Building a New House and Very Nervous, Also Using a New Builder in Town

Welcome.

If you've been lurking, you should know that the more information you supply, the better answers you will get.

So far you have only, nothing.

Location, house design, size, type of foundation proposed, basement, something to go on, please.

Pretend you're writing a proposal for the house to someone who doesn't know you, or where the house will be built.

Ah yes I knew I forgot most of the info, and I apologize.

This will be my first build/first home. The house size is going to be 2500 sqft, one story with a bonus upstairs. I do not have any foundation proposed, and no basement.

If any other info is needed I will supply, even house plans.

It's hard to speculate on the foundation without knowing where you are. SOIL type and ENVIRONMENT are very important. Does it freeze there? Is it desert? Does it rain?

We also don't play 20 questions very well.

Like I said tell us a story, do a narrative, give us some details that we can't know if you don't provide them.

Good luck. Maybe someone can help you.

You say you was very nervous about the foundation? Is that because it's already poured? If your foundation is already poured, it maybe a little late to be worried about the psi of the concrete.

Hey DJ,

No I have just started the paperwork to get the house building going. I will be buying the lot this Wednesday.

What does "I have just started the paperwork" mean? Typically, a builder has a contract which outlines what his payment schedule will be, includes plans, etc. They give it to you and want you to sign it. It is ALWAYS written in favor of the builder, and should NEVER be signed until you take it to an attorney who specializes in this area and will amend it for your protection. A contract is an agreement between TWO parties - always remember that. I will reiterate what I said earlier - if you haven't signed the contract, run now. If you already have, hire an architect or civil engineer to oversee. Don't try to come into a forum and randomly ask for advice. The architect or civil engineer will KNOW WHAT QUESTIONS NEED TO BE ASKED and what the correct answers to those questions are and can prevent costly mistakes or attempts to cheat you. It is always best to AVOID MISTAKES AND DISAGREEMENTS BEFORE THEY HAPPEN because even with a contract, you will spend years and thousands of dollars pursuing an incompetent or dishonest contractor in court with little recourse if he has no assets to garnish or simply chooses not to pay a judgement (selecting an insured contractor helps, but the insurance company is insuring the contractor, not you). BTW, a licensed, experienced architect is more than qualified to oversee a residential home building project - this isn't a skyscraper.

That's what I was going to say. Things like this are what ends friendships.

Having a home built, is far too important to risk getting stuck with an albatross.

I'd hire someone with a solid reputation as a builder, along with his knowledge. There are too many things that must be known, for the homeowner to be able to go behind and check...which they shouldn't have to do.

Edit: Also, a "new" home builder won't have established any relationships with the other trades that will be working on the home, so everything from the bottom up will be a crapshoot. An established guy will have people that he already knows and trusts.

I tend to agree, if he's an actual friend have him join the project when its time to paint the interior and share some beer and pizza

That is just so base over apex ! I always recommend the 'four walls and a roof' start. Everything else sort of follows on. Worry about the foundations later . I'm much in favour of the 'try-fail-learn' iterative method, though it depend upon who's money I'm spending

basically the strength of your concrete selection has everything to do with what you expect the concrete to deal with, it really doesn't make sense to go with 5000 PSI when 3500 is plenty, as noted your soil and drainage have to be accounted for before you make your initial pour, why don't we start there?please tell me you haven't poured any footings yet!

Sounds to me like you are nervous because you are getting a poor feeling of confidence in your prospective contractor.

Is this the only contractor you have approached; based on a recommendation of a friend, based on "who can do it for cheap" or "who needs to drum up business"? Are you doing a friend of a friend a favor or what reason do you have for not using experienced local contractors ?

If you are having doubts / anxiety then you should be prepared to learn very quickly to become a building inspector and approve any work done. If you cannot do that then you are at the mercy of people who say "trust me".

My best advice is to approach at least one other builder / contractor and compare your feelings between them. This realtor may actually be no more than a guy who hires other contractors, so there is another layer between you and the people who are supposed to know what to do and then do it right. What does the realtor - come builder know of the codes and practices in your area? Is he capable of inspection to standards or is he just saying "trust me".

