yes, yes, no, maybe, tbd.

It's always possible to PM your own jobs, effectively acting as your own general contractor.

You need few things to cooperate just to consider it.

1. you're construction lender if you have one. Most will not as the use of a GC is to also protect them. cash is best.

2. Building dept. many DIYers want to move in prior to completion. more and more that is not allowed (cert of occupancy) & can result in fines, red tags, and worse.

It used to be the DIY's I watched took about 2 years. More recently as homes get more complex I'm seen them take about 3 years for DIY's.

The best trade contractors expect you to be organized, knowledgable and available on fairly short notice as well as regular site visits during working hours. They expect to get paid according to their proposals, even if your bank draw is delayed a month because you aren't ready.

Otherwise if you have a lot of time on your hands and you are a cash client building a home can be a wonderful and rewarding experience.

Coincidentally, I've been building and renovating in TO since PET was PM.

I started off with small renos and moved to new builds later.

With no experience in the field, the trades will eat you alive. No matter how many advanced degrees you have. Or how organized you are.

Just the fact that you're building one modest house now will be a challenge. No repeat business will be coming their way. You can sign all the agreements you want. But if a more promising client comes comes along, goodbye to you. For example, I agreed with a framing contractor for a new 4,400 sf build. But two weeks before excavation, he called, said "sorry." My dinky build, or a 30,000 sf Bridle Path mansion??

However, if you take this on as a full-time, cash only build--no bank will finance with you as the builder--you will have an interesting, expensive, exhausting, learning experience. Enjoy!

{Just noticed I'm echoing the above post!}

Will there be contractors that mess things up and don't do things properly for the next trade to come in?

Yes, even with pro's. You have to have reliable subs ... that will not screw it up. Or at least minor screw ups.

Will there be things that are being done wrong and I won't even know?

Yes, if you are asking this question.

Once you have all blueprints are things relatively straight forward for each trade if they follow plan properly?

Depends on the blueprint. Some little chance, some with complicated roofs ... 100%

Will trades or contractors not take me seriously and take advantage?

Yes. You have to look like a builder, talk like a builder, papers to make you look like a builder. Know what builder will pay.

Am I crazy to consider this?

YES.

I am working on the build myself, so may < ... > artists. This * gives me an estimate for a standing seam $400/sq metal roof and calls about dozen companies, some of them know me - so I get about 5 calls back.

As a past Executive Director of the Project Management Institute (PMI): No. Don't even consider it unless you have successful prior experience in the construction of custom single family homes. You'll thank me later.

I'm doing it now and I'm here to tell you, it is not easy. This is the 4th house we've built and GC'd ourselves in the last 16-17 years. I am out there *every* day and sometimes 2-3x a day. I've caught several mistakes that had to be corrected throughout every stage. Mistakes happen easily. If you are not checking the work daily, or close to it, those mistakes can become major to correct further down the road. It's always best to find them & correct them immediately while still in that current stage. We are in the framing process & this house is a bit more tricky with more details than most. Just today, I caught a mistake on a ceiling height in an upstairs room that was off by 2 feet. It was supposed to be an 8ft ceiling because there was a loft above it. They had it at 10 ft tall which sounds find, right? Nope...would have made the loft nearly unusable for the purpose we had in mind. Thankfully, I caught it. A couple of days ago, I noticed a window size slightly off looking. Windows are already ordered due to a long lead-time so I'm thankful I caught it. Had I not, we would have bought a (non-returnable LARGE window aka $$$$) and would have had to re-order PLUS wait another 10-12 weeks for it to come in. Which brings me to another point, be aware that many products that are higher quality have longer lead-times. That means you MUST plan ahead and order accordingly. Otherwise, you'll have days go by with no work being done because materials are not there. I ordered my windows WAY in advance & am worried we could still be waiting on them past when I'd like them to be here. When you are gathering price quotes on each stage, before you begin building, ask then how far out they are scheduling (or, if ordering materials, what the lead-time is). I have more to say on the topic but a kid is needing me. So, that is a start. Good luck on your decision!

Oh gosh, unless you’ve done DIY in just about every field involved in your build, it’s asking for trouble, even with your PM skills.

I say this as someone who has done extensive renovations and is self building - you just have to understand the underlying systems and inspection points. You have to understand the applicable codes. That’s about the only way to really quality control in your build - construction and finishing work experience is worth every penny and you either pay for it or earn it in your own sweat equity.

Do you think the best subs are going to do your one off job or will they stick with their builder who sends them new work whenever they finish their current project.

What subs do you think you'll be able to hire as a one off project?

Otherwise
if you have a lot of time on your hands and you are a cash client
building a home can be a wonderful and rewarding experience.

The above does describe me ... and I considered this possibility, but in the end -- no. I don't want the first-day-on-the-job GC (me).

With no experience in the field, the trades will eat you alive. No
matter how many advanced degrees you have. Or how organized you are.

Yep, this was integral in our decision to turn away from the choice you're making now.

