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Getting Started: Meeting More of the Home-Building Team From "Blueprint for Home Building" episode DBHB-101

In this segment of our first episode of Blueprint for Home Building, you'll meet the team that is responsible for building your home, including the site supervisor, seen here talking with a subcontractor.

Who Builds My House?

You've discovered the three different types of sites you can build your home on and how important the house plans are, but now it's time to meet some of the people who actually build your home.

• Builder -- This is the person who will actually be constructing your house. Builders are general contractors who take part in all phases of construction. The names "builder" and "general contractor" are interchangeable. They both refer to the person who oversees or manages the construction team -- the men and women who pound the nails, add the shingles or lay the tiles in your home.

  A good builder will make sure not to go over budget and will keep all the codes, guidelines and covenants in mind while constructing the home.

Note: The contractor can also provide valuable information to the homeowner because of his or her experience in the building of homes.

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Figure A

• Site Supervisor -- Also known as the "superintendent," the site supervisor manages the construction and oversees the subcontractors (figure A), which includes making sure things are staying on schedule and meeting quality and safety standards. The site supervisor and sales representative should talk often throughout the building process. The site supervisor is also in charge of ordering all the materials and making sure of the deliveries to the site.

Note: Communication is key to getting any home built, and it's vital that the architect, the contractor and the client (homeowner) talk frequently during the home-building process. In fact, there should be regular "site" meetings where everyone gets together to go over the latest details or concerns of the construction.

For "more information" on a complete list of who all the people are involved with building a house, please see our Web Extra segment for this episode. Link is on the episode page -- simply click on the Blueprint for Home Building title at the top of this page.

Figure B

Ways to Find a Contractor

• Get a referral from your architect.

• Check with your state contractor licensing association.

• Ask a new homeowner. Ask the homeowner if the contractor did a good job and if he or she would recommend this person?

• Find out what house a perspective contractor has under construction currently, and be sure to go check out (figure B) that house thoroughly. This will give you a great "snapshot" of what kind of builder the contractor in question really is.

• Another suggestion is to look at the contractor's local Home Builder's Association (HBA). Most of the time a good contractor will pay a fee to be apart of this membership.

Note: When hiring a builder or contractor make sure they are both licensed and insured.
Subcontractors

In addition to a builder and a site supervisor for any home under construction, there will also be a team of subcontractors that work for the builder.

The builder will have his or her own set of subcontractors that actually "construct" the house. For example, you'll have the excavation team, concrete-specialist team, foundation crew, drywall installers, plumbers, plastering crew, heating contractor, insulation installers, finish carpenters, stone masons, framing crew, electricians, brick masons (if your home has brick), paving contractors and landscapers.

Note: The subcontractors will always be changing, but the site supervisor will be the same person throughout the construction process.

In the final segment of our first episode of Blueprint for Home Building, host Jeff Wilson will discuss home permits.

GUESTS :

Greg Allen
Site Supervisor
Hendolhurst Homes
955 Markman Park Rd.
Baden, PA 15005
Phone: 724-935-5658
Fax: 724-935-0884
E-mail: buildm@zoominternet.net
Website: hendolhursthomes.com

Craig Hill
President
Earth Systems Southwest
79811 Country Club Dr.
Indio, CA 92203
E-mail: chill@earthsys.com

Linda Brettler
Architect
Phone: 323-935-3999
E-mail: lindabrettler@sbcglobal.net

Carl Cuozzo
Designer
Design Basics
11112 John Galt Blvd.
Omaha, NE 68157
Phone: 402-331-9223
Website: www.designbasics.com

Dave Watson
Architect
E-mail: dave@watsonarchitect.com
Website: www.watsonarchitect.com

Dana Bres
Research Engineer
US Department of Housing and Urban Development
451 7th St., SW
Washington, DC 20910
Phone: 202-402-5919
E-mail: dana.b.bres@hud.gov

Jack Tucker
Building Wisdom
We apologize no contact information is available.

Heinrich Klingner
General Contractor
Eurocraft Construction
We apologize no contact information is available.