I would be nervous too.

At least get several bids, with references.

The realtor might be the guy, but he's going to have to prove it.

You are aware of what a contractor is? Its just a con with a tractor doing work for you.

Do what I am doing with my new house. Find all the relevant code info you can and do some reading.

If everything appears to meets or exceed the coded definitions that odds are you will be fine.

As far as ensuring your concrete quality thats easy. Just make sure you tell the mix plant you are getting it from what you need it for and make sure you get the batch paperwork from each truck driver before he unloads it. If the paperwork does not match your specs send him home!

Good idea, but isn't that what we have overpaid inspectors for?

Just kidding.

Heavens. Most contractors are too important to be bothered with such trivial footwork as checking codes or meeting specs.

They don't need no stinking code book. They are licenced.

Make sure to... GET IT IN WRITING.

Your's would not be the first friendship to go down the crapper because of unkept promises. If your friend balks at putting any aspect of this project on signed paper... you need a new contractor or friend.

You may want to go to the building department and meet the field inspectors, they may be your best asset to cover your a$$, or your worst enemy if your realtor/contractor doesn't know his codes.

Well I'll tell you how I would do it.....First, visit as many new home construction sites in your area that are in the same price and size and type category as the house you intend to build......compare the quality of the builds, talk to the workers....check with the buyers after they move in the new houses, and ask their opinion of the quality and service they received....settle on one builder and check out older houses they have built and talk with the owners about any issues they encountered and how they were dealt with....contact the builder and start negotiations, get a price.....wait for a slow period when the builder is needing work....renegotiate deal, get best price and proceed.....

In your research you are likely to gather a lot of interesting info that will assist you with typical problems that may occur, and how others have dealt with them....I would never go with a novice, this could end in disaster, with the builder going out of business and you left holding the bag......Never do business with friends unless you are willing to forgive them anything, and I mean anything.....

You have barely started the process of overseeing your home construction. If you want good advice, give good information. If you want hostility from the forum and from your "builder friend of a friend", keep playing games and withholding information. You haven't a clue so far, nor do we. Good recipe for disaster. Building a home is a technical problem, not a game of high school favors.

Well Said.

DHAYANANDHAN.S

I dont see a problem.......yet

Will it be a slab foundation? Or pier and beam? Slabs are pretty simple. But make sure that all the plumbing is in place before the slab is poured, and the sewer lines have the right slope (down from house to street). I mention this because our builder, a big one, had to jackhammer the slab and redo the sewer lines. Slabs are usually "prestressed" or "poststressed", where they thread steel cables horizontally from side to side to strengthen the slab.

Make sure that the city inspectors do their job and try to be there when they come; don't trust the builder to fix problems.

Take lotsa notes and pictures, you may need them later in court Hope not.

BS! your comment that slabs are "usually" prestressed is complete bunk

Agree 150%...BUNK!!!!!

Christ...... You must have time, what don't you just do it yourself...... Your doing it anyways.

It may not be right, but it'll save you in attorney fees.

For your fiends first construction project you are going to finance the high price of his education. At a minimum I would insist on him obtaining the assistance of an area builder-consulting network.

Here in south Texas there are two good companies. Check to see if there are similar companies in your area:

http://builtgreencustomhomes.com/

http://www.ownerbuildernetwork.com/

Discuss your requirements with a green home designer & ask for drawing,specifications & cost estimate. If you are rich enough contact 3 different parties & select the best.

" He is a realtor that just started his own construction company". Considering this is a major investment for you, I would advise you not to let your project be his learning curve. Get answers to your questions from him. If he stumbles, there is your sign to move along. Don't waste your time here getting insulted and questions answered that will have no accountability with your deliverables. Screw "friendships". Residential construction is the lowest margin of profit to subcontractors. Greedy builders will drop someone they have used regularly over a 50 buck price cut. Been there , done that. QA/QC will be your burden. Is your realtor/builder a self perform contractor or is he just a broker? You need an experienced builder with references and a track record. Your friend will get over it as he looks for his next project. Down the road, when/if you build again perhaps he will have gained the reputation as the best in town. Realtor to contractor....that's like car salesman to mechanic.....good luck and Happy New Year.

