Getting the House Built

If you would rather build a house than buy one, there are several ways to go about

it. You can get an architect to plan the house and get a contractor to build it; this

should result in just the "perfect" house for you, but can be expensive unless you are

more than careful.

Hire the plans drawn and be your own contractor, letting the work out to sub-

contractors, as concrete men, carpenters, electricians, plasterers, etc. Do this only if

you have had considerable business experience and have plenty of time to devote to

it, as the supervision of these workmen is what you pay the general contractor to do.

You might get plans out of a magazine and proceed as suggested above; or get

some experienced person to help you with the plans and build part of the house

yourself, hiring professional help only where necessary.

Photo owned by Danrok

Of you could buy a lot, draw your own plans, and do the whole job yourself, with the

help of your family, hiring specialized skills only where absolutely necessary. This is

the most work, but can' also be the most fun and the least expensive. Much depends

on your experience, your skill, and the time you can afford to devote to the work.

If you decide to hire a general contractor to build for you, select him with care.

There are several criteria by which to judge a contractor's ability and competence.

Ask to see several houses that he has built; let him show you the houses, which he

should be proud to do, and look them over carefully. Satisfy yourself that he has

done the type of work that you want in your new house. Also get him to show you

houses he built two or three years ago, to see how they are standing the hard usage

of living. Go back later and have a good talk with the people for whom he has built,

rinding out from them how well they have been pleased in their dealings with him.

Has he done what he said he would? Has he built the house on time, and with

efficiency?

Equally important with the quality of the house are the business methods of the

contractor. Does he have a reputation for paying his bills? Does he get the work

done with dispatch? Is his work well organized, or do his jobs run at loose ends?

What has been his attitude toward coming back and making necessary adjustments

on the windows, doors, or plumbing, to get everything to working satisfactorily? This

may seem like a lot of trouble, but it is nothing compared to the trouble you can get

into, if you let the contract to an inefficient or dishonest contractor.

If the majority of his customers are highly pleased with the work he has done for

them, you are reasonably safe in dealing with a contractor, but if a large percentage

of them condemn him for various shortcomings, beware when you employ him, or

better yet, look for another contractor. It is a mistake to suppose that by getting a

good iron-clad contract, and a very complete set of plans and specifications that you

can get a dishonest or incapable contractor to do you a first class job.

Most contractors are honest and capable, of course. If a man has built several

houses, all of which are eminently satisfactory, that is pretty good evidence that he

will do the same for you. A little discreet inquiry will often give you several worth-

while clues as to what to expect from a certain contractor.

Sometimes a banker or the loan company will be able to help in selecting a

contractor. They probably will not say anything against anyone, but if you listen

carefully, they will praise some much more highly than others.

The real evidence of what a man will do is what he has done. But you can't tell much

about it just driving by in the street and looking at the houses at a distance. A house

may not be beautiful according to your standards, but the contractor may have built

it exactly according to the plans that were given him, and it may suit the owner just

fine. Given a different set of plans, he will build an entirely different kind of house.

When you have found three or four contractors who meet your standards, you let

them have the plans so they can bid on the job; that is, to let a contract, give sets of

the plans and specifications to several reputable contractors, let them figure the cost,

and make a firm bid, telling exactly how much it will cost to get them to build the

house in strict accordance with the plans and specifications. Then you get all the bids

together, study them carefully, and decide which builder you prefer.

Always keep these figures in the strictest confidence. It is very unethical to tell one

bidder what another has bid, unless you have a formal bid opening, which is not

usually good on small jobs. On large public works, formal bid openings are the

accepted thing.

The bids may vary a great deal as to the price asked, but it is not always wise to

accept the lowest bid, as you must do in a public bid opening. If you have been

wise, you have asked only builders in whom you have confidence to bid on your

job, but even then there are differences in the quality of different builders.

Sometimes the builder second from the lowest or even the middle one is to be

preferred. Two or three hundred dollars will not make much difference on a

twelve-thousand-dollar contract, but it might save you a lot of headaches to get

a builder who would do you a first-class job, without your having to watch him

too much and haggle with him all the time to get him to do the work the way you

want it.

