# solo building



## boman47k (Oct 13, 2006)

Anyone here ever build a house by themself or with maybe one or two part time helpers ( sons) maybe. 
Another thread with a guy asking about the price of mat's prompted me to ask this as I have thought of the same thing. Nothing fancy with one gable on each end with maybe a full with porch on front. Somewhere around 1500 to 2000sq ft with a crawl space.


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## Cole (Aug 27, 2004)

Yes, I have been involved in a couple of cabins built with one or two guys.

It was fun, I wish I could do more.


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## AtlanticWBConst (Mar 29, 2006)

Pretty soon, we may all be working alone....


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## boman47k (Oct 13, 2006)

I did frame a 32 X something years ago for my parents alone. It had trusses for the roof section.

It was kind of funny. My daddy came to me and said the 4' sheathing would not break on a stud on the exterior. I think he had extra studs put in so the sheathing would would "fit". Heheh, I am no carpenter by trade and do not know how to frame something so as to make the exterior *and* interior with studs every 48". heheh, I guess you can always put in the extra studs. Me? I'd just cut my first piece of sheathing to fit if allowable by code. If not, I would frame it for the exterior sheathing and cut my first piece of interior wall covering to break at 32", unless I was putting it up horizonally.

Does code say which way is proper when framing?


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## boman47k (Oct 13, 2006)

The thing about building a house like this is the thief factor. Hell, I 'd have to camp out onsite until I was ready to move in. 

These people ripping wiring out of unoccupied houses and stealing mat's on job sites have me scratching my head about this idea.


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## PA woodbutcher (Mar 29, 2007)

in '73 my dad built his own house (3 bedroom ranch) with pretty much me as his only helper:notworthy....I was 9 going on 10. He did have my uncle and a couple of cousins help with pouring the slab and setting trusses.

It was the year after a flood in which we lost pretty much everything. He was a contractor at the time and would work all day, then come home and work most of the night. When I see pics of my father at that time, he really looked like hell. Gives me a whole new appreciation of how hard he worked every time I see one.


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## SLSTech (Sep 13, 2008)

I did one like you described (it was a little smaller) earlier this year - it is doable.
FYI - the framing is based for the exterior, assuming you are using drywall inside - the ends should not land on the studs (before I get flamed on this - read USG's? installation manual)
The catch is - who is your part time help - if they have experience the time factor won't be so bad - if not you are doing almost everything & the time spent on it starts adding up quickly


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## Joasis (Mar 28, 2006)

Most I have done have been with 2 guys...me and 1, or my head guy and 1. Of course, we had more guys around when t came time to swing trusses.....next few I build, there won't be any extra guys, but I have a stinger for my highlift now....takes all the work out of trusses.


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## copusbuilder (Nov 8, 2005)

I built my first solo home at 23. I have finished two vacation rental homes in the last two years (51 now). 7 days a week 12 hours+ a day a hell of a lot easier at 23 years of age.

The last home almost cost the marriage. The ***** wanted to hit the gym everyday for a workout before working Yeh, the last one was a lot tougher. My time is more limited and wasting a good remaining percentage of your life on mundane task can be a little.....frustrating


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## millhouse (Mar 9, 2007)

I have built two houses by myself, from digging in the dirt up to the shingles. Had some helpers for setting trusses and pouring concrete flatwork. I had the plumbing subbed out, otherwise it was all me. Patience and planning is all it takes. It takes longer, but it can be done. John Carroll has a book by the name of *Working Alone* - *Tips & Techniques for Solo Building*, that I would recommend. It gives some good common sense ways of working by yourself.

