Being An Owner-Builder: Lessons Learned

The house is done! It's been a huge amount of work, much more than I anticipated, but most of that could have been avoided if I knew then what I know now. So check out this lessons learned video and save yourself some headaches if you decide to build your own place.
Thanks for watching and be sure to subscribe for more videos from this construction project.
Follow me over IG for a ton of pics from start to finish of this whole project.
/ petryfied_woodworks

[@nickprivitor517]

Just finished building my house, and your points are spot on. I did most of the work myself except Sheetrock, finishing concrete, framing roof, cabinets, plumbing, shingles. Took an enormous amount of time and effort, but the experience was second to none!

[@Zaugger]

Great stuff. Would love to hear a similar post experience video about the permits and getting the builder-owner loan itself

[@jimlandolt8656]

Great video and great advice - we have done this twice and also painted the inside. Just some advice for next time. We were advised to insulate the walls around any big open space - this would avoid the echo effect. Worked like a charm and we did that ourselves in just a few hours.

[@billpace6]

Worth watching for the handyman suggestion all by itself.

[@gman-db9lx]

Good stuff thanks. Good idea having a handyman as emergency backup. I’ll remember to do that.

[@jjay4149]

Thank you for your videos! Such a huge help.

[@richardmunizaga10]

Excellent owner builder pointers, It will definitely help me in my own house project.

[@migue5955]

I'm about to get started, great info

[@lifelibertyandhomeschoolin7757]

I'm just doing a remodel on our house and acting as a owner-builder. Really appreciate this video on things to keep in mind.

[@palijatt]

Great info would love to hear more about the things that went great and not so great and the lessons learnt.

[@patrickharrington2230]

Put my "how did it go?" on your previous early vid. Now i see it finished!!. Thanks for the videos. I am in this business through UBuildIT in Houston. Enjoy the fruits of your management labor sir.

[@bamc3835]

@patrick harrington - hi! wondering how much per sq ft your build is averaging out to be?

[@waynebeck7801]

Thanks for the video and advise..did you have any sort of lien waiver in place?

[@ShowMeWhatINeedToKnow]

Thanks for the update!

[@shawnmabey9806]

Great informative video! Please explain how things went sideways with the framers related to the billing increments... how did they end up getting too much money prior to completion? Should there not have also been a hold-back as well to ensure satisfaction?

[@PetryfiedWoodworks]

Yep. Being my first time, this wasn't something I did nor anticipated. I was paying them weekly, and wasn't paying close enough attention to the total paid out. Up until the end, the relationship with the framers was going well, so I didn't think they would just split on me. Hard lesson to learn.

[@TheHgcop]

Amazing content and information! Very good video.

[@patmat.]

Awesome advices, thank you

[@christinajenson3642]

Great Video!!!

[@markavery2888]

well put!

[@RN-mk4nb]

Great Info!

[@TroutGravyWithPancakes]

Great video and nice palace you have there! I am experienced and have all the tools for electrical, plumbing, hvac, etc but unfortunately no experience with framing/foundation. We relocated to a new area and looked at the homes out here that are getting multiple offers over asking price. They are poorly built homes. I am amazed people are paying top dollar for this type of low quality work. This is the reason we are now looking at owner builder.

[@the_truck_farmer]

Same here! The prices people are asking/paying are way above what the outdated/crappy floor plan houses are worth in my opinion. It’s just super hard to find tradesman that are AFFORDABLE!

[@mlebied]

what CAD software did you use to create the home design?

[@washablejunk281]

I’m late to this party but you have great information looking forward to do the same.

[@WB-gy4qu]

Awesome info, thank you. I'm very interested in doing this and I believe I have the ability, but my biggest concern is simply bandwidth. Do you believe this can be accomplished (within a reasonable timeline) by someone who works full time?

[@stevenpetry9594]

Certainly. I spent a lot of time actually working on the house, but very little on site handling issues. It doesn't hurt to be able to have some flexibility with short notice leave or early dismissals though.

[@archery411]

wait im confused, if ur an owner-builder, how did u have a general contractor involved? I thought that being an owner-builder meant you were basically your own general contractor. could you explain that a bit more to me?

[@CascadePacificNW]

I cant speak for this guy but I know that sometimes an owner builder will have a general contractor on as a consultant, often as a requirement for funding. The owner will do the majority of the leg work and the gc will just answer questions and maybe do some walk throughs and punch lists.

[@dlg5485]

@@CascadePacificNW That's true, but it's not really a "self build" in that case. In my opinion, the only true self build is where the owner IS the general contractor and that typically also requires self financing because most banks simply won't lend to self builders.

[@lori5946]

We did a complete rehab, new electric, insulation, drywall, plumbing, metal roof, windows, doors and siding. We had a complete remodel permit. It took a year. It was just my husband and myself did it all. the frame was the only thing that we didn't have to do it. My husband has a handyman business. Now we want to sell and build a new house and start a house flipping business. We had no mortgage for 5 years. We would sub out the frame and foundation.

[@PetryfiedWoodworks]

That's our plan as well. It's work doing it yourself, but the cost savings and ability to live mortgage free is worth it.