A good reliable builder is greatly to be preferred over one that is careless or

indifferent. Get the best builder you can who also has a reasonable price. It may

sometimes happen that the best builder is also the cheapest. He can do his work

well and inexpensively because he has things well organized, and has an efficient crew

with good up-to-date equipment.

Get your contractor to give you a list of the subcontractors he intends to use on

your job. Check into the reputation of these sub-contractors. If you keep your ear

to the ground, you can get a lot of information without too much trouble. Of course,

you can't believe everything you hear, but a person's reputation as a reliable builder

is worth considering. Avoid irresponsible builders.

The Contract

The contract is a legal document, signed by both the owner and the contractor,

usually before a notary public, which together with the plans and specifications make

up the contract documents. The contract identifies the plans and specifications,

states when the work is to be started and when it is to be completed, states exactly

the cost of the building, when payments are to be made and how much, makes

provision for changes in the plans or specifications if the owner desires them,

states who is to do the building, and should also make some provision for settling

disputes in case of disagreement. Make up your mind for sure before you sign the

contract, as you will find it difficult, if not impossible, to do much changing after the

contract is signed.

Select the best contractor you can get and then trust him. After you have let the

contract to a responsible builder, have confidence in him instead of annoying him by

asking too many questions and getting in the way on the job. Do not give orders

to his workmen. They are working for him, and not for you; if you have any

orders to give, give them directly to the contractor, or possibly to his foreman.

A builder likes to do things the way he is accustomed to doing them and the way

his crew has learned to work. Anything that interferes with this routine slows down

the job, making it more expensive.

As the job progresses, you will see why it was so necessary to have the plans

complete and the specifications so accurate. These are the only things you and the

contractor have to guide you in building the house. If they are not clear and

accurate, the contractor may have an idea exactly opposite to yours about what

you want.

Don't just go out and change your mind every day about how you want the house

built. That will certainly cost you money and result in a poorly built house.

This is a good place to emphasize the importance of careful planning over a

reasonably long period of time, to give you opportunity to change your mind

several times, and to investigate many possibilities.

After you have started to build, stop going to visit more houses to get ideas

about your house. Do all this before you complete your plans and let the contract.

You can't get everything in one house anyway. After the contract is let, do not

make any changes unless you find that a gross mistake has been made. Every time

you order a change after the contract is signed, you will pay from five dollars to a

hundred dollars extra, more than it would have cost if it had been incorporated in

the original plans and specifications.

In inspecting the work of the contractor, if something does not look just right to

you, get some unbiased experienced person to look at it with you before you say

too much. What may not look good when partly done may, in fact, be perfectly OK

when finished.

When the house is finished, before the final payment is made, go over everything

carefully to make sure that nothing has been omitted and that everything is

working in a satisfactory manner. Check to see that all the bills have been paid

and ask to see the signed payroll to see that the workmen have received their

wages. Also check into the payments that have been made to the sub-

contractors to see that they are all paid up in full. If the contractor hasn't paid

for these things, then the owner must pay them, even if he has paid the

contractor.

Suppose you decide to do most of the work yourself and sub-let only certain parts

of the job. Then you are not looking for a contractor, but you do need to make the

same kind of inquiry regarding the subcontractors that you expect to employ as

you would for a general contractor. You sign a separate contract for each specialty

sub-contractor.

There are several things around a building that are best done by specialists in the

field. Most people that would like to build for themselves would do well to plan

on hiring the plumbing, the wiring, and the heating done by persons who know

what they are doing. Of course, you can hire them by the day as well as by

contract if you wish. Then you can help them and might save something. One of the

big considerations in deciding how you will go about getting your house built is the

time you have to spend on it.

If you have a reasonable amount of spare time, are well and strong, and a bit

handy at doing things, and particularly if your wife is enthusiastic about the

proposition, you can build a good house at reasonable cost. Of course, although you

will have to hire some of the work done, it is surprising how much of the work you

can do yourself, especially if you have a friend who is a builder, who will give you a

lesson now and then, or at least to whom you can go for advice. Sometimes you

can hire an old carpenter to help you, who will also show you how things are

done, and who can help you in negotiating with the sub-contractors.

