Introduction [from the book Working For Subs]

[below is a excerpt from a book by this author:]

 Introduction:

“Unless the LORD build the house, they labor in vain who build.” – Psalm127 ⁱ


Late one evening after having been on the job site for about two hours, this builder was leveling windows, because the framer did not show, and the bricklayer was scheduled to arrive the following day. A stranger dropped by to observe and asked, “Are you the framer,” probably confused by the non work-like attire. After replying, “No, I’m the builder,” The stranger followed quickly with, “Oh, so you are working for subs?” I paused momentarily before realizing what he had meant and replied, “I guess you are right.”

We both chuckled with the understanding that most homebuilders are at the mercy of subcontractors (subs) rather than the reverse that would be expected of your hires in most industries. The quality of you subs determines the outcome of your construction project. The passerby’s comment has stuck with me ever since, and has become the title of this book. If a self-homebuilder can learn how to manage his subcontractors, he has conquered one of the most vexing problems facing this specialty endeavor of contracting.

When an individual undertakes the chore of constructing his own shelter, many times he is the only one who will be available to repair the work that his subcontractors have botched or inadvertently omitted from their scope of work. The reader may well wonder why the main contractor has to stoop to the level of completing work which he has paid someone else to perform? If you want to finish your job on time and under budget, your level of commitment will be tested many times before securing the final inspection. Often you may pray that “the Lord would build the house.”

You will overlook ordering certain materials, like flashing for the roofer or extra studs for the framer. The trim carpenter will be due on the job, and you may have overlooked having the slab swept out the day before. The inspector will be arriving within an hour, and the framer did not anchor the plates at every location. If you want your job to proceed expeditiously to the next phase, whom else will you get to do these minor tasks properly at the last minute but yourself? Otherwise, your next arriving subcontractor may find the job not ready, and move on to his backup contract for the next two weeks, putting your job off for that amount of time.

This book will guide the self-homebuilder with each step (Appx. B) to be taken in the order required, and possible pitfalls he /she may encounter along the path to self-building or hiring a contractor to build his /her own home. The real truth about building your home will be revealed, which you won’t read in other books of this type, so that you can make a rational decision before adopting a plan to begin construction. Many suggestions and construction techniques adopted in this book may appear unconventional to the straight-laced new builder. Once you enter the world of errant subcontractors and unexpected obstacles that homebuilding is, the realization that your attempts to control every detail in a professional orderly manner could lead to overwhelming frustration. You must be flexible and bend to accept many deviations.

Your first impression of this writing may be that it appears like a lot of reading. I suggest this reading is minor compared to the detail and education you will encounter in homebuilding. Using this book as a guide to understanding, and hiring a general contractor may be your best course if the reading seems intimidating.

The New Home Owner's Required Experience:

The following pages will introduce you to the reality of attempting to build a home. Can anyone build a house? The fast answer for most people is, not without advice and help. Not everyone possesses the organization or diligence to accomplish the task. The readers of this book will, however, be given the facts upon which to base their self-assessment as to whether they should attempt their own construction. The anecdotes and experiences of the author will give you insight into to your own attitude, personality, and temperament in regard to undertaking such a project. What you would never attempt yourself can be accomplished by a multitude of professionals offering services, including procurement, legal advice, design, land acquisition, logistics, accounting, bookkeeping, skilled labor, etc.

If you want to save thousands of dollars on your next home, have a rewarding, self-fulfilling experience, live in a comfortable and secure home that you built, and gain knowledge which will help you the rest of your life, then you are a candidate for building your own home. The overall project may seem daunting at first thought, but when performed a step at a time each phase is basically simple and can easily be accomplished by a persistent individual. This method is illustrated sequentially in Working for Subs, available by ebook (Kindle format) or in print at Amazon.com.

This book attempts to educate the reader with its orderly method of explanation of the construction for your home. Most do-it-yourself, build your own home books give overall information on each aspect of the building process, but Working for Subs will take you through each task in the construction effort in logical order. Other building books will not give you an organized simplified method of the order of tasks to completion, but this book does. You will learn where to find subcontractors and how to negotiate with them.

Even if you do decided to undertake your own building, you may want to hire a general contractor as a consultant on an hourly basis. Someone, who has many years of experience with local conditions and requirements and has managed subs, could prove to be invaluable to a neophyte in the trade. A mentor (general contractor) of this sort might be found from the local homebuilders’ association, or by asking other builders and subcontractors. He could be a retired contractor or even a small builder who only builds two to four houses per year and has the time to offer you advice. An experienced builder can save you a lot of wasted cost and misplaced effort.

Inside this writing is given to you a working knowledge of the business, directing you to ask the right questions at the appropriate time of or whom you hire. You will still have to perform the large majority of planning, estimating, ordering, scheduling, hiring, etc., regardless of whom you consult for advice. Our errors are discussed, so you can avoid similar mistakes without having to experience them.

Building your own domicile is not an easy undertaking, but if you are organized and persevere, by attempting one appropriate task before another, it can be accomplished. The whole experience will appear as nothing more than a walk along a challenging but very rewarding path to a Shangri-la of your own making.