[@zulemaflores1234]

That punch list is necessary; something that needs to be signed by contractors, etc., before they begin a project. It's like a separate document that needs to secure part of a project. I would get their ID'S and certifications, references, before any work begins. I and my husband plan to do our own work; building a small two storey home.

[@andrewm6786]

Great content!

[@kentonsokoloski536]

Your points are dead on...the one other thing I'd add is to HOLD your various contractors to their quote. I had contractor after contractor come hat in hand saying they " didn't understand why it came to more then they quoted but would I please pay the additional"...yada yada yada of course wanting to be the good guy I did. Never again and I'm sure your aware that in BC- your supposed to hold back 10% of contracted price for 45 days to allow for default by them. In the courts your only going to get dinged for 10% of any liens applied to you so the 10 you hold back for 45 days covers that contingency...thanks for the vid. :)

[@GrayHouseStudio]

Hello again from Houston. The house turned out amazing, Congrats! Did you own the land before you started? Against all recommendations, we really want to spend more on the land than the house. Not great for resale but we figure if we spend a lot on the land and are able to contract the house ourselves we can make it work. You have a new subscriber.

[@PetryfiedWoodworks]

Thanks for the sub! We did purchase before hand, which gives you some equity/increased value up front, which comes in handy at closing. That equity , and any you gain after the build, helps you hit the 20% down so you don't have to worry about PMI. With any luck you can close without any additional down.

[@bamc3835]

@gray house studio - hi! we are on the journey of building hopefully our forever home here in Houston area too! hoping i could ask you guys for some advice here and there since this would be our first (and probably our last) custom home build...it has already been rather stressful and mentally exhausting but also exhilirating at the same time (from learning so much!!!) ....not sure if i’m looking forward to dealing with subs though; heard lots of horror stories...but still wana be positive about it😉

[@polarbearliver]

Cool video. Subscribed! I would really appreciate a cost breakdown video if you wouldn't mind. You could include total square footage, area you live (Midwest, South, etc. for cost similarities), and a breakdown of what each portion of the project cost, such as framing, foundation, painting, insulation, drywall, etc. I'd greatly appreciate it from someone who has just done it. Thanks!

[@stevenpetry9594]

Yeah, I might do one later down the road.

[@galloarepa]

Thumbs up man! I am researching lenders to build my own house. Which lender did you use? Any idea where one could find a punch list from start to finish? Thanks

[@PetryfiedWoodworks]

Unless you have experience building houses, or have builder of license such as U-build it or another owner-builder company, you likely won't be able to secure a construction loan on your own. As far as who you go with, a local bank would likely be able to help. A punch list is just all the little things that need touch ups/tweaks for just about every trade you have on site. Its not really a check list you can put together ahead of time.

[@randallrigdon9379]

I'm about to be owner builder on a 2500 square ft 2 story block house. I have a lender lined up for construction. "NORMADY" just concerned about a lender to finance the home after the build

[@nolablakereyes3874]

Why weren't you using a quantity surveyor report?

[@chubertbellevue5103]

Im just about to do this soon. In permit phase. You mind me chatting with you for a few minutes for pointers?

[@Makerdude23]

Wow great videos on this topic. I'm starting to study up on this for a build a few years from now and I can see there 's a lot to cover. Question: Are there pre-made architectural plans that can actually be approved and used for say something like a large single story ranch?

[@PetryfiedWoodworks]

There are. What you'd have to watch for though is code specific things like roof loads and wind ties. Some things are easy to resolve, but some would have to be reengineered for your area.

[@Makerdude23]

@@PetryfiedWoodworks great thank you

[@richardmunizaga10]

I would recommend to hire someone local or at least inquiry with some Architecs.

[@bamc3835]

thanks for ur video! any tips on best (cost effective) way to get builders insurance?

[@PetryfiedWoodworks]

Best thing to do is shop around. Builders risk insurance isn't that expensive, but some insurers don't offer it.

[@brandonleesanders]

13:57 - If he only knew the full context of Netflix & Chilling 😂

[@truthbtold6118]

The key take away I got from this clip is, is to never pay anyone in full until the end, you gotta keep that carrot in front of the subs to want to finish what they started. Thanks !

[@melissat8803]

I didn’t hear you say what your ending price per square foot ended up being?

[@PetryfiedWoodworks]

Cost to build ended up at $72.46/ft for the covered area, which includes the porches and garage, and $115.95/ft when calculated by the living space. When building a home, most builders will price the covered sq ft since it still has framing over it and requires labor. But when buying a house, appraisers look at the price per living sq ft.

[@melissat8803]

Petryfied Woodworks, what kinda of fee did ubuildit want? I am in SC and the other company doesn’t cover this area

[@melissat8803]

Petryfied Woodworks is the land cost included in this per square foot calculation or just the structure?

[@stevenpetry9594]

@@melissat8803 $10k. Others have flat fees, or by the square foot. It's a hit for sure, but necessary to get a bank to take the risk. Owner builder network may be in your area, but I'm not familiar with their fee.

