The most important thing to know is how competent and trustworthy your subs are. You can't be expected to know everything about every detail and wherever there are gaps in your knowledge you need to know that you can rely upon your subcontractors. I consider myself pretty well-versed in a wide range of construction knowledge- I always say that I'm a better plumber than my electrician and a better electrician than my framer- but I work with masons and electricians and framers and roofers and I am appreciative and in awe of their specialized skills and knowledge and if you're lucky enough to have subs like that than you don't need to toss and turn at night worrying about the little details that are second nature to them.
Advice moving from additions to whole house design/construction
I am about to begin designing and constructing my first full house as a GC. We routinely design and construct additions which involve most of the issues that would be encountered in a full house design/build. I also years ago framed houses and garden apartments but I did not have a view into the whole process apart from framing.
I know about a few things like sleeving pipes and installing a Ufer ground but those details make me wary about the things I do not even know are issues. I would be grateful for any advice on issues that are encountered that I should be aware of and might not have encountered in building additions. My experience is that engineers if we employ them, focus on shear walls and loads and not the smaller nitty-gritty stuff like sleeving pipes and installing a Ufer ground which a GC is supposed to know. I am most concerned with spotting issues and am happy to chase those down, so just a list of things that might bite me would be very helpful. I am generally familiar with the Codes and permitting. One of the areas that I have little knowledge or experience with is dealing with utilities. Thanks very much!
I know about a few things like sleeving pipes and installing a Ufer ground but those details make me wary about the things I do not even know are issues. I would be grateful for any advice on issues that are encountered that I should be aware of and might not have encountered in building additions. My experience is that engineers if we employ them, focus on shear walls and loads and not the smaller nitty-gritty stuff like sleeving pipes and installing a Ufer ground which a GC is supposed to know. I am most concerned with spotting issues and am happy to chase those down, so just a list of things that might bite me would be very helpful. I am generally familiar with the Codes and permitting. One of the areas that I have little knowledge or experience with is dealing with utilities. Thanks very much!
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Thanks. That helps. I do have awesome subs and consult with them on design.
1 - 3 of 3 Posts
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