The Step-By-Step Journey

You will begin to understand that even though building your home is a complex multidisciplined undertaking each aspect is still basically simple. This is, because when broken down a task at a time, one before the other, in the order that each activity must be performed, the building of your home becomes an easily understandable excursion. Just as stated by Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu,ⁱⁱ “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step,” the homebuilding journey begins with a single step and continues in a task-by-task order. Each of these steps can be easily understood and accomplished when viewed individually instead of overwhelmingly as a whole.

The chapter titles in this book are named to delineate the major milestones of constructing your home, but each chapter also contains multiple sub-milestones that are important. Chapter 2 for example is entitled Finding and Purchasing The Lot, however structuring a form of doing business (e.g. LLC), discussed later in chapter 2, can be critical as well. Each chapter’s title refers to the primary task discussed therein but many other tasks are also contained. See the Detailed Schedules of tasks in Appendix B and in most chapters, rather than the title, for a more thorough list of the content of that chapter.

Other books on the market may offer to lead you on a step-by-step road to construct your house, but you may discover their information disorganized, too brief, or misleading. Many of the elaborate details, concocted to explain the process are just not necessary for the self-contractor and confuse the path toward final completion. This writing attempts to give something unique, which other build-it-yourself books do not. Others give a rough look at each part of the building process, but none give a day-by-day, one-by-one, step-by-step flow of the construction effort with typical problems encountered along the path, like this book.

Working for Subs does not attempt to be a technical manual, micro-managing every structural and aesthetic aspect of construction, nor does it contain elaborate diagrams of components, code references, or tables of materials and their qualities even though there are many useful tables, lists, and schedules included. Other sources and references are available that provide detailed drawings and building code explanations. It is not necessary to know how to perform every activity intricately in order to contract your home. Professionals you hire will handle the varied chores. This book instead will give the reader a step-by-step orderly approach to contract their own medium-sized home putting one task before another in a logical fashion – a contracting cookbook of sorts.

This method of explanation lends itself well to building a residence, since it is truly a process where particular tasks must be performed in progressive order. You could not put on the roof before building the walls or the walls prior to the foundation. Even though there are certain tasks, which may be accomplished simultaneously, the over all majority of duties will be like Lao Tzu’s journey, a critical path of individual steps one before other.

Though this book is devoted to the self-homebuilder, it is also constructive to inform those who want a guide for understanding the various building procedures. You may want to use the book in order to understand the building process of your general contractor, and to communicate on a more informed basis. This writing has employed a colloquial manner of expression in order to incorporate the familiar language of the building industry, and to prepare the reader/builder for understanding the various job-related terms and jargon he will encounter. Even though this book is devoted to the self-homebuilder, it is constructive to inform those who also wish to use it as a guide for observing a general contractor they might hire. You may want to use the book in order to understand the building process your general is following and to communicate in the job-site lingo. (continued in book)

i The New American Bible - http://www.usccb.org/nab/bible/

ii Lao-tzu, The Way of Lao-tzu, Chinese philosopher (604 BC - 531 BC) http://www.quotationspage.com/quote/24004.html#note

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Siting - excerpt from book, ,,,,,, Working for Subs

 CHAPTER 4 Siting The Home:

Once you have purchased the lot, completed your design, and received quotations for the long lead time (time between ordering and receipt) items and subcontractors it is time to apply for permits. After receiving your building and storm water permits you should obtain builder’s risk and other insurance (Chap. 2) prior to allowing anyone to set foot on the lot.

The major activities of this chapter are securing the building permit, other paperwork necessary to begin construction, as well as lot clearing and grading. More fees must be paid, and notices must be posted and made, depending upon your state and local laws and codes.

Detailed Schedule –Part C*

• File a Notice of Intent (FL) & SWPPP³⁴ (fax or email address __________________) (continued in book)
  
• Fill out “EPL” card (Energy Performance Level) for permit -Florida Building Code, Chap. 13, Energy Code.
  
• Notice of Commencement (Florida) –owner shall record w/ clerk before(continued in book)
  
• Must pay Water Tap fee $_______ & Sewer tap fee $_______ (unless septic field) before can get permit. Get Lot & Block no.(continued in book)
  
• Building Permit application with state ENERGY CODE calculations. Must include stair details on plans. Date permit received_________; PERMIT NO. ____________; (in TN Need: Address Certificate, 2 site plans & 1 floor plan)
  
• FL Bldg Code required INSPECTIONS list: Foundation, Framing, Sheathing, (continued in book)
  
• Inspections called by others: Electrical, Plumbing, Mechanical, and Gas (these subs call their own inspections for: underground, Roughin, & Final).
  
• Builder’s Risk Insurance: (Include sweat equity in estimated cost of construction.)
  
• BBHWA⁶ “Construction Indication” form before breaking ground. (continued in book)
  
• FLORIDA POSTINGS on SITE: (Ch.1 FL Bldg. Code) (continued in book)
  
• Notify power company: Order temporary power pedestal before slab work.
  
• Plumber to give septic elevation (building sewer invert elev.) for fill and grading.
  
• (continued in book)
• Lot clearing tree removal (Add fill dirt to raise elevation to above septic field), grade lot, roughin septic field.
  

*Detailed Schedule – Part C in this chapter continues the sequence of construction tasks following Part B in Chapter 3. See Appendix B for the complete Detailed Schedule. Dimensions and amounts are based on codes in Tennessee, Colorado, and Florida, local requirements, and the Uniform Building Code that change frequently. Verify all in this book before acting on them.

