Sometimes people misunderstand how costs are calculated when building a home and they think savings can be gained by taking a portion of the work off their General Contractor’s plate. In truth, there’s very little savings to be had from the kinds of tasks a homeowner is able to offer.
Also, it’s important to keep in mind that we as a builder are liable to build everything properly and put a warranty on all of our work. If we make a mistake, we fix it at our cost. If a homeowner makes even a small mistake, the intended savings could be lost as the homeowner is liable to fix the mistake incurring further expenses as well as causing delays in the building schedule.
Many people will say “I can take care of the painting,” not realizing that painting is a task that interacts with the schedules and staging of more of the trades and materials than just about anything else. Almost every trade comes into contact with painting or is waiting for the painter at some point, so it can be very disruptive for the homeowner to be involved with this task.
Occasionally we have let a homeowner help with some of the work when building their home, but not to save money. Most of the time it’s because the homeowner wants to feel invested in the building process and put some sweat into the house itself. Being able to say, “I laid these bricks in the patio with my own two hands” can be a great feeling. We just need to make sure your role is clearly defined to ensure there are no miscommunications.