Who will be doing the drawings?

Employ an architect who should produce the drawings and all relevant specifications for foundations, drainage and so on. The responsibility then depends on the architect's specification.

I looks like I came to the ball game late w/o a glove. Can I play? Pretty much everyone has thrown their weight into answering the posed question, so I can't add much more to the discussion.

A realtor turned contractor? Look out for a very rough ride if he and his crew have little experience.

Make sure he has construction insurance and liability insurance + performance bond, etc. this was already mentioned above.

No mention what type of foundation wall. Is it reinforced concrete or Concrete Masonry Units (CMU) aka concrete block? It certainly makes a huge difference on lateral wall resistance to the backfilled soil and groundwater.

If it is a concrete wall, make sure it gets reinforcement steel to resist shrinkage cracking as well as lateral soil and groundwater loading. Having an unreinforced wall is inviting disaster immediately, or even in the long term. Foundations settle. Foundation concrete walls can crack. Cracks facilitate groundwater penetration into the basement, and even washout.

Do not use a concrete mix less than a 3,000 psi concrete mix, air-entrained, a maximum Water-to-Cement of 0.44, and a maximum concrete slump of 3-inches. Personally, I actually prefer a 4,000 psi minimum compressive strength. Make sure the contractor obtains the BATCH TICKETS for each truck load of ready mix concrete delivered to the job site. All the weights of the concrete mix will be depicted on those tickets....they are generated by the concrete supplier at the time the truck drum was filled.

WHEN IN DOUBT, HIRE A STRUCTURAL ENGINEER experienced in structural engineering. Do not go on the word of the contractor or another contractor or an Architect, since this is a strictly a structural engineering/construction issue. Remember, it's you money, and lots of it. A huge investment by you that needs to be durable, perform, and have longevity. Hiring a Professional Engineer for a few thousand dollars is CHEAP insurance compared to the entire investment cost of your house. It will give you a piece of mind and reassurance that the work was done in a satisfactory manner.

When you start building a house, you must start with a proven engineered plans from certified architect, he should know everything about it.

http://www.wikihow.com/Build-Your-Own-Home-(US)

I cannot understand what do you mean by "proven engineered plans from certified architect"? The decision to employ a structural engineer rests with the client. If a client decides to avoid this step, in my country an architect cannot be held responsible for this short-sighted response by a cash-strapped or stupid client, provided they have been so advised.

Here in Iceland we follow a strict building codes, and nothing is built without a engineered proven drawings. There's a reason why when we get earthquakes and eruptions our houses stands still, but in US everything falls down like cheap cardboard houses.

My, my! Such arrogance! First pnaban and now you.

Your radical, fanatical rants will make you no friends here.

Suggest you go find another forum to insult. I doubt you'll ever get another civil response here.

Ummm Architects don't do engineering plans! Engineers do!

Also, in the USA Archies aren't "certified", they're Licensed and Registered.....

Just saying.....

do you have a list of specifications that the house has to meet?

Some of the items to discuss ahead of time would be:

Change orders - cost of adding/subtracting additional items such as tile instead of carpeting, two car garage instead of a carport. 2 zone heating/cooling instead of one zone.

Contract should also include time to complete, and payment information. As one poster mentioned, keep track of extra material that is charged to your project. (and building a house is a project). A lot plan showing all easements and encumbrances on the land is a must for the build and for future reference in case you want to add an outbuilding or have a neighbor who encroaches on your property. (I have to remind the nice lady who abuts my lot that she is planting on my side of the line, otherwise it'll become part of her estate when she leaves).

I would also ask how this real estate broker became a general contractor, hope it wasn't a home study course grad.