Building Permit:

Many municipalities base the cost of the building permit upon the total covered square footage of the structure, including garages, porches, and other areas under roof. The permit cost difference from state to state can be significant.

So called impact fees (imposed for the supposed impact upon public utilities) may have already been paid by the developer of your property. Impact fees allow the countys to gain extra tax revenues under the guise of having to provide more services, plant and equipment for roads, power, gas, and water to your grand estate. If the developer did not pay this tax, or if you are the developer, you may be required to pay the impact fees. Verify this before purchasing your lot. The NAHB in its Impact Fee Handbookⁱ attributes 4% of the price of an average single-family home in 2008 to impact, permit, and hookup fees alone. That's $8,000 for a home costing $200,000, going to plant and equipment that is supposedly covered by other local taxes.

This places an undue burden on the new homebuyer that theoretically benefits the community, and contributes to making new homes more expensive than existing. Many communities faced with declining housing during the downturn of 2008, suspended these excessive impact fees when faced with the reality of declining property taxes due to reduction in building. Reducing taxes produces greater revenue through more growth.

Dealing with Code enforcement (Building Dept):

Building departments began as agencies protecting the public safety, and evolved to elaborate bureaucracies with enormous bodies of codes and regulations dealing with issues not limited to safety. This is due to the natural tendency of unrestrained government to grow, as there is no end to the desire to regulate, nor its rationalized justification. Building quality control used to be just a local list of requirements, then expanded to statewide mandates. Now, the new International Building Code is emerging that, as its name implies, will give central control of building to a universal committee (ICCⁱⁱ). In Texas and California some towns have gone beyond protecting the public safety and are requiring design elements like fireplaces, windows in garage doors, brick on all exterior walls, and are specifying minimum living areas - a clear government overreach.

“In 1991, a commission of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development organized by then-Secretary Jack Kemp reported that one of the most serious barriers to affordable housing was the existence of costly and counterproductive government policies…. The report estimated that [government] regulations increased the average price of housing by between 20 percent and 35 percent,” according to the John Locke Foundationⁱⁱⁱ. That was years ago, and regulations have increased exponentially since. That means that more than one-third of your home cost is due to government regulations, many of which are indirectly related. “The total tax and fees on the American dream in Florida is as high as 34 percent in some jurisdictions – making Florida the state with the second highest fees on new home construction^iv,” the president of the FHBA (Florida Homebuilder's Association, www.fhba.com) stated in 2007. These expenses do not even include the hidden costs due to subsidies for low-income housing, interest rate manipulation, and other false economies created by government’s artificial propping-up of the housing market.

Not only does your government make operating a building business increasingly challenging due to excessive regulation of the residential construction industry, but the easy money attitude since the creation of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae resulted in the so called Great Recession of 2008, and undermined the livelihood of many subcontractors, homeowners, and small builders³¹. Under presidents Bill Clinton in 2000, and George Bush in 2007, required lending quotas to unqualified buyers to be lowered. Sen. Barney Frank imposed affordable housing requirements on the two government sponsored enterprises, stating, I want to roll the dice a little bit more in this situation toward government subsidized housing. Down payment barriers were reduced to as low as 3% for conventional loans from the previously safe level of 20% for an FHA loan, and low interest rates were encouraged by the Federal Reserve’s actions. These lost jobs statistics will not be found in the unemployment rolls, since the loss of work largely affects independent contractors and small business owners, not employees who claim unemployment compensation from the government. Many construction industry operatives never reentered the businesses devastated by their rulers. The housing market usually leads the US into and out of recessions, but our misguided leaders are seemingly unaware of this.

The historically large housing downturn that began to haunt the independent builder or subcontractor in 2007, appeared to have no end in sight for a number of years. The survival mentality and resilience of our enterprising citizens who were working at or below cost to stay afloat is commendable in spite of all the regulatory burdens placed upon them in trying times by federal and local governments.
The cause of the world-wide^v collapse in housing and thus the financial sector that began in 2007, is multifaceted and examined in detail by The Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission in its report^vi, in the references at the end of this book, but is not conclusive. There are dissenting opinions^vii by some of the members of this commission of the appointed four Republicans and six Democrats, which was established by Congress in May 2009, under the Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act, signed by President Barrack Obama. In its Conclusions the commission succinctly states, …it was the collapse of the housing bubble—fueled by low interest rates, easy and available credit, scant regulation, and toxic mortgages— that was the spark that ignited a string of events, which led to a full-blown crisis in the fall of 2008. Regardless, in its detailed explanations the commission tends to downplay the role of the federal government in actively encouraging the reckless lending that precipitated the debacle.³¹

The same historical mistakes are being repeated today.
All of this macro economic influence seems to have little effect on your dealings with your local building department. The everyday, mundane tasks of dealing with authorities continues.

(this discussion continued in book).

...

Storm Water:

The developer of a subdivision must comply with the Clean Water Act (CWA) passed by Congress, which entails preventing pollutants (including sediment) from running off the land with storm water. In order to comply land owners must have a storm water pollution prevention plan (SWPPP)ⁱ, implemented by installing erosion control fencing and hay bales, sweeping streets after a heavy rain, creating berms and retention areas to prevent runoff, etc. The requirements vary from state to state.