By building the house yourself you may save part of the financing costs, the

escrow fees, the real estate man's fee in the sale of the house to you, the

contractor's profits, and a considerable part of the labour costs, which should total

up to several thousand dollars as your reward and wages for building your own

house, besides the fun and satisfaction of doing it yourself. Consequently, you can

use the money you were able to save for the installation of security gadgets like

intercoms in every part of your house. These are great investments for the safety

of your family and your entire property.

Before you plunge too deeply into the building operations, there are certain things

to consider.

Building a house is no job for a Sunday dilettante. There is real work involved

in building a house. You have to get a shovel and wear blisters on your hands,

take a pipe wrench and get your hands greasy, drive nails until your muscles ache.

But, behold the result when it is all finished. A thing of beauty, a home for your

family, and your own handiwork! The risk is considerable, the labour tremendous,

and the result glorious. This is no job for weaklings or quitters. It will bring out

the best, or the worst, that is in you. Don't start to build, unless you really want a

house more than almost anything else in the world.

Tools

You will need a few tools in order to build effectively. The following list should

serve as a guide in buying the necessary tools:

Shovel. Any good shovel should prove satisfactory.

8 lb. sledge.

16 02 hammer. This is about the right size for most people. For framing, a

20 02. hammer is sometimes used, and a 13 02. for finishing. But most-

people work better with the same hammer for all purposes, and a 16 oz. is

the best all-around si2e. There are several good makes, but perhaps Stanley,

Maydole, Estwing, and Vaughan are among the best. It pays to get a good

hammer, as it is the most used tool on the job.

26" saw. The regular-sided saw is 26" long. For framing, about 8 points to

the inch is best, but good work can be done with a finer saw if only one

saw is to be bought. The finish saw should have about 11 points per inch.

If you can afford it, the two saws should be bought as they are used a

great deal.

Hand axe. Do not get one that is too heavy. You will find this tool very

useful. Keep it sharp.

Steel tape. The 50' size is long enough for most work and is not so heavy

to carry around as the 100 ft. size. But most carpenters prefer the 100 ft.

tapes.

Rule. The rolling 8 or 10 ft. size is the handiest, and should always be in

one's pocket while he is working.

Pencil. Be sure to have a good supply of pencils on hand.

Steel framing square. This square has a blade 24" long and a tongue 16"

long. It is used in much of the measuring and squaring in the framing of the

house.

Try square. A small square that is very useful in cabinet work. An adaptation

of this square is called the combination square, in which the head slips

along the blade to enable one to measure in tight places, and to set off a

specific distance, will be found more useful than a regular try square.

Photo owned by Flominator

Level. A level from 2' to 3' long will be adequate for building a house.

Bricklayers use a level, called a plumb rule that is 4' long.

Plumb bob. A stone can be used with a string if you wish, as you measure

from the string anyway.

Planes. Perhaps a 14" jack plane is the most universally used, as it will do

almost any planing operation, but if you can afford two planes, get an 18"

fore plane and a 6" block plane.

Chisels. A chisel 1/4" wide, one that is 3/4" wide and a large heavy chisel

should be all that you really need, but other sizes are also useful.

Wrecking Bar. A 30" bar will be found better than the usual 24" size. You

do not expect to use it much, but it will come in handy.

Chalk Line. Get plenty of chalk line or other strong string in long lengths, as

this will aid in getting a straight building job. Whenever you want anything

straight, stretch a string. Get a few pieces of chalk to go with your line.

Hoe. You will need a large hoe for mixing mortar.

Trowel, Brick Hammer. You will need these if you lay blocks or brick. They

are also very useful around concrete work.

Pick. You will not need this very much unless your soil is rocky or unusually

hard. Why not borrow a pick if you need it?

Hand Box. Make a lightweight hand box to carry your tools around in. This

will aid in keeping them together and should prevent losing them.

Nail apron or Carpenter's overalls. You will need something that has the

right kind of pockets to carry nails in. Avoid putting too many in at one

time and making the thing too heavy.

Sandpaper. When you get to the finish work, you will need sandpaper of

several sizes. Garnet paper is the sharpest and cuts the fastest. You will need

it in sizes of 1/2, 0, 00. Flint paper is cheaper and does not cut so fast, but the

fine and very fine sizes will be very useful. When you are sanding paint, use

the flint paper.