Since when are you tied to one contractor?

Start getting estimates from two other general contractors......... That what you at least have have is a reference point. But that's doesn't mean your not going to have headaches.

He's probably 'become' a builder to help or shore up his poor realtor sales.... :/

Since we have no useful information from the OP, it's hard to draw any conclusions at all.

But, since the housing/economic crash, the majority of home builders, developers and the skilled/semi-skilled labor that was used to build residential housing has nearly vanished.

Nobody has been building new houses for years. The labor force has either gotten too old to return, returned to Mexico, sought other types of work to survive or is no longer available for many other reasons.

Same with generals and even materials suppliers. They've disappeared. Or, moved to sourcing their materials from China, or other substandard suppliers.

About the only ones left are the realtors who stayed afloat by dealing in other people's misery and listing the houses and commercial buildings left vacant by the swindlers who started this all. (leave politics aside please)

So, As I said in an earlier "disappeared" post, I'd find an established home builder that was offering a quality product, today, and leave both my, and the realtor turned builder's, learning curves out of my new house.

A little off topic

What I can't understand, in my area, Green Bay, Wi, during the recession, or housing bust, what ever it's called, there were a lot of homes for sale, a little stagnant sales, I'm sure some on contingent on buy a new home contingent on the sale of their home. but building was still going on.

Both private homes, duplexes and apartments. Yet existing apartments were empty. I could not figure that out.

But now, there are a lot of new homes being built and filled

Getting mighty particular in your old age, aren't you?

Particular??............ Just a second......

(Opens front door, and yells).....

"YOU KIDS, GET OFF MY FRONT LAWM!"

OK, Where was I now? Oh yeah, particular....... No not really....... Peculiar.... Well.....

People move to where the jobs are. Many people have no choice but to relocate when there is no local employment. This was my exact scenario in the 90's moving from small-town Wisconsin to Houston.

As far as employment, I have felt that Wisconsin was always average...... That's is until your unemployed..........

allow me to congratulate you on your first thread here . good view numbers so far. you can also see why most people that have had a custom home built usually don't ever do it again! so spend a fair amount of time interviewing and checking references before you commit........best of luck and check back with us as your different phases unfold and we'll bury you with ideas and questions that just might help

This thread is about Novicebuilder's questions about building a house. Stay on topic.

Also, stop derailing every thread into this NSA tracking garbage.

As for me and my house....I do care what the previous profession was. Selling houses IS NOT the same as building houses. Selling yesterday , building today......not! You want the auto parts stock person filling in for a certified mechanic? I mean he has been exposed to automotive repair, he can twist a wrench and he knows what a screw driver looks like and you don't care what their previous profession was. Turn him loose on your prized classic automobile. Anybody can swing a hammer and stretch a tape...that is not even remotely qualifying any person as a craftsman. It takes years to learn and master a trade. He should hire the talent, surround himself with employees who have years in the biz both in the office and the field. He would do himself good that way and LISTEN and learn the details of contracting and construction. You gotta start somewhere but I still would be hesitant to give my project to the guy who just started.That is different than being "exposed" to it because you sell houses. 85% of an agent's time is showing finished houses.........not field trips to observe construction progress or quality. They just want you to hurry the hell up so they can get it sold.

I'm not sure how much experience you have had working around certified mechanics but I have had enough to know that when they are certified it for one type of work usually on one single model of vehicle. Thats all.

Now on the other had the guys I deal with that run the parts desk tend to be part time wrench turners and many of them are darn good at it. Most likely better than most certified mechanics I know. One of my friends is a auto mechanic that has been working behind his local autoparts store service counter for years.

Unlike a certified service tech that guy knows the aftermarket and factory parts cross references by heart! Say the starter goes out on my Dads Lincoln. To a certified mechanic that has only one starter that fits and it costs $400! To my auto parts desk buddy that $400 starter cross references to at least a dozen other starters that are not only direct fits but some are superior in quality and performance while still being half the price!

