Act as own GC or hire one?

17 years ago

After swearing we'd never do this again, here we are with another house that needs a lot of work. (Blame the Seattle real estate market.) My husband is a good DIYer, but he needs a break.

We have a large number of small-to-medium jobs that need to be done. For example, all the bathtubs and bathroom sinks need to be replaced (along with the tile, vanities, and flooring), everything in the kitchen needs replacing, we need a number of overhead lights installed in rooms that have none, all the windows, interior/exterior doors, and millwork need to be replaced, we need to build a small divider wall and replace a sliding glass door with a wall and window in the family room, and we need to swap a powder room and laundry room that are illogically laid out.

I have leads on a reliable plumber, electrician, and window company, so we could have those specialty jobs done and manage the work ourselves. But I'm beginning to wonder whether it's any cheaper to do that, since I suspect that the contractors dislike these small jobs and jack up their prices to homeowners compared to what they'd charge a GC. Plus we'll still have to hire a small-scale remodeling or handyman company to build the wall and take out the sliding-glass door, and I don't know any carpenters or tile installers.

I'm interviewing a remodeling firm next week. Should I ask them just to bid on the family room? Should I ask them to also bid on the windows, doors, and millwork, which are in other rooms? Should I have the bathrooms and kitchens done as a package by a remodeling firm, or just hire a plumber, cabinet installer, etc.? I'd be interested in your impressions and experience regarding the cost and convenience tradeoffs of trying to manage all the specialty contractors yourself or just hiring someone to do an entire room at once.

Comments (3)

jyyanks
17 years ago
I have a friend who did this and saved over $100,000. However, she is a stay at home mom with older kids so she had the time to manage multiple projects, her husband is in the business (building inspector or supervisor in nyc) and had a lot of contacts and her cousin was her carpenter. It took a very long time for the project to finish. GC's had quoted her renovation at $275K and she ended up spending around $150K but it took her 2 years. When I asked her if she thought this was something I should consider, her answer wasn't encouraging. Although she saved a lot of money, the stress that she went through made it barely worth it. She also said that the only reason it worked out for her on such a big job is b/c her husband is in the business and she had time to spare. So, its not for everyone. Ultimately, we ended up hiring a GC as it was the better option for us.
nherold
17 years ago
I work full time, have no kids, and am GCing my remodel. Like jyyanks mentioned, it's taking a long time. However, I think part of that lies in the fact that we are living in the house while the whole thing is ripped apart and we will be doing a lot of the work ourselves (demo, hardwood flooring, tiling, bathrooms, kitchen install).

We could not have afforded the remodel if we had to pay for a GC, but there were parts that we just had to farm out (roof, windows, framing, plumbing, electrical, drywall) so that we could work and have a somewhat enclosed house to use.

Since you've remodeled in the past, if you have the time and energy to devote to finding and managing subs I'd say do it. With a DIYer hubby you can always do the daily review of work and talk w/the subs about fixes, changes, etc.
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laplanter
17 years ago
I am finishing being GC on our house after Hurricane Katrina. It has saved us money but it has been rough on the nervous system. I don't work outside the home & have a firm agreement with DH that there can only be 1 boss on the job. He gives input but I deal with all the subs. One of the guys doing our work is a contractor too & he has opened a business where for a small percentage he "oversees" your job. He gives you names of subs & helps out with your questions but you get your own insurance & the savings is a lot. I think he still does most of the role of contractor but you get your own builder's insurance & that's why his cost to you is less.