Local resources for building your own home?

[bituerbo]

Looking for info such as costs for subcontracted jobs (pouring a basement/foundation, hooking up to property line utilities etc...).

I'm sure there is a Calgary/Alberta/Canada resource where I could research this kind of info somewhere.

[Zero102]

The in-laws and I are looking to build an inner city duplex next year and I would also be interested in anything anybody can throw out there. Architects / house designers used, advice on permits / contracting trades, etc.

[Celica TVS3]

I'm currently in the process of building an inner city duplex, although we are using a builder. We are in the design, permiting process so i don't have too much advice yet, but as we go along I'll keep track of the process in blog form (i'll post the link later).

But I highly reccomend using a builder. I have friends who attempted to build themselves and they realized early on in the processes its not only easier but cheaper to hire a builder (they ended up doing so after the demo. of the existing house).

1) You'll be covered by New Home Warranty
2) Banks perfer lending to you if you use a builder
3) Builders get better rates than you, which alone probably offsets the costs
3) They know what are reasonable quotes and what are not
4) Trades/Suppliers are less likely to walk on a builder if something isn't to your satisfaction as they would be losing future jobs too
4) They can schedual the project better

I could go on, but I would use i builder if i were you.

[barmanjay]

Give Carmine a call

Clearview Construction - 403-818-6639

At the very least he can give you direction

let him know Jay gave out his number

[Bisklimpkit]

If you don't have a good idea of how building a home should be done, I also would recommend using a builder, or at least hiring a general contractor to do all of the organizing for you. If you do have a good handle on how things should be done, then I completely disagree with using a builder. I just built a house and did some labour myself, as well as orginzed the rest of the build. Including lot I paid $330k to build a 2160 sq ft 2-storey home, which I could now sell for $500k. I don't think you're going to save money by using a builder, ever, since they have to mark up everything from labour to materials in order to make their money.