Owner-Builders

Owner-Builders refer to individuals who build their own home. While typically subcontractors are employed, the owner acts as the general contractor managing the job site.  Owner-builders may be divided into those who are building their own custom plans or from plans they have purchased and those who are building through a commercial owner-building program


Advantages of Owner-Building

• Pride of direct involvement in their home
• Intimate knowledge of the building systems
• Confidence in quality of materials and craftmanship
• Equity in the home without a large cash input
• "Sweat equity" can be gained by performing some of the labor

Reasons not to go it alone

• Lack of interest in managing job site
• Lack of available affordable land

Owner-Builder programs
Owner-Builder programs refer to commercial vendors offering a wide variety services to the owner-builder. The primary reason most owner-builders utilize such a vendor is to minimize the cash outlay required to move into the home. By substituting their management skills and labor, they save the general contractor's fees and perhaps other subcontract costs as well. Of course, the home value is not effected so the difference between the final value of the home and what it cost to build it, is the equity the owner-builder has achieved. Should this equity be around 20%, the owner-builder will be a desirable candidate for permanent financing.

Program services offered by commercial vendors may range from:

• Procure or have access to buildable lots
• Provide home designs, plans and engineering
• Provide all or a substantial portion of the required materials
• Provide all or some construction financing
• Provide light to intense construction direction
• Provide light to intense budget management
• Provide periodic inspections
• Secure or help secure  permanent financing

Web references about building your own home:

• OwnerBuilder.com  - information, pdf's, etc.
• www.byoh.com - With byoh.com, you can have up-to-the-minute help in building your own home, with current cost to build, interest rates, credit score info, house plans, valuable forms, cost estimate software, construction loans and more.
  OwnerBuilderBook.com - forums, blogs, network with local owner-builders, etc.
• GardenWeb.com - forums
• www.ownerbuilderonline.com - information and resources.
• www.dynamicgreenhomes.com - Owner Builder Insulated Concrete Forms. National Service. ask about FREE house plans
• www.ownerbuilderalliance.com - FULL Service, FREE house plans!
• DIY Green Home Improvement  - Sight with information for the DIY builder with emphasis on green building techniques.
• 10 Free Worksheets for Building Your New Home - these handy worksheets help you dream, build and even move into your new home.