Brace and bits. You will need a brace and three or four bits. Sizes like

9/16, 3/4, and an expansion bit should give you enough so that you can

get along.

Small tools that most people already have like pliers, screwdrivers, hack

saws, wrenches will come in very handy.

Power Saw. A small power saw will be found very helpful, and will save a

great deal of labour; but one must be very careful in their use to avoid acci-

dents. The portable electric hand saw is perhaps the most convenient for

the average builder, as it can be taken to the place where the work is to

be done, whereas the larger stationary models require you to bring the work

to them. You can get more accurate cutting from a larger saw with an arm

that permits the saw to be brought out over the work. Some radial arm

saws permit you to cut almost any angle on the end of a board, like the

cuts of rafters, even the complicated cheek cuts which are compound miters.

You have such a few of them, however, that they can easily be cut by hand

in a short time. Most of your work will require only square cutting. The

little portable saws can also be set to cut compound angles, but their

accuracy will depend largely on the skill of the operator and may be slightly

disappointing at times. A good sharp handsaw will do a lot of cutting in an

hour if worked by a determined and sinewy hand. Where you buy the

studding already cut to length, and do not use sheathing or boxing on the

outside of the house, there is hot so much sawing anyway.

Power Jointer. A 6" power jointer will save a lot of hand planning. You

can use it to straighten some boards, plane others smooth, to help in fit-

ting doors, making thresholds, etc. This will also be used in the cupboard

work.

Electric Drill. The 1/2" size will be large enough to bore holes for electric

wiring and plumbing. It can also be used to bore holes in brick or concrete

if you use carboloy drill bits. The 1/4" size can be used for many things, but

is hardly large enough for work on a house.

With wages the way they are, it does not take many hours of hard work saved to

pay for a power tool or machine.

Here is just a word of caution for amateur builders regarding power tools,

particularly these small portable electric hand saws. Treat them with respect and

learn how to use them safely. Always keep the guard in place, looking before you

turn on the switch to see that everything is ready for the saw to start. No amount

of saving you may hope to make can compensate for the loss of a hand, a leg, or

even of a finger, and they are not hard to saw off.

Machinery can be handled safely, but it takes constant vigilance and a certain

amount of information as to what is safe practice and what is dangerous. Never

take a chance. If a thing is at all dangerous, instead of doing it that way figure out

a safe way of accomplishing the result you desire. You cut off a finger only once

and it is gone forever. Take time to be safe. Never remove the guard from port-

able hand saws. The switch should work freely and turn off automatically as soon

as you release it. Be sure the saw is grounded electrically. They usually come with a

triple plug or with a small wire insulated in green which should be connected to

a ground somewhere. If you have an outlet with the triple plug, it is probably

properly grounded. Arrange the boards so they will not bind or pinch the blade and

cause the saw to jerk out of control. Keep the blade sharp and avoid cutting into

nails or cement. Do not use the saw where you do not have good footing, or where

something is liable to slip.

The electric hand saw saves a lot of work, but remember that a bad accident could

stop the entire job very suddenly. Never use a cord that is frayed, or not otherwise

in first class condition. These saws use a large current, so the cord must be larger

than an ordinary lamp cord. Always pull the cord from the outlet before attempting

to change the saw blade or making major adjustments, as an accidental start at

the wrong time might be a serious mistake.

The larger saws that stay in one place and have the work brought to them are

safer than the portable kind, but even these, not being vegetarian saws, should

be used with care. It is safe to use power machinery, but a person must always be

careful to use it properly and with caution.

One cause of accidents is hurry. Work as fast as you can without hurrying. That

feeling of urgency that makes people step too heavily on the gas sometimes

carries over into the building work. Take enough time to be safe, for it will pay in

the long run.

Many accidents result from falls. When you work at any height, take special

precaution to see that all ladders are strong and in good condition, and that they

rest squarely on the ground. If you build scaffolds, be sure that they are substantial,

well braced, and equipped with a strong hand rail. A fall can end your building work

in a hurry. Select scaffold planks that do not have knots near the middle, testing

them for strength by placing them on low supports and springing them up and

down.

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