Welcome!

This web site is for the those who want to save money and be your own contractor. You can build it yourself and not only enjoy the fruits of your labor with pride, you can also afford more fruit. So let's get started. And remember, you can't do it that wrong!

Building on a Budget

Having been in the building trades for much of my adult life, I have been inundated with how-to questions from friends and family. "Hey Beej! How do I fix this door"? "Beej, I want to add a deck. Should I get a contractor?" "How much can I add on without paying big permit fees? "So, after much prodding from family and associates, here we are at askbeej.com.

Most people want to know how to build on a budget and my answer every time is ... build it yourself! That is the best way to save money. Do it yourself.

Now, this doesn't mean you have to be a carpenter and a plumber and an electrician etc. However, realize the largest cost in building is labor. There are many parts of your project you can do yourself. You just don't think you can. This is where most people become overwhelmed and hire all of it done. The biggest advantage to that method is, you don't have to do a thing .... except write the checks. And if that was the method you chose, you would not be here and we would not be having this discussion.

So, if you are going to save money on your project, the best place to do it is in labor. The basic rule here is simple YOU CAN'T DO IT THAT WRONG. Really, think about it. If you learn how to use tools, follow directions and have the least bit of imagination, you can build! And you can't build it so wrong as to be a disaster. No, your first floor might not be completely level. Your first wall may not be perfectly straight. That tile job in the kitchen is not perfect. But, hey, you did it! And no one will see the imperfections like you do. And the pride and heavier wallet will settle in very nicely when the job is done. Then by the time you get through a few projects, you will look back and realize how much more confidant you feel about fixing that old roof or building a new kitchen. In fact, you'll be looking for things to build. So, lets get on with it. Oh, but first, I have to explain something to you....

Construction is dangerous. Tools are dangerous. Workers get hurt everyday. A contractor will provide liability insurance incase something goes real wrong. They have workmans comp insurance so if a worker gets hurt, everyone's covered. Now, in this day and age, people sue over the most unreasonable things. McDonalds was sued because they didn't tell people that their coffee was hot! ... ? ... ! So, Just because I'm telling you to build your own house and use tools to do it, doesn't mean I'm responsible for what you do. Construction is dangerous. You can get hurt. You assume all responsibility.

Step one - Planning

First order of business, get a book. My reference for the past 20 years has been the Ortho Home Improvement Encyclopedia. There are others, however, Ortho has great illustrations. Home Depot has a comprehensive book, however I've not really used it, just perused it. Same for the Lowes. For those of us who want to get right down to putting it together, good illustrations are a must. Text alone will give you a headache and give you nothing to reference it to. Familiarize yourself with the primary steps of building. Maybe get a few magazines specific to the project you have in mind, kitchen, bath, decks etc. Because ... you need a plan.

You have to decide what you want to have before you can figure out how to build it. So take your time and really try to picture what the finished project will look like and how it will impact existing living space. Ensure it has the amenities you are interested in. Think ahead. what do you want, high ceilings, lots of windows, maybe a skylight, flat panel on the wall with hidden wiring? Maybe a waterfall in the stairwell? French doors going out to a deck ... someday? Start making a list. Check out the cool ideas page.

Now, it is always smart to get a permit if you are going to add space. It will save you many potential headaches down the road. If you get the house appraised in the future for a re-fi or a sale, you may have to explain the additional space and probably will not be able to count it in square footage. So go to your local building and safety and get whatever literature they have. Most have simple guidelines with basic codes for your area. Permit fees vary from city to county to state. Check out what the formula is and you can plan on how much fees are going to be. The specific things you want to know are: More on permits

Now if you read the page on permits, you'll see how much money can be saved before you even start building. Which brings us back to the best money saver, labor. Decide what you feel confident about doing yourself. Decide what you definitely don't want to tackle yourself and begin to get bids from sub-contractors. Maybe, electrical is your biggest fear and you don't want to touch it. Perhaps plumbing is not your thing and you want to get a plumbing contractor to handle that. But, first things first ... can you dig? Because that's the first thing. Footings.

Your plans and or your building and safety guidelines will tell you how wide and how deep. You want only undisturbed earth in your footings. Meaning if you take out too much you can't put it back. You want your concrete to form against firm earth and put pressure against it. So..... you start digging and I'll start writing. You should be able to come here and get any building question answered. But, it's going to take me time to build a data base. In the mean-time, refer to your book, start planning what you want and remember YOU CAN'T DO IT THAT WRONG!

Beej