pain in the ass to build in Maine?
Like as far as codes, permits, regulations, etc?
Generally speaking of course. I know things can vary by municipality.

Where I am it's a few grand and a bunch of nonsense and a spool of red tape before you can even lift a hammer.

Not much of that here. Some of the bigger communities and always in the shoreland zone, but that's mostly it.

[OpinionExperience]

Originally Posted by hotkarl

Just curious, is it a pain in the ass to build in Maine?
Like as far as codes, permits, regulations, etc?
Generally speaking of course. I know things can vary by municipality.

Where I am it's a few grand and a bunch of nonsense and a spool of red tape before you can even lift a hammer.

Compared to Jersey it was scary easy. One person inspect everything not a seperate code officer for each system, plumbing, HVAC, Fire, Framing etc.

Codes are the same all over just depends on the town if they adopt certain parts of them.

[hotkarl]

Im looking to GC my build.
I'll hire the builder for the frame and such, but ideally I'd like to do most of the system stuff myself like plumbing, electric, etc...

[OpinionExperience]

Originally Posted by OpinionExperience

Glad that JLC helped. Their show JLC Live in Mass is very hands on.

Building Science Corp. is a more advanced source.

https://buildingscience.com/
https://ne.jlclive.com/en/home.html

Correction;
JLC Live is in Providence Rhode Island
NESEA New England Sustainable Energy Association is in Mass.