Building your own house

TheSurveyor

TheSurveyor

Catholic
Remnant
I am making this thread for the idea behind building your own home; the logistics and skills involved and to see if any of you have tried this before. Currently own a small 1/4 acre lot (figured that it's better than owning no land) and was considering building a small house on it. I don't care if has to start off as a small cabin or even a shed, I want to know how doable is it for one man, with limited help and equipment. I'm no master contractor, but I have a decent amount experience and general knowledge on most trades regarding house building. Feel free to share your thoughts!
 
Not sure your construction experience... And certainly not pretending to be an architect or contractor...so consider the below as general observation.

I built a 20x20 chicken coop this year and have worked construction in the summers during college before the military. It wasnt really that bad... But I didn't have to run electric wire/insulation ect.

1/2 was covered, other half was uncovered. I Used fence slats for the roof, 1/2 the sides, and 2x4x12s, 4X4x12s, and lots of heavy duty L brackets.

If you've never built much with lumber or have experience with power tools.... I guess I would start by trying to build something, like a small structure to get familiar and realize some things, especially if it's your first attempt, get modified as you go.

I think there's some good stuff on YouTube on this to get your ideas going. Id also note that structural integrity is something to really keep in mind anytime your building something you intend to bear weight.
 
Hey that's what I just built too, a Woods style 10x16 coop. All I can say is framing is everything. Because yeah she's not exactly straight in some corners which I figured out while sheathing. This being the side I had help on which apparently wasn't too helpful. If I had to do it again I'd take more time on the framing, sheath and wrap before standing it up, then tie it all together. Carpenter skill level fairly novice here.
 
Most important is infrastructure/utilities. Electric wire, water and sewage. Laying bricks cement etc is not hard. Check the distance from public electricity and water.

Roofing also needs to be well made.

Rebuilding something is sometimes easier in terms of legal papers.
 
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I’ve built several modest houses from start to finish with the intent to sell them. I’m able to build a 1000 square foot bungalow from concrete to cabinets nearly on my own. I absolutely need help for maybe 6-8 days out of the entire build to:
- pour concrete footings (1 day)
- stand up walls and sheet them (1 day)
- install truss rafters (1 day)
- install windows and doors (1 day)
- hang drywall board (2 days)
I can do the rest on my own if I have to. I normally don’t have to. My dad and business partner helps with the framing and once the structure is up he moves on to install all the mechanical (plumbing, wiring, hvac) while I finish the carpentry.

What kind of climate are you building in? Im in a cold part of Canada and I’m normally building a modest 3 bed 2 bath bungalow sitting on a 4’ tall treated wood crawl space. Very efficient and cost friendly way to build a solid cold weather capable house, but not necessary if you’re in a warm spot.

30”x10” concrete footing
2x8 pressure treated crawl space wall
- 4’ tall
- insulated with fibreglass insulation/poly vapour barrier
2x10 floor joists
tongue and groove plywood floor sheating
( glued and screwed)
2x6 main floor walls
Manufactured truss rafters
Asphalt shingles
Aluminum soffit and fascia
Vinyl siding

Hard to beat that building system when it comes to ease of construction and cost and it’s solid too.
 
magoo said:
Most important is infrastructure/utilities. Electric wire, water and sewage. Laying bricks cement etc is not hard. Check the distance from public electricity and water.

Roofing also needs to be well made.

Rebuilding something is sometimes easier in terms of legal papers.
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I live in Florida, so roofing is everything. As for electric there's a a power line that runs right next the land which is pretty nice. Property would require a septic and a well (which shouldn't be too hard since we have a high water table here).
BeatUpTruck said:
I’ve built several modest houses from start to finish with the intent to sell them. I’m able to build a 1000 square foot bungalow from concrete to cabinets nearly on my own. I absolutely need help for maybe 6-8 days out of the entire build to:
- pour concrete footings (1 day)
- stand up walls and sheet them (1 day)
- install truss rafters (1 day)
- install windows and doors (1 day)
- hang drywall board (2 days)
I can do the rest on my own if I have to. I normally don’t have to. My dad and business partner helps with the framing and once the structure is up he moves on to install all the mechanical (plumbing, wiring, hvac) while I finish the carpentry.