Good Luck,

David


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## boman47k (Oct 13, 2006)

copusbuilder said:


> I built my first solo home at 23. I have finished two vacation rental homes in the last two years (*51 now*). 7 days a week 12 hours+ a day a hell of a lot easier at 23 years of age.
> 
> The last home almost cost the marriage. The ***** wanted to hit the gym everyday for a workout before working Yeh, the last one was a lot tougher. *My time is more limited and wasting a good remaining percentage of your life on mundane task can be a little.....frustrating*


At 53, it is a little daunting. Always the chance of injury.
I know of one couple who tried this many years ago. It took so long, the frame started to warp. They had to give it up and rent a house from my parents for a couple of years. 
I have a couple of houses, but they are both old, maybe as old as I am.
If I could pull this off, it would be kind of a last hoorah at my age, and put the wife in a better home if I go before her.
I have 10 acres just sitting, but it is a good way (20 miles) from town. I never wanted my wife and daughter driving that during the winter going to work and school, but I am really tired of the happenings in town at the least the aprt I can't seem to get out of.
In better times my options were better. Sell one or both houses and maybe buy another in a better section somewhere on the outskirts of town. Or, sell the 10 acres and buy 2 acres closer in. The last of which would take a good portion of what the 10 acres would bring, and I really do not want to go in debt.
I guess I would need to talk to someone about the tax liabilities and such on top of that. May be a pipe dream, but it what is, and it does go through my mind from time to time. I just need a good plan B in case something goes wrong in the middle of it.


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## cleveman (Dec 28, 2007)

I built my first one years back with my father. We had another guy help when setting trusses and pouring concrete. I subbed out the excavation, basement footings, walls, waterproofing, tiling, septic system, and sheetrock. I assisted a friend with the HVAC. It was 1846 square feet and it was occupied in 4 months. It also had a brick veneer and all tile and hardwood floors (labor, labor, labor). We could have done the sheetrock and even blocked up the basement walls, but these are the real time suckers. A neighbor told me later that he had never seen a home go up so smoothly and he said he watched and knew that it was practically only my father and I the whole time.

A hip roof is your friend. A ranch style is also. A narrow house (24') is also to be recommended. I have set trusses with two people on a 24' wide home and the 2x8 floor joists are also easier to handle. Shingle delivery on the roof is a good thing.


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## copusbuilder (Nov 8, 2005)

boman47k said:


> At 53, it is a little daunting. Always the chance of injury.
> I know of one couple who tried this many years ago. It took so long, the frame started to warp. They had to give it up and rent a house from my parents for a couple of years.
> I have a couple of houses, but they are both old, maybe as old as I am.
> If I could pull this off, it would be kind of a last hoorah at my age, and put the wife in a better home if I go before her.
> ...



Build on that 10 acres, sell th houses, buy 20 and do the same thing again...
Nah, I'm with you. Sounds like a lot of work.
Sounds like some good choices to play with. At least liek you said, something to dream about:thumbsup:


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## Dan V. (Oct 16, 2008)

Not a house but I did an enclosed gable-roof deck by myself a couple of years ago. The only help I had was when I was sheathing the roof, I had a guy pass the ply sheets up to me.

There's a pic of the finished product on the home page of my website.
http://www.forwardsolutions.net


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## Tom Struble (Mar 2, 2007)

there is a book i think from jlc books or finehomebuilding called working alone by john carroll intresting read pretty basic ideas but some good ones also:thumbsup:


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## Chris Johnson (Apr 19, 2007)

My first house in '94 on my own, framed 2600 sq.ft. 2 storey, I touched and moved every stick of lumber myself. With the trusses I had a couple buddies give me 2 days to set them and I sheeted it myself. Every stinkin' piece of plywood from the yard to the main floor to the second floor through the trusses onto the roof.

Could I do it now? Chances are NO, mind you I wouldn't even attempt it now no matter what.

Funny thing is I actually made good money back then in comparison to today, you know, cost of living, expenses, etc.


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## boman47k (Oct 13, 2006)

Chris, mind sharing the cost of mat's on that house? Though, I'm not sure how much bearing th at would have the mat's there then and here and now.


