Two Hardest Subcontractors to Find

[@retiredperson4054]

Hey Keith! I have been in Construction since I was 15 I am now 75! You are doing the younger ones a great service here

[@HowToBuildYourOwnHome]

That is very kind of you to say. I will keep it up.

[@bobrasmusen1029]

Hi Keith, we finished our home in August in Central Utah. I want to thank you for your help! I’ve watched most every episode of your videos in the process of our build. You are truly serving others. I would love to have you come by anytime if you are in the area. We built a 3000 square foot rambler with a full basement. Lots of challenges along the way but our home turned out the way we wanted it to. You are the best!

[@HowToBuildYourOwnHome]

That would be fun to come by. Reach out to me via HowToBuildYourOwnHome.com.

[@FizzBuzz-ce9wz]

I'm trying to build a community in the mountains of Honduras near farms. This video is a great help in researching building my first house. Most build with concrete and rebar here and there is new construction everywhere. Labor is very cheap ($3 an hour) and I can bring guys from 2 or 3 hours away as work is scarce.

[@HowToBuildYourOwnHome]

Sounds like you have a great project going. Please keep posting and best of luck that all that.

[@tacosforus1688]

I recommend making shorts of this

[@bobbray9666]

We built in a major metro area suburb in 2022 and finding framers was tough. The framers we hired realized that they underbid the job after about 80% of completion and rather than renegotiating, they packed up and left using other excuses. We deducted two days of pay for our inconvenience. Luckily my contractor had people he could call to bail us out and finish the framing, including myself and my recently retired brother-in-law. I was in a panic since untreated wood framing isn't robust enough to withstand exposure to the elements for a year or longer in a wet environment. This set us back two months. Foundation contractors were abundant enough in my area. If you plan on building with a small contractor, or DYI good luck. Labor is hard to find compared to a decade ago, at least around here. It seems too many young people don't like physical labor or think their peers will look down upon them for having what they think is a menial job.

[@HowToBuildYourOwnHome]

Very well put.

[@SchondorfEnt]

As always, you're spot on Keith. We're builders in California. In addition to finding your foundation and framing crews, they're arguably of the most critical trades in the process.

[@HowToBuildYourOwnHome]

Thanks for the feedback

[@Heather-xw6tv]

Yes I'm so so grateful of what Keith has done.

[@clintforest44]

My plan is to bring a dozen donuts or a couple of large pizzas to the nearest concrete plant and lumber yard and ask the guys behind the counter if they have any recommendations of crews they work with regularly.

[@laurelbeck5489]

Appreciate you sharing your knowledge!

[@HowToBuildYourOwnHome]

Glad to help

[@ChaosForLunch]

Foundation Crew and Framers ... good call brother

[@Fishwisher1]

Speaking of foundations, I am interested in Superior Walls for my single story + walkout basement forever home. My builder has not used them before and is reluctant. What are your thoughts. (I am in the Clemson, South Carolina area) Love your Q&A sessions and wealth of knowledge!

[@HowToBuildYourOwnHome]

Very cool!

[@rangerdoc1029]

Well I really lucked out then. Because I'm 50 miles from the nearest city, but have a concrete guy just down the road. And I'm in the middle of an Amish community. Both were fantastic to work with.

[@HowToBuildYourOwnHome]

that sounds very lucky. I love the Amish, great quality.

[@johnwhite2576]

Great segment /another option? Prefab precast superior walls and prefab panels exterior walls and roof e.g bensonwood etc

[@muprock]

This is very helpful. Thank you!

[@HowToBuildYourOwnHome]

Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching.

[@carolewarner101]

Have NOT had good experiences with attorneys, but HAVE had very good experiences with real estate professionals.

[@HowToBuildYourOwnHome]

Good point

[@davidtroyer8299]

Framing is also the most stressful to run a crew. You need to have constant work for your guys if you don't your guys will leave. I just shut down my framing crew. We had a builder that was about 70 percent of our work that shut down. Almost all my guys moved on to other trades. I had no choice but to call it quits

[@HowToBuildYourOwnHome]

Thanks for the comment

[@duck-n-cover477]

Yeah, try building on s slope with a subbasement!

[@HowToBuildYourOwnHome]

Not really fun.

[@Bryan-yq9pz]

Thanks Keith.

[@shenroong]

Hi Keith! very helpful content. I wonder who is going to dig trench for foundation and utility? foundation sub or plumbing sub or excavation(grading) sub?

[@HowToBuildYourOwnHome]

Thanks you can find that answer inside our course platform.

[@shredpow]

Foundation subs and framing subs. You're welcome.

[@rangerdoc1029]

I lucked out then, cuz I have a great concrete guy next door. And live in the middle of an Amish community

[@anthonyesparsen7776]

Sounds right on the building foundation and framing it takes crews of guy's

[@duck-n-cover477]

Timber framer, mason, and finish carpenter.

[@HowToBuildYourOwnHome]

Agreed

[@oldporkchops]

Hello Keith, if the build is in a metro area where there is a relative abundance of such subcontractors, would you go with the company where the owner takes on projects but farms the actual work out to hired hands? Or would you go with an owner-operator where the owner does the work him/herself with the assistance of an assistant? Thanks for taking time to address my question.

[@HowToBuildYourOwnHome]

I would take a builder who does some of the work, and typically something big like framing, excavation, foundation work. I have a lot of reasons for this, but mainly it forces the builder on the site a lot more.

[@oldporkchops]

@@HowToBuildYourOwnHome Thanks for your helpful insight.

[@mylifeintexas]

I need help finding software to calculate building cost. I want something that just ask for simple plug ins and then it spits out what the cost should be. Is there anything like this available???

[@HowToBuildYourOwnHome]

See howtobuildyourownhome.com, then see the budget on the Self-Managed Course. It is all there, every line item you need or do not need.

[@anthonyesparsen7776]

Basements are about 0% in new mexico

[@anthonyesparsen7776]

Nm, is about 100% on grade slab

[@retiredperson4054]

I agree with your conclusions

[@YIQUANONE]

Truses are simpler but not good for a custom house, trusses need to be designed by a truss guy and then engineered and approved before submitting plans. Need a better builder with a stick-built roof for sure and you are not locked into a fixed roof plan, more attic space in stick build, and no scissor trusses.

[@HowToBuildYourOwnHome]

Good thoughts, thanks.

[@edframers1335]

preliminary Lein

[@kaitlynmartins8111]

Not me about to watch all your owner builder videos. Thanks!

[@joes5096]

Foundation and Framers get you to the bank payment the fastest! Never trust a framer that drives a shortbox pick up with no ladder rack 🤣🤣

[@HowToBuildYourOwnHome]

That is a great comment. What a person drives or how they keep themselves or the tools or lack of tools they have says a lot.

[@SunSun-hk8eg]

This video is so long. In short. Which are the two subcontractors hard to find ??

[@HowToBuildYourOwnHome]

Framers and concrete

[@robertbuckley6637]

I enjoyed entire video - you may only get a few points from video. However those few points may save you substantial money and more importantly, you will get a quality job. Definitely long, but worth the listen IMO.

[@StillThinkingAboutIt]

True