What kind of climate are you building in? Im in a cold part of Canada and I’m normally building a modest 3 bed 2 bath bungalow sitting on a 4’ tall treated wood crawl space. Very efficient and cost friendly way to build a solid cold weather capable house, but not necessary if you’re in a warm spot.

30”x10” concrete footing
2x8 pressure treated crawl space wall
- 4’ tall
- insulated with fibreglass insulation/poly vapour barrier
2x10 floor joists
tongue and groove plywood floor sheating
( glued and screwed)
2x6 main floor walls
Manufactured truss rafters
Asphalt shingles
Aluminum soffit and fascia
Vinyl siding

Hard to beat that building system when it comes to ease of construction and cost and it’s solid too.
Click to expand...
Have you any experience installing septic? Florida building code also requires pretty decent regulations on roofing and foundation.
 
I don't know for sure but I think most septic installers have to licensed by the state with approved plans. Florida might be different but I'd guess a high water table means you'll need a mound type system or you might be able to do an aerobic treatment unit. Here a person could get there own certification but you'll still need to submit stamped plans.
If I was far enough in the sticks I'd probably attempt my own system understanding if I got caught I'd probably have to unearth the whole thing. Depends on your level of risk aversion.
 
TheSurveyor said:
I live in Florida, so roofing is everything. As for electric there's a a power line that runs right next the land which is pretty nice. Property would require a septic and a well (which shouldn't be too hard since we have a high water table here).

Have you any experience installing septic? Florida building code also requires pretty decent regulations on roofing and foundation.
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Where I live you’d be looking at installing a septic tank that’s needs pumped out regularly, on a 1/4 acre lot. The regulations for septic fields have gotten pretty strict. The field has to be big which means digging up a lot of surface during installation. Probably not feasible on a 1/4 acre. I think the regs are sound anyway. If every 1/4 acre has their own septic field and well you can end up with wells being tainted, especially if the water table is high.
Septic holding tanks are quick and easy to install, will cost about $10, 000 installed where I live. It’s required to hire a certified installer. A septic field would cost twice as much as a tank. It’s a pain to have to get it pumped regularly but you can pump out a tank a lot of times before you’ve spent as much as a field costs.

You’re lucky the water table is high. A well where I live can easily cost over $20, 000. These are $CAD prices.

Since you’re water table is high and you don’t have to deal with winter maybe you shouldn’t dig down at all. By far the easiest and cheapest foundation is “foundation blocks” and beams. You pour a series of concrete blocks on the ground surface, than lay beams across the top of the blocks and build your floor system on top of the beams. Maybe not sufficient in your jurisdiction. A step up is to build essentially the same way but on buried piles or screw piles instead of surface blocks. The other option would be a concrete pad on the surface, but that takes some concrete skills and some help. Keep in mind that if you don’t have a basement or crawl space you have to designate some floor space for a utility room to house the mechanical (furnace, hvac, hot water tank, water pressure tank, etc.)

If you’re doing things by the book then some of the structural decisions are going to be dictated to you. The process for me is to:

-Hire a draftsman to draw up your plans.

-An engineer overlooks the structural specs and stamps them approved. Normally your draftsman will have someone he works with.

- You may have to get your lot surveyed or find the property line markers yourself.

- You submit a site plan to your development authority that shows how your placing everything on your lot.

- pay the fee and they issue your building permit. They’ll provide you with an inspection schedule if required.
 
Since it's Florida and quarter acre I would start by talking to the county or city, if its in town, and to the power company, about their requirements. Sometimes power companies enforce county requirements and won't run power until all are met. Power companies also sometimes have minimum square footage or one has to pay for the install out of pocket.
On quarter acre it's almost impossible to get both septic and well approved because of contamination issues, are you sure you can't hook up to the existing water line or sewer? Normally it's one acre min to have both septic and well because of setbacks. There are usually setbacks from well to septic tank, well to drain/leech field, to the house, lot boundaries and any neighbors' septics and wells. When they subdivide into quarter acres lots there are usually one or both utilities available to hook up to, sometimes shared community well or county water, sewer or just shared drain field.