Relating to a house salesperson building houses well one of my grandparents worked as a realtor for as long as I can ever remember. One thing a good realtor knows is how to determine whether a house is built well or not.

Simple hands on experience of having seen many houses ranging from partially constructed to fully finished would give anyone willing to pay attention would give a persons a very good idea of whats quality construction and what's not. From there it's just a matter of following building codes and having people who know how to construct something that meets or exceeds them. After that things still have to pass a master building inspectors approval.

So would i trust a guy who was a former realtor to build a house? Well if all of my experiences with hims give me strong reason to believe he understands what is quality and what is not and he has a work crew of people who have a similar mindset I would give them a shot! After all they still have to pass a final inspection by a certified inspector.

No matter how you minimize it or try to justify it, experience over exposure will trump every time. My son is a seasoned, certified mechanic. BTW- mechanics are constantly brushing up on current technology and what is even down the road before product hits the market. When the parts guy has a question...he goes to the garage. The guy deserves a chance don't get me wrong. He can build your next house.You can be the guinea pig and after 2 years see if you'd be honest and let him build your next one. You may win that debate with others - not here. We are not talking about a deck- we are talking about a breathing, living structure with systems. Just because an inspector approves something only mean it meets the minimal code requirement. Inspectors carry no skin in the game and are untouchable in the event a claim arises. It is obvious we are not eye to eye on this one and quite frankly, this whole subject thread is old and beaten to hell. Enjoy your weekend.

I'm with Steve on this one 100%. I wouldn't want most builders to build my house, let alone a realtor switching gears to start a building business, lol. Many states don't even require a license to be a builder and there is less consumer protection for purchasing houses than toasters. I would strongly recommend anyone contemplating building a house to use an architect! It's simply too big a gamble to trust that much money to an uneducated and/or inexperienced person. I wonder if you'd feel the same way about a realtor in pearls and heels turned general contractor, TCM ;)? Something tells me ....uuhhhemmm... NOT. Being a guy who hangs around houses or sells them doesn't qualify him to build them any more than being a band aid salesman qualifies one to be a physician.

That's exactly why I said that you have to have a feel for the person. I live and work around people of multiple skill sets so to me just because a persons last job was XYZ that doesn't imply anything to me that they may not have a solid skill set relating to something else entirely.

My last job was putting fuel into railroad locomotives. Does that mean that now I can only do that for a living and any and all other skill sets I have and use are no longer valid and should never be used again?

It's a very competitive world out there, TCM. Personally, I would hire the most qualified person for any job. Someone who claims to have a skill set but no educational background, is untested, unproven and inexperienced would not be on my list of candidates for any job, especially when the skill set and knowledge base is so critical and the financial commitment is so large. If I were that realtor, I would go back to school and then take a job in the construction industry and gain some experience and a reputation before declaring myself a general contractor. If "having a feel" were all that's required, there would be no con men in prison, lol.

So how do you get the knowledge and experience?

My uncle came back from the war (wwII) and built a foundation in Thunder Bay Ontario. He sold that and built a foundation with a frame on it. He sold that, then he built a foundation with walls and a roof.

Then he proceeded to build homes.

His method worked because it pretty well had to. He had his demob money, and a wife and two daughters. He never DID get his contractor's licence until the mid seventies. At that point, he got the licence because he had to employ people because of his age. He never stopped complaining about the people he was employing...but I know of one frame which was ripped down because the i d ten t who was working for him failed to attach it to the foundation.

So you don't have to be a great contractor...but honesty goes a LONG way. My uncle used up ten to fifteen years proving he did good work. I would not personally hire a person who had never built a house to build MY house, unless I was a contractor myself who was able to observe things like concrete slump results, the use of oriented strandboard instead of more expensive plywood, proper drainage around the foundation and hurricane clips on the rafters.

So, in my rambling way, I got around to the topic.

Research the building code for your area before you attempt or sign off on anything pertaining to foundation specifications suggested by any contractor and follow them as a minimum standard.

