When doing a remodeling project, some homeowners think that they can save money by bypassing the South Florida custom home builder. They think that they can act as the General Contractor themselves, hiring subcontractors, selecting and ordering materials, and scheduling and organizing the job.
They soon find out that this was a naive misconception. Just as they would not consider performing cosmetic surgery on themselves, they soon realize they are ill equipped to oversee the facelift on their home. The following are just a few of the reasons why.
Most homeowners have little knowledge of the scheduling of construction. What activities must take place and in what order? This can lead to chaos, angry subcontractors who have been mis-scheduled, costly change orders and job delays. They need to know how to calculate quantities for materials including a waste factor. Under ordering materials can cause delays and wasted time while over ordering materials can be a waste of money.
When dealing with a homeowner directly, most subcontractors will not offer their best price and some will seriously inflate their prices. They can take advantage of an inexperienced owner/builder and ask for additional money for change orders that a professional South Florida luxury home builder would not allow. Their loyalty lies with the GC’s who have been giving them repeat business over the years, so you can guess which job they go to when there is conflict in their schedule involving your job and that of their regular customers.
Most homeowners know little about construction materials and will not know if the mechanics on their job are using the best available materials or cheap substitutes. This will affect the quality of the finished product and lesser quality materials may be responsible for costly future repairs.
Then, there is liability- the homeowner’s liability. Who is checking to see if the subcontractors are licensed? Who is checking to see if the workers on the job are covered by Workman’s Compensation Insurance? Who is checking to see if the subcontractor’s have General Liability insurance? This is the job of the South Florida custom home builder. The General Contractors Insurance also protects the homeowner.
Finally, time is money. How much is your time worth? The owner/builder usually finds themselves spending a lot more time than they thought playing “General Contractor”. They also become the cleanup crew. The stress of a poorly organized job will eventually take its toll. Enthusiasm fades to desperation. This affects the quality and outcome of the job. Most homeowners who have gone down this path have regretted it and have a new found respect for the complex job of the General Contractor.
A good South Florida luxury home builder will bring the job in for less cost to the homeowner in the long run. They will have better organization and quality control. They will have experience in dealing with subcontractors. In short, a good General Contractor will pay for himself.