You should request a copy of the SWPPP from the developer of your subdivision before purchasing a lot. In many locales you will be allowed to use his master plan for the subdivision, which will avoid many thousands of dollars in costs to develop. A National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permitⁱⁱ to the developer covers the requirements of the plan. You may be allowed to file a Notice of Intent or other document to agree that you will comply with the master SWPPP of the developer under his NPDES permit. Once your project is completed you must also notify the authorities that you wish to terminate the permit coverage. Be sure to read the extensive literature from the EPA in the Endnote references and Appx. A at the end of this book for the full requirements as well as the literature from your state.

Issues cannot be avoided in building, they will arise. One home we built was on a steep rise above a neighbor’s rear yard with a swimming pool. The owner’s pool contractor called to ask if he could dump the dirt from the pool excavation on our lot. We were glad to allow it, since we would probably need fill dirt later anyway. Before beginning grading of our lot, rain runoff carried a slight bit of sediment into that new pool from the dirt of the same neighbor’s excavation, and turned the water a yellowish color.

At the neighbor’s request we erected silt fencing and barriers, but the erosion continued until sod was eventually planted months later. Her pool deck was not properly sloped away from the pool and backed up to our rear yard with no swale to divert water away, acting as a perfect funnel for the runoff into the pool. This was before the state was heavily applying the rules covering storm water from small individual construction sites. We had done a favor in allowing the neighbor's pool excavator to deposit dirt on our lot, but we were considered responsible for that dirt when it washed back to that lot, an almost impossible situation to correct. A couple of years later our job would have been shut down or some expensive elaborate system would have been required to be devised to control the small flow. So, be aware of your surrounding water flow paths as well as your own.

Had the neighbor’s pool deck been properly sloped with a swale to carry water around it, and had we not allowed their contractor to dump loose dirt on our lot, the problem would have been avoided. Thankfully, we finished the job ahead of schedule and (continued in book).
CLICK "older posts" ON RIGHT AT BASE OF THIS PAGE TO READ MORE:

i Environmental Protection Agency of the United States. National Pollution Discharge Elimination System - Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan. [article from the internet]. [cited 2013 May 22]. Available from: cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/stormwater/cgp.cfm

ii http://www.cicacenter.org/swppp.html

also: www.epa.gov/npdes/pubs/sw_swppp_guide.pdf

.......

i National Association of Homebuilders. Impact Fee Handbook. By Development Planning and Financing Group 2008 version. [ebook from the internet]. [cited 2013 May 23]. Available from: www.nahb.org/fileUpload_details.aspx?contentID=184609&fromGSA=1

ii International Code Council, Inc., 5023 Leesburg Pike, Ste. 600, Falls Church, Virginia 22041.

iii http://www.johnlocke.org/agenda2006/housing.html

iv FHB Action News (June 18, 2007) President’s Message By John Wiseman.

v http://fcic-static.law.stanford.edu/cdn_media/fcic-reports/fcic_final_report_hennessey_holtz-eakin_thomas_dissent.pdf

vi http://fcic.law.stanford.edu/report/

vii http://fcic-static.law.stanford.edu/cdn_media/fcic-reports/fcic_final_report_wallison_dissent.pdf

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How to construct a house blog - OSHA requirements Appx G of book

Appendix G – OSHA Requirements:

This Appendix highlights a few significant OSHA issues in an attempt to simplify another overwhelming collection of government regulations. The following paragraph is excerpted from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration website:


Personal protective equipment, commonly referred to as "PPE", is equipment worn to minimize exposure to serious workplace injuries and illnesses. These injuries and illnesses may result from contact with chemical, radiological, physical, electrical, mechanical, or other workplace hazards. Personal protective equipment may include items such as gloves, safety glasses and shoes, earplugs or muffs, hard hats, respirators, or coveralls, vests and full body suits.


Other equipment for the job site includes a fire extinguisher, respirators, harnesses, tethers, steel-toed shoes, and gloves among the various requirements. Requirements can be found from the official web page / URL : https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/personalprotectiveequipment/

THE FATAL FOUR

Of the very large complex body of OSHA rules and regulations some critical issues can be identified that OSHA considers more important. The so-called “fatal four” accidents are targeted by inspectors and should be prepared for in advance. These are according to the government web site https://www.osha.gov/oshstats/commonstats.html :

• Falls — 294 out of 796 total deaths in construction in CY 2013 (36.9%)
• Struck by Object — 82 (10.3%)
• Electrocutions — 71 (8.9%)
• Caught-in/between — 21 (2.6%)

Further the web page states:

Out of 3,929* worker fatalities in private industry in calendar year 2013, 796 or 20.3% were in construction―that is, one in five worker deaths last year were in construction. The leading causes of worker deaths on construction sites were falls, followed by struck by object, electrocution, and caught-in/between. These "Fatal Four" were responsible for more than half (58.7%) the construction worker deaths in 2013*, BLS reports. Eliminating the Fatal Four would save 468 workers' lives in America every year.

It would be wise for any contractor at a minimum to prepare their job site for these four targets by inspectors.

TYPICAL MSDS, MATERIAL SAFETY DATA SHEET:

Builders and contractors should have a full three ring binder of MSDS's on site in the job box for every hazardous chemical, material, or substance on their project. A typical residential collection of 8-1/2” x 11” MSDS papers will be over three inches thick.

