Building a home is a complex process that requires a lot of resources, time, and patience for a successful finish of the project. However, the question is it advisable for anyone to act as a self-contractor in such a complicated process and structure. As an own general contractor, you need to be able to manage various things like finding proper workers, equipment, materials, and to control the whole project.
However, if you are willing to put your efforts and control the building of your home all by yourself, you have to be aware of all factors related to that process. Also, do not try to control some big projects if you don’t have any experience as an own general contractor. You must be familiar with civil engineering, materials, electric installations, plumbing, and many other processes that are crucial during the construction of the house.
Furthermore, finding the proper workers can be tricky, which means that you are going to interview a lot of people. Finding the right materials, concrete testing equipment, and tools are necessary for construction. You should visit certifiedmtp.com if you are interested in buying concrete, cement, scales, and many other materials and equipment that you will need.
Acting as an own general contractor is a complex assignment, but you will be able to build any structure by your taste and most effectively. You need to be aware of all important factors and ready to spend a lot of time while controlling the construction. While there are many benefits, there might also be some downsides during the organization. We are going to analyze this topic a little more in this article.
Why You Should Act as Your Own General Contractor?
Source: DTEK Customs
There are plenty of reasons to do this, and one of the most important is that you will be able to take part and control even the minor details of your project. If you have good leading and controlling skills, the project won’t represent a problem. On the other side, most people choose to become a self-contractor because they can save a lot of money by that. Hiring a professional contractor can be highly expensive in some situations.
For example, the average commission from a professional contractor is around 20 percent. That means that you can save 50,000$ on a project that costs 250,000$. You could later use that money for some additional improvements in design and effectivity in your home. It is a much better decision to invest more money in high-quality materials and equipment than giving that amount of money to some company when you can lead to a project by yourself.
Another important advantage is that you can control the whole process and finish it as you desire. There are many cases where professional contractors change the design or structure if they find it easier, and they might cause a problem with people who hire them. When you are in control, no one can alter your preferred plan of construction and remodeling.
When you have a complex plan of the project, all of the necessary resources and equipment, you need to contact people who will work on your construction. While you can hire many individuals, it is much easier to contact various subcontractors, the companies specialized in plumbing, concrete pouring, building, electric installation, and many more. Also, the benefit of this is that you can save all those contacts for later maintenance, and people that installed you something are the best ones for maintaining it in good condition. Moreover, many of these companies, like plumbing and electric services, could offer you a warranty for a few years on their work, which makes it much more secure when you hire them.
What Are the Challenges of Being Your Own General Contractor?
Source: Western Exteriors Magazine
As we already mentioned, this process is highly complex, and you have to be ready to deal with some possible issues that are always part of the construction and similar projects. While it might seem that your only job is to supervise and tell people what to do, the supervisor is much more than that, and you are going to need some skills and experience as a contractor. On the other side, that is the main reason why people hire professional contractors in the first place.
If you don’t have enough contacts of people who are ready to work on various parts of your project, it might be a problem, and you will lose a lot of time until you find adequate services and subcontractors. On the other hand, experts already have all the necessary contacts like house painters, electricians, landscapers, plumbers, and many more. Also, they are familiar with the market for equipment and materials, which means that they could find much better solutions than you.
One of the biggest downsides of being an own general contractor is that you will have to deal with a lot of stress. It is not easy to control a group of people and subcontractors all at once, and there is a great chance that the project will last longer than you imagined. That is why you must make a detailed plan that considers every possible factor before you start the project.
Bottom Line
Source: Antham Construction Group Inc.
As you can see, it is possible to manage the whole project of construction or remodeling all by yourself, but you need to be aware that professional contractors are there for a good reason. If you have a passion to control every possible detail in the process, and you are not in a hurry to finish it, then it can be beneficial for you to be a self-contractor. On the other side, if you lack in experience and knowledge about building and remodeling processes, it might be a better solution for you to hire a professional company.
As a beginner, it would be much better for you to start with some smaller projects, like remodeling the garage or a basement, and see how you can handle that. If you are indeed capable of controlling every part of the project without any issues, acting as an own general contractor is the right choice because you will save a lot of money, and get the project done by your preferences.