Mistakes happen easily. If you are not checking the work daily, or
close to it, those mistakes can become major to correct further down the
road. It's always best to find them & correct them immediately
while still in that current stage.

Yep, here's the thing: I don't know enough about the nuts-and-bolts of building to say, "Look, this is a mistake; let's fix it now."

Unless you can do this full time - don't. (ask me how I know...)

Example 1:

If you are expecting decent detail and specific architectural adherence - someone needs to be there ALL. THE. TIME. Otherwise, you will communicate to the supervisor of the subcontractor that "here's how to do it". He'll say "sure - no problem" and then send out a crew without having them there, meeting you, conveying the message accurately, (if at all) and they will go out and do things "like they always do" - whether it matches your requirements or not.

If you are there - you can stop and course correct quickly. If you are not - then you will see it done wrong, complain and be locked in a battle with the contractor to tear out his work and do it again. Something with a lower chance for success than stopping a bad path early.

Example 2:

Scheduling - A crew will arrive on time. However, they will get pulled off to fix something or do something for a better (larger) customer. Or weather. You will get them back when they can fit you in. At that point, your entire schedule is a mess.

As you reschedule more and more subs and they realize you are a "one and done" project - your timeline will stretch out 2-3 times more than just a "normal" build.

All of this is assuming you can GET the good guys. usually they are really busy and not necessarily interested in a single job.

I have a site superintendent that works for us (we're GC'ing) and he has 30+ years of contacts in the local construction field that we are calling on every day. I am sure we're getting attention because of HIM and not US. However, even with this, and due to the perfectionism of someone on my team <cough> hubby <cough> - our timelines are ridiculous.

Hi, Patrick,

Coordinating any construction project takes time and effort--more of each depending on the the relevant experience you bring. You're equipped with project management skills. However, managing residential projects, if it's grammatically correct to use the term "managing," is quite different from even commercial construction projects. It's like herding cats. You should expect lots of "learning experiences." And, in the home building and remodeling business you'll pay for your education.

If acting as your own general contractor is a life experience you want to have then go for it--just put your day job on hold for the time it takes to build your home.

Charles is right. We've (Mrs. ARG and I) have built three homes over the past 25 years and acted as our own GC in all three cases.

And in all cases it was basically a full time job. Being self employed I could be very flexible as a lot of "stuff" happens during normal working hours so if you're on the clock to a boss somewhere, carefully consider that.

At one build in Parkview Hills, new homes were also going up on either side of mine. The owner/builders were both electrical contractors. One had done renovation work on the Royal York, a landmark downtown hotel. So they figured, no sweat!

Yikes!

Despite their experience, the trades twisted these guys around their little fingers.

One paid the HVAC contractor beforehand--the last he saw of him.

My favourite horror story: the masonry was put up in the winter--no tenting, no propane. I watched the so-called masons actually using handheld torches near the mortar to keep it warm. NO! NO!

I can't count the number of times I've heard, "We always do it that way. No problem!"

My sister & BIL are the GC's on their build, they started in May and are moving in to a completed new built home on November 3rd. They were successful because he's worked in the construction business since he was a teenager, and knows ALL the trades. And she's an Interior Designer ... so she has access to all kinds of materials needed to complete their home. I've been amazed watching how quickly this new house has come together after reading all the stories on this site. I agree with the others, if you aren't in the construciton business and don't know the trades, find someone that does to manage your project.

Patrick -

Yes. Absolutely, you can do it. Here's what I have learned.

If you have good PM skills, that is a huge plus. Many GC don't.

Access to quality sub contractors is the biggest asset a GC has, so you need to make sure you know your subs. Good people who do good work are the key to any building project, and those are tough to come-by. Good subs are busy.

Contractors and subs have a tendency to take advantage of others often, it is almost part of the culture. Taking short-cuts can be the norm. Subs walk off jobs when they get a better offer. They delay getting to your job if they get a better offer. You will be the only job they ever do for you, so they are not too worried about what you think of their work and if you are difficult to work with or naive, count on getting the short end of the stick some of time. My advice is this: build relationships every step of the way, and leverage those relationships.

If building relationships and project management are something you are comfortable doing, your chance for success is good.

My other advice / suggestion: Have kick-off get together over beers with some combination of your architect, engineer, foundation guy, and framer and any other key person(s). They will appreciate the introductions as most are looking for more business. Let them know your vision for the project and goals, ask a lot of questions. and you can leverage that group for just about everything you need in terms of subs.

If you are not under a lender agreement to have the home completed in 6 or 9 months, that will also be helpful. Giving subs leeway and flexibility will get you better rates and take pressure off of everyone. Plus, you can pause or step back if necessary.

The foundation and framers are key. Anything messed up during those two functions is magnified.