Most suppliers will provide Material Safety Data Sheets for products that they provide. Many are available on the internet. One example is the GAF company's MSDS for duct sealant available online from:

http://www.gaf.com/Warranties_Technical_Documents/MSDS_Documents/Air_Duct_Sealant_MSDS.pdf

TYPICAL JOB SITE TOOLBOX TALK RECORD:

The following is a condensed form to be filled in at least weekly on the job, documenting that a training session with workers took place regularly:

TRAINING RECORD

for (insert company name)

(job location)

Topic Discussed:

Date:

1. (employee signature)
2. (signature)
3. (signature)
4. ....

Training conducted by ____________________________________ (sign)

TYPICAL OSHA JOB INSPECTION CHECKLIST:

Job Location: ______________________ Date: _____________ Inspector: ______________________

TYPE	ITEM	READY	NOT	REMARKS
Postings	OSHA bulletin board
	Emergency phone numbers
	MSDS available
Miscellany	Access roads & drives
	First Aide Kits
	Parking & site level
	Ditches / Trenches protection
	Portable toilets
Equipmnt	Scaffolding ready
	Guardrails, ladders, catwalks
	No exposed hazzards - rebar
	Job box complete
	Crane outriggers, hook clip
	Heater locations
Workers	Hard hats, goggles
	respirators
	Harnesses, teathers roofing
	attaire
Electrical	GFIC in place
	Cords condition
Other

This form is a suggested list of items to verify in preparation for a surprise OSHA inspection, and as a job record, showing continuous compliance.

TYPICAL JOBSITE BULLETIN BOARD & BOX:

The posted bulletin board on the site should contain at a minimum:

• Job Safety and Health Sign
• Labor Signs
• Right to Know Law (HAZCOM)
• Doctor & Emergency Phone Numbers
• MSDS Location
• Company notices and policies

An on-site job box should contain:

• Written company safety program
• Written Hazard Communication program
• MSDS's
• Power Tool Instructions
• First Aid Kit
• Extra Hard Hats, Safety Glasses, etc.

10 PROBLEMS TO AVOID:

The following were the top 10 most frequently cited standards by Federal OSHA in fiscal year 2014 (October 1, 2013 through September 30, 2014):

1. Fall protection, construction (29 CFR 1926.501) [related OSHA Safety and Health Topics page]
2. Hazard communication standard, general industry (29 CFR 1910.1200) [related OSHA Safety and Health Topics page]
3. Scaffolding, general requirements, construction (29 CFR 1926.451) [related OSHA Safety and Health Topics page]
4. Respiratory protection, general industry (29 CFR 1910.134) [related OSHA Safety and Health Topics page]
5. Powered industrial trucks, general industry (29 CFR 1910.178) [related OSHA Safety and Health Topics page]
6. Control of hazardous energy (lockout/tagout), general industry (29 CFR 1910.147) [related OSHA Safety and Health Topics page]
7. Ladders, construction (29 CFR 1926.1053) [related OSHA Safety and Health Topics page]
8. Electrical, wiring methods, components and equipment, general industry (29 CFR 1910.305) [related OSHA Safety and Health Topics page]
9. Machinery and Machine Guarding, general requirements (29 CFR 1910.212) [related OSHA Safety and Health Topics page]
10. Electrical systems design, general requirements, general industry (29 CFR 1910.303) [related OSHA Safety and Health Topics page]

FALL PREVENTION GUARDRAILS:

Residential stairways and balconies require temporary guardrails. These can be designed according to the OSHA website:

https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/construction/falls/guardrail.html

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About this blog - Building Your Own Home

This blog intends a new post every other week, but could vary.
The posts contain information necessary to build a house and work with contractors.

It is unrealistic to attempt to give give all the information and education required to build your own home in any blog of short posts, week-to- week.      This blog can only scratch the surface of tasks and knowledge necessary for the construction of a dwelling.

The author had to write an entire 306 page book to lend credit to the body of knowledge a homebuilder will need to complete the endeavor.   Within the book, Working for Subs - How to Build a House and Work with Contractors the reader will find a basic list of tasks in chronological order with expanded explanation of each.

This list of tasks to complete a house is enumerated in the Detailed Schedule found throughout the 19 chapters and totally compiled in one of the 10 appendices.    The chapters describe each task in much detail and aid in other areas of construction with photographs, charts, and diagrams.

See other posts following this in the blog for a preview of the book and the Amazon link to it.

Excerpt from book's introduction:

 Your Sweat Equity:

This author has never lost money on any house he has built. This was true even during a major housing downturn in Colorado through the late 1980’s and again in western Tennessee through the early 1990’s and another downturn there in 2004. The foresight not to build beginning in 2006 saved losing on any construction in the major housing downturn at that time. The only time money was lost on any home was after buying one built by others in 2005, in Florida, just prior to the government caused real estate bubble bursting in 2008.

The residential real estate market collapse offered some temporary beneficial effects for the self-home builder. Materials and labor became cheaper and more available, weak builder competitors were weeded out of the marketplace, banks and lenders became stronger as their bad loans were diminished, lending practices became more conservative, and unhealthy rampant speculation began to be forced out of the industry. Interest rates were falling for mortgages, and this helped the housing affordability index.

These short-lived benefits briefly assisted the low-overhead homebuilder in prospering, since he was buying low, with less competition and more stability in the depressed housing sector. Subsequently your sweat equity cushion from building your own home will give you a margin of safety with any drop in housing prices, and a nice profit in normal times. Continued government meddling guarantees wild price swings.

