Being your own General Contractor, can be a challenging task. Before you take on such a project, you must analyze whether you have the skills, time and knowledge to manage your new
timber frame home or
panelized home from start to finish. Below are some tips in case you are considering being your own GC for your timber frame project:
Analyze your time management and decide whether or not you can dedicate the amount of time needed to build a new home.
It is important to analyze your available time to dedicate to your
timber frame or
panelized home project. General contracting requires many hours during the day for gathering bids and materials. You may also need to take time early on in the day or early evening to connect with your subcontractors as they are usually not readily available during the day. Plan on spending at least 6-12 months or more to manage the construction of your new custom home.
Organization and Schedules.
When you are your own GC, you must be organized. If you do not schedule your subcontractors properly, this could cause delays for the other subcontractors you hire and delay your timber frame project in general. So if you plan on being your own GC, remember to moderate your subcontractor’s work progress in order to ensure that you’re on schedule for your next contractor.
Knowledge about residential construction and the construction process.
It is important that you know about all the elements that it takes to build a
timber frame home and
panelized home. Some of the elements include knowing your state’s building regulations, permit process and also hiring the subcontractors for your project. Being a General Contractor, you will be in charge of finding subcontractors that will meet your budget expectations, building time and expectations in quality of work.
Also by being your own General Contractor, you may not have all the subcontractor contacts you may need to complete your project. Without hiring a residential GC that is familiar with other building professionals in the area, this could cause more time for your project and could cost you money as well. Many building professionals work together and usually your local GC can help you get competitive bids and choose contractors that meet all your needs.
Finding a builder with timber frame and SIP panel experience or hiring a technical advisor.
Timber frame home building is a unique and specialized building process. One thing to consider is the difference between conventional framing and timber framing. If you plan on being your own GC, you may want to take into consideration your builder’s timber frame and
SIP panel experience, hire a timber frame subcontractor to erect the frame or use one of
Davis Frame Company’s technical advisors to assist with the process. This is an important element to the building process for your new timber frame home as it differs from most conventional framing methods.
Overall, it is important to analyze all of the above as the residential building process can be time consumptive and costly. Residential construction takes a lot of time and organization. If you are not familiar with the construction process, being your own GC may not be right for you. Many times hiring a General Contractor works out for the best as they will help manage your timber frame project to ensure that the building process meets all your needs and concerns; especially in terms of time and may actually be able to save you money on your new home.
Here at Davis Frame we have many builder contacts and may be able to provide you with a list of experienced timber frame builders in your area! We also have a list of builders who specialize in SIP installation. Whether you want to build a
custom timber frame home, timber frame addition, barn or
panelized home, we can assist you in your custom home project needs.
Contact us today to learn more about timber frame homes or panelized homes, 800-636-0993!
Davis Frame’s Contemporary Cottage timber frame model features 2,482 sq. ft. and a great floor plan with an open and spacious layout. The first floor features a kitchen that leads to a comfortable great room on one side and a cozy breakfast nook on the other. The nearby dining room connects to a covered porch for year-round entertaining of larger crowds and dinner parties. The large porch wraps around ¾ of the house and is not only perfect for entertaining, but a great way to enjoy the outdoors on a nice warm day. This timber frame home also features a first floor master suite with a master bedroom, master bathroom and walk in closet.
The second floor has two bedrooms and a bathroom; this is perfect for guests or a growing family. The second floor also features a cozy loft which is a perfect place to read a book. The overall floor plan of this timber frame home provides three bedrooms, a spacious layout and is very energy efficient! 
To learn more about this energy efficeint timber frame home, check out an article of a past Davis Frame client that inspired us to create a model close to the cottage style timber frame home or take a look at our Contemporary Cottage picture gallery!
