January 23, 1996

We debated quite along time on whether we should try to do the general contracting ourselves. In the end we decided it was the only way we could afford to build since it would save 15% to 20% of the house cost. I knew that this would take a lot of my time but there are several good books out to help you contract your own home.

The only advice I can give to others contemplating doing there own contracting is to make sure you get at least three bids to choose from for each job. The best source for good sub-contractors is from friends who have built there own homes and were happy with the work. The biggest challenge to contracting your own home is organization, scheduling and project management. If you have these skills contracting your own home will be a rewarding challenge. If you don't have these skills, save yourself the headache and hire a general.

For an example of one of my bid sheets click here

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