Remember that it is not possible to keep concrete cement from cracking and the object is to control the cracks so that the structure does not suffer damage.

Nothing can replace steel (rebar, wire re-mesh, and stressed cable) in stabilizing concrete and keeping all of the surfaces in alignment.

Relief cuts and/or expansion joints placed at the correct interval spacing are critical and required.

Thickness, slump, and strength of the concrete is dependent on soil type, moisture content of soil, type of structure, height of structure, and method of application.

You should be able to get everything you need from your local courthouse and/or building inspector.

I would be very wary using a realtor-turned-new contractor unless that person could prove extensive prior experience as a builder.

The cheap cost will soon be forgotten when the home starts exhibiting structural issues and the cost of re-doing will be at least 300% more than the savings.

Good luck but I would suggest using a reputable contractor especially since you do not seem to know much about home construction. (yet)

It is true that concrete cracking cannot be totally eliminated, certain additives can help, such a fiberglass and other additives.The cause for cracking in most cases is uneven distribution of moisture within the concrete.A little known additive is Sugar Cane Bagasse. It has been found to reduce cracking when added in the proper ratio by controlling the moisture gradient, and it also increases the strength when used as a replacement for cement in the mixture(up to 20%).

http://eece.wustl.edu/ContentFiles/International/2012/RadkeSugarcaneBagasseAshWasteBrazil2012.pdf

This may or may not be available everywhere as an additive,but eventually will be.

Another method of preventing cracking in exposed concrete is a surface coating of Sodium Acetate,which is as effective as epoxy for sealing concrete against moisture.

It is also benign to the environment.

It expands when dry, allowing trapped moisture to escape,and shrinks when wet to prevent moisture from penetrating.

There are many more additives that I have not mentioned that date back to Roman days,whose concrete has endured for thousands of years with no rebar at all, due to the high content of volcanic ash (Pozzolzanic) in their mixture.

Qualifications for becoming a contractor vary widely from state to state.In North Carolina, for instance, any project with a total cost below $30,00 dollars requires no exam for qualifications.Anything above that amount is divided by valuse of project and size of building.Each step requires a minimum of XXX years of experience before even becoming eligible to sit before the Board and take the exam.

An inspector (A code enforcement inspector, not a "home inspector")(A "home inspector" is an entirely different category) also has a vigorous training requirement, and all trades have required a certain number CEU's for renewal of their license. Some small city inspectors do the whole job, from electrical,plumbing,and structural.They have a very broad training base and must stay current on the latest methods and technologies. He is usually,a REALLY GOOD "Jack of all trades".You can usually rely on his advice more so than a contractor, for he has no vested interest in the contractor's profit margin, and is primarily concerned with sound engineering practices and procedures.

Be Diligent!

Inquire about the proposed contractor's experience,training and the licensing requirements for your state.This can usually be found with a Google search for "board of examiners of general contractors " for your state, or similar terms, and will usually list by name,city,county and license number of the licensed contractors in your state .

Do your homework before you do your "HOME" work,or you will have many restless agonizing nights of regret afterwards.

An old timer told me once: "The bitter taste of poor quality lingers long after the sweet taste of a low price."

Good luck!

try www.greenbuildings.com

It seems the Novicebuilder has left the building, probably didn't like the common sense advice about using his Realtor/ newbie contractor. As they say, "you can only them to water but you sure can't make them drink". Hopefully it all works out for them.

Best of luck and Have a Happy New Year

If the guy had a great reputation as a realtor, there's always a possibility that he has done his homework, put together a competent crew, and will build you one of the best houses in town.

My sister called me earlier, and she just paid the husband of one of her friend's, (he owns a repair shop), $800. He had the car for just over an hour, told her he was giving her a great deal, and it sounds to me like he just topped off the power steering fluid.

Why didn't I fix the car? Well, she didn't ask, she never runs out of projects that need doing, and if I charged her $20, she would have thought it was too much.

Anything beyond a small, simple job...I won't touch it for friends and family. It's not worth the hassle.