The only year this writer used a CPA to do his taxes, in 1991, the accountant was amazed at how much the profit was on the houses sold that year. This was because much of the income was due to my own sweat equity expended during building. Had others been contracted to perform that subcontract work, the savings would not have materialized. Since that year this builder has used tax preparation software to self-complete business taxes, eliminating yet another direct cost.

There are designers, subcontractors, lawyers, Realtors, bankers, accountants and bookkeepers you must hire if you do not have the time or means to accomplish the work of each. The more of these expenses you want to avoid, the more knowledge you must have of each of these professions. It is possible to handle much of the work of each of these disciplines by yourself if you are willing to invest the time and effort to gain the education you will need. Working for Subs is the blueprint for that education. The more work you do yourself the more your [sweat] equity will increase in your new home.

Build Your Own Home & work with Contractors

Chapter 13: Drywall and Concrete Flatwork

The below is an excerpt from a book of 309 pages, 19 Chapters, 10 Appendices

                  - (See Amazon for URL link to preview, following this.)

The major activities of this chapter are Drywall (sheetrock) and exterior concrete work.

Detailed Schedule - Part I*

• Drywall smooth ceilings (except garage) (hang, tape, and mud in 2 weeks). Builder to cover doors/windows/fireplace (temporary heat?)
  
• Texture (garage ceiling,) bullnose corner bead?
  
• Insulation blown above ceiling after drywall hung and taped.
  
• Call-before-dig (800-351-1111 or 811 in Tennessee.) Give 72hr notice -good for 15 subsequent days.
  
• Get employee / Sub I-9 forms, SSN, W-4’s, address, phone, I-15 workman comp. Get Certificate of Insurance (See Chapter 5.)
  
• Order Driveway & walk forms (form boards.) Pour driveway, walks at street & house, patio, porch, condensing unit pad, door stoops, brick inlay block-outs, steps, stairs on hill.
  
• Order: 2x4 forms, treated 1x4 joint, retarder, mesh (if desired,) & expansion joint.
  
• (Call Code Enforcement for driveway inlet inspection).
  
• Call Termite pre-treatment spray for porch & patio before pour driveway etc. Need termite pre-treat under porches & ...                          

 (SCHEDULE IS CONTINUED IN BOOK)

*Detailed Schedule – Part I in this chapter continues the sequence of construction tasks, following Part H in Chapter 12. See Appendix B for complete Detailed Schedule. Dimensions and amounts are based on codes in Tennessee, Colorado, and Florida, local requirements, and the Uniform Building Code that change annually in some cases, so verify all in this book before acting on them.

Scope of Work for Drywall Sub:

Chapter 12 describes steps to prepare for the drywall (also called: sheetrock, gyp board, gypsum board.) Many builders will order their own drywall, and hire labor to hang, finish, and sand it. This can save a little money, but we always found it better to get a complete job from one subcontractor. If you have never done this type of work you will under or over order, and your job will either experience delays or excess waste because of your inexperience. When the drywall subcontractor is responsible for producing a total package, there will be only one source of errors and only one person to call for corrections. He knows how to order the correct number of sheets and where to store them inside the house. This sub will order cornerbead, mud, screws, nails, tape, texture, and will be responsible for the correct quantity of each.

The sheetrock sub will supply all wallboard, will hang it, and finish it. You will have to clean out the house as he proceeds, and there is usually a great deal of waste. Much of the waste is due to your sub’s laborers being paid by the piece (number of sheets hung,) rather than by the hour or by the job. This encourages the hanger to cut up as many sheets as he can, a lot of which is discarded. You can throw this waste out the windows and have your trash sub haul it off.

If your drywaller hanger uses screws rather than nails, the job will produce a nicer finish, but either is adequate. Nails produce a few so-called pops, where the head eventually shows, but this is easily repaired. Nail pops are not normally covered by a builder’s warranty, and are an expected byproduct of construction (we repaired them anyway.)

Photo 14: Curved drywall walls, flared stair, with iron balusters, balcony, and rails, job-built treads.

Curved walls (Photo 14) always proved to be the most difficult application for flat drywall sheets. Usually the curve was framed by setting studs about three inches apart on a radiused plate, sawn on a curve out of treated 2x10 or similar lumber. The normally straight drywall had to be scored and broken at intervals that formed sections of small straight wall that had to be mudded repeatedly with a trowel to form a curved surface. This took some artistic ability and many, many trips from the finisher to complete. They never applied enough compound, and the curve was never smooth. I would often have to complete the inadequately curved surface by building up layers of drywall mud, allowing it to dry between coats, and sanding. Drywallers were production conscious and would move on to the next large job before completing details like a rounded wall.

Many different techniques have been observed to attempt a curved wall from flat sheets of thin plywood or metal sheets. Few have been successful. The best way seemed to be to spray a couple of sheets of ¼” sheetrock with a water hose periodically while they lay against a wall until bowing. Then two still damp layers were stacked to make a 1/2” thickness on top of each other on the stud wall and screwed then mudded. It was not perfect and still required several applications of joint compound to create a smooth curved surface, but it was closer than other methods. To summarize, your sub will not provide an adequate curved wall, and you will have to finish it yourself, or hire someone and pay them extra to do it.

