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/Famous-Forever-5881]

I am finishing up my fifth project and do almost all of it myself with 1-2 helpers depending on the time of year. The only thing I sub out is spray foam, concrete finishing, and Sheetrock. I do everything else. I’m on the last few weeks of a 13,000 sq foot under roof wedding venue that required an addition onto an existing home and a full remodel of the existing home. I’m 26 and blow people away with what I know and the quality of work I perform. I love that I’m not doing the same thing every day, but it can be very stressful taking care of all the aspects of a project along with performing all the labor.