[@stevenpetry9594]

@@melissat8803 The land cost is not part of the price/ft. The per foot cost here is the amount loaned/ft. We bought the land before getting started, so it turned into equity. Not sure if you could purchase the land with the construction loan.

[@mg.1680]

First ADU for me and we r still in the applying for pernit phase. My designer said I should just apply for Owner Builders permit even though Im planning to hire a contractor who’s licensed or bonded. It says on the owner builder’s application form that I assume all risks. So is owner builder permit the way to go? Pls help!

[@PetryfiedWoodworks]

Not sure which way you should go here. I didn't need to pull any permits except for the septic system. I did have to submit the plans to the HOA, but that is really just to get there blessing on the aesthetics. For your situation, if your using a builder, they normally pull the required permits for you. Designers don't typically have anything to do with permitting, so talk to a builder in your area for better guidance. Good luck!

[@waynebeck7801]

For me here in Canada..an owner builder requires authorization. As an owner builder you must pull the permit and manage the project. Now you can hire a licensed builder to do two things. For example found and framing , if the builder does more that that he can be fined and your owner builder authorization can be canceled. So if you want a general contractor to do the build then he pulls the permit and manages the job. This only applies to British Columbia as far as I know.

[@patmat.]

@@waynebeck7801 Depends on which State apparently cause in Nevada you need to apply to be an Owner-builder too.

[@zephyr1408]

I am a finish carpenter the only thing I don’t do is stairs. I build cabinets , base, crown , doors , casings ! I hv about 75,000 in tools? Licensed/bonded! Tons of ppl let pros do everything except finish? And it shows terribly ! Miters all open R full of caulk? Casing on doors and windows off the reveal ? Doors ghosting , reveals off , don’t close right!! Ect.,. Don’t forget the finish guy! A house that big might be 6 weeks or more ?

[@RolexCowboy]

You mention General Contractor but weren’t you an owner builder?

[@PetryfiedWoodworks]

Yes, but i had a general contractor that I used for the framers. Getting framers by themselves can be difficult to do, so in that case, I had to use one. Outside of that, I went direct to the trades.

[@RolexCowboy]

@@PetryfiedWoodworks Is it tough to find a GC that will engage for only a small part of the project? Why is getting framers by themselves tough to do?

[@PetryfiedWoodworks]

@@RolexCowboy it definitely is tricky. The problem I had was every time I called a "framer", I was actually talking to a GC, sometimes unknowingly. And as you said, most GC's don't want a small part of a build. When I did find a legit framing crew, they usually worked with one or two GC's almost exclusively, and we're basically on call with them and wouldn't be able to put consistent time on my build. In some areas, or with a better list of contacts, this may not have been an issue, but I found it to be the single hardest trade to lock down.

[@andrewbirkett715]

Could you go into how you were able to obtain financing as an owner builder?

[@barbarabeckley8732]

Those framers were scumbags. Their names should be put out there. They was paid to do a job So they cheated you out of a service that was due to you. Been there.

[@centralflife891]

So I want to start making a home to sell and use the gains to make another and keep going. Anyway, we have good friend who will be our guide he is a contractor but we will be the builder. So saves us money. Anyhoo this video really helped. We want to get in touch the our friend but before we want to have am idea of what we are getting ourselves into.

[@carlosb3169]

Howd it go?

[@BuiltByMike]

So you had a general contractor?

[@PetryfiedWoodworks]

Nope, I was the GC. I did have to deal with one for my framers, but it was just to get them on my build.

[@peopleschampgarage7869]

👍👍👍

[@27439]

You should share the name of the framing company that scams its customers. Having info like that could save a lot of owner builders from getting scammed themselves.

[@justincrasi4638]

not to defend the framers but, it's industry standard that the contractor double check completed work matches the application for payment. if the owner/contractor overpays, that is the owner/contractors fault... this is why you hire a professional.

[@rongustaveson4493]

How are you a home owner builder with a GC? Typically a homeowner builder manages all the SUBS.

[@PetryfiedWoodworks]

I had a hard time finding just framers without having use a GC with them. Every time I called a "framer" it was actually a GC that I was talking to. So, I had to deal with it and use one for them. Other than that, I handled all the other subs.

[@dlg5485]

Flaky contractors are my biggest fear in self-building my house. You just can't trust people to do the right thing most times.

[@kamerongilbert9715]

Hiring people to do the work is not self building, that’s a gc

[@dlg5485]

@@kamerongilbert9715 Duh

[@MrSteeDoo]

@@kamerongilbert9715 Some things you can't do legally by yourself. In my area it's well, septic, and electrical.

[@MrSteeDoo]

@@kamerongilbert9715 It's basically never sensible to do your own drywall or insulation.

[@luvthemusic79]

Has anyone ever told you that you sound like Christian Slater?

[@KingBigBabyJesus]

A GC? Unless the rules were different you can be owner builder around here if you use a GC. You're suppose to be the GC. 25k fine here

[@MrSteeDoo]

Getting a contractor license in MN will cost you $500 and passing a simple test.

[@tuckt6180]

👍👍👍👍👍