I want to build a house. How to do it?

[desura]

I want to start planning the building of a house.

It wouldn't be big. Just a basement and a simple A-frame.

Generally, what order should the work be done in, what can you do yourself, and what do you have to hire other people to do for you?

 

[Carson Dyle]

Start with the basement. Putting the basement in after you've built the home on top is probably not the most efficient. Also, remember to do the plumbing and wiring before you do the drywall and painting of the interior. Again, it's just a little bit easier.

If you have any other questions, don't hesitate to ask.

 

[Jeffg010]

Build a tiny house
http://www.tinyhousedesign.com/

 

[desura]

Build a tiny house
http://www.tinyhousedesign.com/

I've thought about those some. Not really for me.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Not an expert nor have I ever done it (only briefly looked into it) but here's what I imagine it would go like:

First step is buying a land... actually before you buy the land, unless it's clear that the land is for real estate, go through the city to find out if there is any restrictions with what you can do with said land, and ensure it has proper utilities like water, sewer, power etc.

Find out other stuff like easement and other things. Lot of this stuff is BS but if you don't play by the rules you'll be in a hard time when a bylaw officer tells you to demolish everything. So make sure things are well planed. You may even need an engineer but I imagine if you design something they sign off or something so then you are safe. At least that's my guess.

For the basement, I would get that contracted out but have them not backfill it after, you can do the weepers and foundation seal yourself if you want. Back fill it yourself with proper gravel, sand etc... then you can start building the actual house.

Personally if I was to do it, I would probably contract out the general structure. The basement and outside walls, windows, roof etc. Basically the shell so that it is weather proof. Then you can work inside without having to worry about the weather cooperating. First thing you'd probably want to do is get some basic hvac put in.

Also plan out where your utilities come in. Idealy you want your water, electrical, gas, phone/cable/internet and sewer all come in around the same area. That way you can put in a sump pit with a back flow prevention valve that is accessible (in sump pit) at that location and make it the utility room.

From there it's really just the thing of dividing up the house, making the rooms, running the plumbing and electrical etc.

I actually considered it when I was looking at houses. Would actually be kinda fun to do it as an ongoing project. You'd have to be ready to live in a construction zone for a long time though. If you have pets this is a bit harder to do as they will get into everything.

 

[Carson Dyle]

First step is buying a land

It _could_ be, but not necessarily. If the design of the home is most important to you, then you need to be sure that the land is suited for the design. Is it large enough? If you really want a walk-out basement, then it most likely needs to be on a grade. If you want a basement, then it has to be excavatable, with a low enough water table, and far enough above bedrock. And many similar considerations.

Or, you may want to live in a certain neighborhood, or really love a particular 15 acre tract of land in the hills. Then you might design the home to fit the lay of the land and/or blend in with the surrounding countryside.

 

[Carson Dyle]

In all seriousness... You probably don't want to be your own general contractor, unless your already really know what you're doing. I have a good friend ... a man in his 60s who had owned at least six or eight homes in his life and who had two of them custom built. He decided to be his own GC on the last house he built and it was a bit of a nightmare.

Scheduling subcontractors to make sure things are done in order (the drywall would literally have gone up before the plumbing was finished if he hadn't been there every day). Making sure subcontractors finish jobs and use the right materials. Making sure codes are followed. Resolving conflicts between the architect's plans and each subsystem in the house. It's all a chore better left to a professional who's done it a hundred times.

 

[Greenman]

I want to start planning the building of a house.

It wouldn't be big. Just a basement and a simple A-frame.

Generally, what order should the work be done in, what can you do yourself, and what do you have to hire other people to do for you?

What you're looking for is the sequence of events. Basically it's foundation/basement, framing, roofing, windows, exterior wrap/siding, rough plumbing, rough HVAC, rough electric, insulation, drywall, trim and doors, paint, cabinets and counter tops, tile, plumbing, electric and HVAC trim, finished floors, hardware, punch list, touch up.

There is always some variation, but thats the basic critical path.
What you do yourself depends on your skill level and how much time you have.

The simplest way to do it is to call me.

 

[olds]

What you're looking for is the sequence of events. Basically it's foundation/basement, framing, roofing, windows, exterior wrap/siding, rough plumbing, rough HVAC, rough electric, insulation, drywall, trim and doors, paint, cabinets and counter tops, tile, plumbing, electric and HVAC trim, finished floors, hardware, punch list, touch up.

There is always some variation, but thats the basic critical path.
What you do yourself depends on your skill level and how much time you have.

The simplest way to do it is to call me.

Not wrap then windows?

 

[DesiPower]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3iI6S7TuCA

 

[bradley]

 

[Greenman]

Not wrap then windows?

You can do it either way. The flashing we use is adhesive with a split backing, you peel half of it off to stick behind the window flange, then the other half you peel off later and stick it to the exterior wrap.

If you're just using tyvek then yes, you would wrap the exterior before the windows.

 

[NoTine42]

Measure twice, cut once.

 

[tynopik]

ask the guy at home depot

 

[twinrider1]

Dick Proenneke.

 

[mizzou]

This is like me asking if I can build a rocket to visit the moon

 

[Kaido]

I want to start planning the building of a house.

Are you talking about a vacation-home style A-frame, like a triangle? If so, they make steel-frame kits:

http://www.kodiaksteelhomes.com/series/12

Good overview of the steps here:

http://www.kodiaksteelhomes.com/planning/