Another thing, being in FL, there are very high winds possible so you want the place anchored very well and the county/city might have specific codes and enforce. (personally I would not set my house on above ground blocks in FL) With high water table, depends how high, you got to be careful with foundation choice too. Slab might be a good option. Got to check if there is flood zone.
 
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jaguarcat said:
Since it's Florida and quarter acre I would start by talking to the county or city, if its in town, and to the power company, about their requirements. Sometimes power companies enforce county requirements and won't run power until all are met. Power companies also sometimes have minimum square footage or one has to pay for the install out of pocket.
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I wouldnt advise doing this. First he needs to talk with private companies and only afterwards talk with official entities. He needs to ask around without disclosing the exact location and ask established companies of electricity, septic, etc about prices, etc. Sometimes there´s a small legal loophole in construction work you can do which will avoid a lot of red tape. Only experienced people will know about it. He shouldn´t disclose the exact location. Because companies have competition between them and don’t like to be left behind. Also when the decision to start is made sourcing materials and labour from local areas is crucial for things to go smoothly.
 
jaguarcat said:
Since it's Florida and quarter acre I would start by talking to the county or city, if its in town, and to the power company, about their requirements. Sometimes power companies enforce county requirements and won't run power until all are met. Power companies also sometimes have minimum square footage or one has to pay for the install out of pocket.
On quarter acre it's almost impossible to get both septic and well approved because of contamination issues, are you sure you can't hook up to the existing water line or sewer? Normally it's one acre min to have both septic and well because of setbacks. There are usually setbacks from well to septic tank, well to drain/leech field, to the house, lot boundaries and any neighbors' septics and wells. When they subdivide into quarter acres lots there are usually one or both utilities available to hook up to, sometimes shared community well or county water, sewer or just shared drain field.

Another thing, being in FL, there are very high winds possible so you want the place anchored very well and the county/city might have specific codes and enforce. (personally I would not set my house on above ground blocks in FL) With high water table, depends how high, you got to be careful with foundation choice too. Slab might be a good option. Got to check if there is flood zone.
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Yeah I don't see any evidence of a sewage system anywhere. Definitely cannot build a septic system on 1/4 acre of land as I am finding out. No manholes or cover valves of any kind. Most of the properties that are built on seem to be greater than a 1 acre. Power seems to be the only one that's decently feasible without having try buy land from the neighbors.

Concrete foundation is the only way to go in Florida, I wouldn't bother bother with just laying a house on blocks. Not in a flood zone.
 
Personally I wouldn't bother building my own house unless it was outside city limits on acreage, but this will be a good learning experience if you do it. Inside the city, you can't necessarily build what you want to. There are a lot of rules and regs to follow, inspections, etc. and the homebuilders are going to be a lot more efficient at building than you are. I would also expect a lot more grief from the city inspector if you are not a qualified homebuilder and doing this for the first time. What is your main motivation to build yourself?

I would recommend starting with the shed as you mentioned (even then the city is going to be a pain). Where I live, out in the county you don't even need to follow building codes (generally a good idea though). A good bet is finding some rural group who has experience doing this. (There is a religious community about an hour from me who have all built their own homes on shared rural land).
 
I heard in the States you’ll spend around $15k to install/connect electricity, water and sewage to your plot of land.

As for the house, you can buy those prefab. Quality is debatable but can be installed fast and don’t cost much.

I would love to design my own with the help of an architect. But like contractors, they’re in high demand and the costs are quite high.
 
Joost said:
I heard in the States you’ll spend around $15k to install/connect electricity, water and sewage to your plot of land.

As for the house, you can buy those prefab. Quality is debatable but can be installed fast and don’t cost much.

I would love to design my own with the help of an architect. But like contractors, they’re in high demand and the costs are quite high.
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It depends if you are doing own well and septic or connecting to the existing infrastructure. In latter case it can be even less. If you are doing septic it alone can easily cost 10-30k. Well can cost 10-60k. Prefab homes cost a lot right now, but everyone has own idea of what's expensive. One can build a good normal home elsewhere for what prefab costs now.
 
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