Even with a great plan set there are questions that come up on-site almost everyday - no plan set can prepare for the myriad of job site issues. For example, you may find a septic tank buried on-site that needs to be disposed of, you my find the lumber company constantly messes up deliveries and you need to get materials or hardware to the site so your framers are not standing around with their hand's in their pockets and billing you for down town time, or the engineered plans show a load bearing wall 1' further east than than the post the architect has on his plan set, or the foundation guy drilled a hole in the wrong place for plumbing, and never filled it in, or you stand in your future partially completed living room, and decide to make a plan change . . .

You can do it though - and even with all of those issues, very rewarding and fun!

Would love to see the design!

Sounds like Ronny needs to GC the project...

Being ones on PM or GC works best if one is also going to do a great deal of the work on the house themself. Finding good subs is often very difficult. They tend to work for the same contractors over and over. They're not going to screw up regular work to turn down a job with their regular GC to work for you.

If you've never built a house (or been involved in major construction), it's absolutely flat out nuts to think you could do it yourself.

In the current market with such poor craftsmanship and customer service I wouldn’t go near that unless you had some serious relationships with quality subcontractors. If you have a solid builder or GC they typically have vetted subcontractors over many years and the subcontractors know exactly what is expected of their general contractor.

I’ve run projects from design to execution on multi million dollar projects and I wouldn’t dare GC my own home.

Virgil, do you still stay in touch with PMI?

am I missing something? Where is DE?

I guess Patrick has left the building.

Whass_5a, I maintain contact with some individuals but I no longer follow PMI activities. Are you a member?

The problem is if you have to ask you are not ready to do it.

I project manage kitchen and bath renovations, and have for a while now. I could potentially PM my own home build. Practically though? That would mean a year off of a paying job on hiatus, or a year of working two full time jobs. With the added stress, loss of sleep, and health issues, that it would create.

Life is too short for that! I might do it for a build in retirement. But in another community where I wouldn’t have established connections? It would have similar challenges to starting out as a clueless newby with no trusted partners again. Finding quality trade partners who will work with you, and for you is the biggest challenge in any build. I’ve built street cred here. It won’t transfer 500 miles away.

One of my neighbors decided he'd save money by acting as his own GC on a new home. His background is in math, but apparently without any economics or accounting. It took two years to complete his home (he wasn't doing any of the work himself.) He gave up two years of salary, benefits and years of service toward his pension chasing a modest potential savings. He paid rent for a year more than it would have taken to build had he hired an experienced professional and inconvenienced his family for that additional year. He paid regular retail price for all the components and trade contractors charged him the PIA premium they tack onto owner-builder projects. He bid work out to unfamiliar trades and picked the cheapest of the worst pool of trade contractors. Plus he was on the hook for miscalculations in materials (return and restocking fees) and for the cost of "do-overs" due to inexperience. He also paid construction loan interest for a longer period than he otherwise would have.

Is acting as a first-time GC on your custom home a learning experience? Yes. Is it a life experience? Yes. Will you save money? Probably not.

Not a good idea unless you enjoy it, can be there a lot, learn about every construction subcontractor‘s field, have no fixed time limit and no fixed budget.

I had a client decide to be the GC, because he had done major event planning in Washington DC for decades - getting dozens of details and various subcontractors organized seamlessly (venue, sound, tents, food, bar, parking, decorations, bathrooms, entertainment, security, staff etc etc) in a limited time frame, on time on budget.

But construction was a different beast, by the time framing started he was completely exasperated and hired a GC.

Subcontractors don’t want to put up with an inexperienced GC who can’t schedule work properly, can’t arrange for materials to be on site on a given date, or doesn’t really know the proper sequence of things. They want to do a stage of work (like rough-in plumbing for example) with a crew in 1 or 2 days, not 14 visits piecemeal while waiting on decisions or materials or other subs to finish something else first, or getting notified “we need you in next week” but things aren’t ready for another two months.

"There will definitely be some hiccups but could they be major?"

Yes.

"I would be hiring higher end well reviewed contractors throughout the process"

Yes, and why exactly would these busy subs put the work of the General Contractors that give them several hundred thousand dollars worth of work every year behind for your onsie project?

"Will there be contractors that mess things up and don't do things properly for the next trade to come in?"

I promise.

"Will there be things that are being done wrong and I won't even know?"

Oh, you're going to know. You can't miss that big fat red tag the local division of inspection will post.

"Once you have all blueprints are things relatively straight forward for each trade if they follow plan properly?"

No. You have to know how to coordinate trades with each other.

"Will trades or contractors not take me seriously and take advantage?"

They'd be stupid not to. You're one little project one time. Who cares if you're angry and upset? What, you're not going to hire them for the next house you build twenty years from now?

You have no relationships with subs. No relationships, no leverage. No leverage, big trouble.

"I guess Patrick has left the building."

Why wouldn't he? No one jumped up to pat him on the back to tell him he would save 50% on his build and how great an idea this is..............................

DE HAS been conspicuously quiet. So has extra exclamation points, poor grammar, and hysterical overstatements!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I did NOT say Betelgeuse!

Shhh. It's been so pleasant in here. :)