Drywall is available in traditional four foot and in five foot wide sheets, that are made to accommodate a nine or ten foot ceiling. This can thus be facilitated without installing an extra one foot wide cut piece on top of two four-foot sheets and having to mud an extra joint to achieve the same ten foot height. The sheetrock subs still charge extra for the higher ceilings, regardless of the fact that there is no more work. This is probably just because they can.

Bullnose cornerbead has attained recent popularity and is really attractive. This curved-nosed edge on outside corners of openings and wall edges will cost more. The subs say it is harder to finish. You may have to follow the drywall finisher with a trowel and joint compound to complete his work, as the radiused edges will be left incomplete and rough looking otherwise. The subs seldom get a smooth final finish on bullnose. Arched bullnose cornerbead is available also in a series of split tabs for bending. This rounded-edged wall effect appears more in southwestern architecture where adobe likely originated.

On a few early porch ceilings we used green board that was gypsum board with a green paper skin, and was designated for damp areas, since the paper was water resistant (but not the board, which was under roof.) This was used in lieu of Masonite hardboard for a smooth ceiling. We always had to remind the drywall finisher when omitted, because it was not usual, and he would overlook it. This had to be prepared as a smooth finished ceiling even though the interior might be textured, but the joints were hidden with tape and joint compound (mud.) Since the framer, the drywaller, the painter, and other subs were not accustomed to using it, we discontinued this practice to avoid confusing our trades (subcontractors.) Chapter 17 discusses finishes for the drywall ceiling.

Green board was also used on some shower wall surrounds, but proved also difficult to execute, as the drywall sub would always forget to order it and the tile sub was not used to using it. So, eventually we began using the more expensive conventional cement board Durock.

Another problem you may encounter is that OSHA requires erection of a temporary construction guardrail at any balcony or landing above a certain height. You may have to do this work, as the framer will have moved on to another job. The easiest way is to use lag screws into the side of the balcony edge to hold up 2x4 posts to which rails will be fastened. Then when the drywaller is hanging, he will rip down the guardrails, creating a violation, in order to cover the edge. Some manufacturers have created expensive boots to be set on top of the balcony and avoid this conflict. It may just be easier and less risky to tell the hanger that you will repair the spots where the posts are later, and to leave the guardrail in place.

It usually takes a drywall contractor about two weeks to complete his work, prior to texturing the ceiling at a later date (See chapter 17.) This author would often take a vacation about this time, since there was nothing to be done until the drywaller finished hanging, taping, mudding (two or three coats,) and sanding the joints. After the taping begins you can call the insulator to blow in the ceiling insulation. In winter it may be necessary to provide temporary heat, so the mud joints set up properly without cracking. A gas-fired salamander heater that uses propane or natural gas gives off water vapor as a byproduct of combustion, thus requiring longer drying times, but stronger joints due to the slower rate. Electric heat for a construction project can be more expensive, but we used to plug small space heaters in the temporary power supply, and use unmetered power (this is confidential.)

Steel Tub Protection:

Several enameled steel tubs had to be replaced at our expense due to the drywall hanger either missing with his hammer, or the nails and debris he dropped into the tub being stepped on while working, or someone stepping on the rim with gritty boots. All of these errors caused chips and dings in the tubs. No one ever admitted to having been responsible, but we knew which sub was there working around the tubs, usually the drywaller. The plumber had to install the tub prior to drywall being hung in order to get his roughin inspection before the framing inspection could be certified. He would have to do a standing water test in each tub to check for leaks in the piping, so delaying the tub installation at this stage was not an option.

All sorts of innovations were attempted to protect the tubs from damage, including duct taping the cardboard cutouts from the shipping boxes on the tub surfaces, as .... (CONTINUED IN BOOK)
...

Contractor’s Duties for Concrete Flatwork:

You may be surprised to learn that the exterior driveway, walks, patio, porches, air conditioning pads, steps, and other flatwork are poured prior to final grading (see Chapter 18). It may seem reasonable that the grading of the land should be established prior to realizing the correct placement of concrete. This is not the case, since the final grading will be determined based upon the elevation of concrete surfaces lying there that connect to the house pad and street at a predetermined elevations. Your subcontractor should have sufficient expertise to judge the contour of the final landscape and roughly excavate for his concrete flatwork based upon his assessment of the final slope of grade, due to lot edge elevations, drainage, slab, and street levels.

Driveways normally slope continuously toward the street gutters. Walks must slope to drain, and abut the porch and driveway or street at each end. Patios and porches connect to the house at about four inches below the floor level and pitched to drain away from the house at least 2% (2 inch drop per 100 inches horizontally). A different slope may be stipulated by local codes. All of these exterior concrete surfaces will have their underlayment graded by your concrete flatwork subcontractor before the grading sub returns.

We once had a lot where the street was about ten feet higher than the front garage entrance and the setback was only about forty feet. We had to build a swale into the driveway to carry water away from the garage door opening. This was one case where the drive did not slope toward the street, but dipped to the middle from both ends at steep slopes.

Be sure your plumber has finished installing his building sewer, cleanouts, water line, and gas main from street mains to the house, and that he has run pressure tests and passed required inspections prior to calling your concrete flatwork subcontractor to begin. The water meter box and cover should be installed and any electrical underground feeds (yard lanterns, main service, etc. must be completed. Call-before-Dig has to also be notified, and ground surface markings made by them before laying site concrete.

