Being Homeowner Acting as General Contractor in Richmond VA

Being homeowner acting as general contractor in Richmond VA has benefits

Are you thinking about potentially saving money in your next Richmond VA home improvement---like a kitchen renovation or addition?  One way that I've found to get a City of Richmond building permit is being homeowner as general contractor.  After all, I already own my home, and have done a lot of home improvements to it over the last 20 years.  Although it does involve a learning curve for improving my #FanDistrict vicinity home in Richmond VA, I really think going through the experience of being a homeowner acting as general contractor has been very worthwhile so far.

Your choice to be homeowner acting as general contractor often depends on what type of home improvements are being done

Since my kitchen addition is relatively modest, around 8' X 14', I felt relatively comfortable going ahead and assuming any risks being general contractor for a kitchen addition at my own home.  Fortunately, I trust the contractor doing the work, and this Class A contractor came highly recommended to me by a good friend.  Besides, City of Richmond inspectors would be verifying building code compliance for the building rough-in and final inspections.

Look up contractor business name on the DPOR website

The one thing I also do is check to be certain that the contractor being hired is qualified and licensed to do the job!  Ask the prospective contractor for several referrals.  Also, if you happen to reside in the Commonwealth of Virginia, check the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR) website and scroll down the page to see Contractors and then check the box under it for Contractor Businesses.  Finally, type in the name of the business, and click submit.  You will be able to see information on the contractor business and also whether there are any open complaints.  It helps to make an educated decision concerning who to hire!

Weigh both the benefits and risks for a homeowner acting as general contractor

The benefits that I see in being home-owner acting as general contractor are the following:  

1) There's flexibility in choosing your own sub-contractors and shopping

                                Davenport Unger Enterprises, LLC, is demolishing back porch to make kitchen addition.

around for the best prices.  When hiring a general contractor, often there could be a 25 percent surcharge to find subcontractors.  (I've experienced paying that surcharge myself in previous home improvement projects.)  Also, getting multiple subcontractor quotes potentially may not be as strong of a consideration for a hired general contractor.  I've found that general contractors often will choose those subcontractors they already know or have an established business relationship with instead of researching new ones.

2) Becoming more aware of the coordination required for getting a construction project done efficiently is another benefit of being homeowner as general contractor.  For example, just recently I learned about the order time for receiving two new windows and a door for my kitchen addition.  Since it will take longer to receive an order for these items than I had estimated, I now will need to wait almost three weeks until the two new windows and new back door can be installed.  Meanwhile, construction progress will be delayed.  This actually is an excellent lesson for me to become more time-conscious about ordering materials!

3) Specialty subcontractors, such as electricians and plumbers, still can pull their own respective permits for this kitchen addition.  To save myself a little time and reduce my liability, I decided to have most subcontractors to pull their own permits for City of Richmond rough-in and final inspections.  As I'm not a plumber or an electrician, I can leave all the technical details for them to explain to the inspector!

Demolition and then Construction of Kitchen Addition

Although we're currently in the demolition stage of this kitchen addition project, there is a definite plan to move forward.  (More progress reports will follow in the coming weeks.)  I did get a structural engineer to have kitchen addition plans drawn and approved, so that helped make my life a lot easier!

Are you looking to have a major #homeimprovement like a kitchen addition in Richmond VA or elsewhere?  Before starting any project, simply look at your options.  Consider how valuable your time is to you, and any potential costs for being away from doing your income-producing occupation.  Secondly, check with a reputatable structural engineer about any potential risks of being a homeowner acting as general contractor in a home improvement project involving structural changes.  Third, be sure to get any permits necessary to ensure your home improvements are done correctly and at least up to code standards!

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Are you looking to buy or sell a home in the Richmond VA area that may need home improvements?  First consider all your options.  Then, when you're ready to buy or sell a home, call me to help by representing you!