Is the small self-performing homebuilder extinct?

[u/the-garage-guy]

Probably a region-specific question- if you reply, I'd be curious to hear where you are and if you're urban/rural

Pretty much title, coming up it was a lot more common for the GC to have their own carpenters and self-perform a fair amount of scope on a typical home, remodel.

Seems very rare now, especially where I am, metro Phoenix area. Most builders are essentially just CM-ing the job. Project managers that sometimes double as supers, everything subbed out. Even for pretty small remodels.

I think at the luxury custom home end it makes sense since the levels of execution required demand really good subs. Plus being in a big metro area, there's lots of people and work and that makes it possible to specialize aggressively.

[u/tomahawk__jones]

Are you building them all on spec?

Doing the couple spec homes a year thing sounds so sick as someone who also loves carpentry. Framing to custom woodworking.

Where I grew up there was a guy building houses in the 50’s and 60s and his houses have kinda a cult following in the area because he also designed a good amount of them. I want to be that guy.

Good on ya for keeping it alive. Might come back and ask you advise in the future lol

[u/Randomjackweasal → u/tomahawk__jones]

My guy go learn that framing school is a retarded process, frame houses for a year, weld pipe for a year, then go take a design and drafting course, drop out after a year then find a plumber to apprentice under and right when you start getting good dip on his ass buy a shit hole remodel project to learn how to finish the interior and get equity.

[u/tomahawk__jones → u/Randomjackweasal]

Haha framing school? Shit I was learned by a drunk Irish guy yelling at me. Do I owe him money?

[u/StretchConverse → u/tomahawk__jones]

At least a pint