You, the general contractor, will have to order form materials for the flatwork. This will consist of 2 x 4 utility grade lumber in long lengths, usually sixteen feet or more for forms. Be sure to figure in enough 2 x 4 material for support stakes. Control joints can be scored with a hand tool after troweling, but it is better to use 1 x 4 cedar or treated lumber. In Florida galvanized angle is being used for driveway joint material. Order 5 lbs of twelve-penny (12 d) common nails for your sub to use in staking the forms. Include 1x4 butyl-impregnated joint, and liquid retarder (to slow the concrete surface curing process for a stronger bond.)

You will need to reach the local utility’s call-before-dig department several days prior to the arrival of the subcontractor, so that the earth can be marked, showing the location of utilities. Make a note on a calendar (or your computer or cell phone’s appointment alarm) as to when the call-before-dig guarantee expires, so that you will not be liable for any broken lines below grade. Even though the flatwork seems shallow, we had a sub break a high pressure gas main digging the drive inlet on one home....
.... (CONTINUED IN BOOK)

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2 parts of 15 parts of a Detailed Schedule of tasks to build a house

The below is an excerpt from a book of 309 pages, 19 Chapters, 10 Appendices

                  - (See Amazon for URL link to preview, following this.)

Appendix B – Complete Detailed Building Schedule

This appendix [excerpt] contains [part of the total] compiled detailed building schedule -a list from the fifteen partial lists (A-O) presented in the chapters of this book. The tasks shown should adequately cover the majority of details needed to complete a dwelling in chronological order.
Verify some municipal requirements with your city, county, and state authorities, as those detailed in this book reflect mostly Tennessee, Colorado, and Florida stipulations. Regulations, dimensions, and quantities are based on state codes, local requirements, and the Uniform Building Code that change frequently.

Planning & Preliminary - Part A         [1 part of 15 parts of the total schedule]

The below partial list, Part A of the Detailed Building Schedule, is from Chapter 2:

• Record Data: area (sq. ft.): 1^st floor ________ 2^nd floor ________ =Conditioned area (inside brick.) Garage area (outside blocks)= ________. Miles to Job______ Slab area(block to block, w/garage)_____. Lin. Ft. of outside footers _____1^st floor ____2^nd floor. _______Lineal ft. of perimeter with garage.
  
• Preliminary Preparation: Rough estimate of Lot cost. Get wetlands study (Florida) on lot, _________________ environmental engineer ________________phone.
  
• Lot Purchase Date ______________, Closing title Co. _____________________phone. Quit Claim Deed to LLC before construction permit pulled.
  
• Get developer’s SWPPP³² (storm water pollution prevention plan) permit number before closing lot purchase. –See Chapter 4.
  
• Liability insurance coverage may be increased by an umbrella policy if lot owned personally (not by LLC).
  
• Record Deed with county-Money order, Return envelope, certified (TN,) Verify recorded).
  
• Get address assignment for lot before Bldg. Permit & closing for lot description. _________________ Bldg. Dept. phone number.
  
• LLC Needs Contractor’s Liability Insurance (cheaper through Home Builder's Assn.)
  
• Need Workman’s Compensation insurance to cover Subs.
  
• Need Builder’s Risk Insurance.
  
• Warranty company: (HBW⁵ or BBHWA⁶) “Notice of Starts” or “Construction Indication” form before breaking ground. BBHWA call for “Risk Management number” _______________ phone number.
  

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Drawings & Estimates - Part B     [1 part of 15 parts of the total schedule]

The below partial list, Part B, is from Chapter 3:

• Detailed estimate of construction costs (Appendix F.)
  
• Drawing pages required by code enforcement for permit application: (e.g., per Shelby County, TN, 3 site, 5 floor, 2 roof, 2 joist, 1 elec, 1 plumbing, 1 slab section, stair detail, cornice detail, sections & other details.) (For the state of FL see List in the Bldg. Code.) Include 2 Duplicate plan sets for use in builder's office.
  
• Additional Plan Sets needed for early QUOTES from subs & suppliers:
  

1. Electrical,
   
2. HVAC,
   
3. Plumber,
   
4. Framer, trusses,
   
5. lumber. Request return of plans with proposals.
   
6. Small scale (1/8” = 1’) for convenience and copying.
   
7. Have FL Engineer stamp and produce structural drawings and details.
   
8. Truss company quote (truss drawing details come with truss order) - Chap.8.
   
9. Architectural Control Committee review in your subdivision / HOA.
   

• Accurate quotes desired early (after lot purchase, design, & prior to grading) are:
  

1. Grading & lot clearing quote
   
2. Roof Trusses and Truss joists
   
3. Appliances (to lock in price): Microwave, oven, Double or separate 2^nd oven & Range /downdraft, trash compactor, dishwasher, disposer, sink
   
4. Framing quote
   
5. Stone countertops (cultured? quartz composite?)
   
6. Wrought Iron: Gate, crawl space grilles, mailbox, balcony, stair rails
   
7. HVAC
   
8. Plumbing (see Chapter 7 for discussion)
   
9. Electrical (see Chapter 10 for discussion)
   
10. Slab labor quote
    
11. Window & exterior Door quote.
    

[continued in book, Total schedule is 15 parts - 2 shown on this post]

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