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## Chris Johnson (Apr 19, 2007)

I'd be lucky if I could even find the file on that house now

I do remember when the dust settled I was around $ 40.00 per sq.ft. NOT INCLUDING MY PAY, I sold the job for $ 68.00 per sq.ft. That was in '94 in Ontario Canada...I left in '04 to move to California, the last house I built in Ontario before leaving I was charging just under $ 250.00 per sq.ft. What Happened????

Now here's what I do remember

'94 - 1/2" plywood - $ 8.99 sht, '04 - 1/2 plywood - $ 49.99 sht.

You get the idea


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## bighammer (Nov 1, 2008)

are *****ing kidding me ...1/2" plywood in CA is $50.00/sheet...did you still use it?? what is OSB?? That is your 3% inflation....ha ha...I paid $19.49 for my last bunk of 1/2 plywood and that was 5 PLY.....


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## boman47k (Oct 13, 2006)

> I paid $19.49 for my last bunk of 1/2 plywood and that was 5 PLY


I might be off a little, but I think that sounds about right for here now.


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## Chris Johnson (Apr 19, 2007)

No, No, In Canada in 2004, 1/2 Plywood was upwards of $ 50.00 a sht, 3/4 T&G was just under $ 70.00 back then

$ 19.49 for 1/2" today??? How much can I ship you? today it is $ 12.49 5 ply CDX in California.


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## Bodger (Oct 23, 2008)

I haven't seen $49 plywood since right around the time of Katrina. 
1/2" Struc 1 OSB is what I usually try to get and it's pretty cheap these days compared to back then.
I bought the book "Working Alone" a few years ago after being fed up with lousy help. I built the jigs and the deadman contraptions, all worked pretty well. 
What I did not like after a while was the solitude, and the constant concern that if I took an injury hit, there would be nobody around to call for dust-off.
That, and the set-up in the morning and the roll-up and clean up every afternoon was a pain. That's when even a less than skilled helper is good to have.
I may be working alone again the way things are looking though.


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## Joe Carola (Jun 15, 2004)

boman47k said:


> If not, I would frame it for the exterior sheathing and cut my first piece of interior wall covering to break at 32", unless I was putting it up horizonally.
> 
> Does code say which way is proper when framing?


There's no code for where you start your layout as far as where the sheathing or sheetrock breaks. I layout the studs for the sheathing on exterior walls and the interior studs line up with the exterior studs.


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## boman47k (Oct 13, 2006)

Joe Carola said:


> There's no code for where you start your layout as far as where the sheathing or sheetrock breaks. *I layout the studs for the sheathing on exterior walls and the interior studs line up with the exterior studs.*


I think we are saying the same thing. You have to cut one piece of interior sheathing, right? I know of no way to frame where the interior and the exterior coverings break on the same studs without cutting a piece of the wall cover/sheathing. My way of thinking is the interior studs are also the exterior studs.


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## boman47k (Oct 13, 2006)

Chris Johnson said:


> No, No, In Canada in 2004, 1/2 Plywood was upwards of $ 50.00 a sht, 3/4 T&G was just under $ 70.00 back then
> 
> $ 19.49 for 1/2" today??? How much can I ship you? today it is $ 12.49 5 ply CDX in California.


I meant to check while at the HD today.


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## Joe Carola (Jun 15, 2004)

boman47k said:


> I think we are saying the same thing. You have to cut one piece of interior sheathing, right?


Yes, you will have to cut the first piece of sheetrock.




> I know of no way to frame where the interior and the exterior coverings break on the same studs without cutting a piece of the wall cover/sheathing. My way of thinking is the interior studs are also the exterior studs.


The sheetock doesn't have to land at the same stud as the sheathing, two separate things.


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## boman47k (Oct 13, 2006)

> The sheetock doesn't have to land at the same stud as the sheathing, two separate things


Heheh, agreed. I think my dad thought I messed something up when I framed a building for him and had extra studs put in for the sheetrock. Like one every 4 feet.


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