You talked to a construction crew about a job that you want to be done and were outraged by their cost. And after talking to other companies in the area, you found that this price was typical for the area and didn't understand why that is the case. As a result, you're going to try out your building skills and do a little DIY for your next home project. But is this a wise choice?
Lots of people think that they can build better than professionals and try it out to save themselves some money. However, they quickly find that they get in over their head and cost themselves even more money than if they had just hired a professional. Let's take a look at the pros and cons of DIY building to get an idea of whether or not this choice is a wise one or a big mistake.
DIY May Save You Some Money
When you took a look at your builder's bid for your latest construction job, you noticed that labor was a huge part of the bill. And this is where DIY can save you money if you're skilled at building. Rather than paying a crew $20 per hour PER employee – if not more – you can pay yourself nothing to do the same thing. As a result, you can save yourself thousands of dollars, if not more, on your project.
Just as importantly, you can do things your way and add the kind of style upgrades that are right for your needs. For example, some builders may refuse to do certain types of updates because they think they are unattractive or hard to perform. If you have the skills to complete this job on your own, you may be able to add these unique custom design elements without a problem.
These benefits make DIY seem like an excellent choice for just about anybody, right? However, that is not the case. DIY building is only the right choice if you are a professional builder or if you have the kind of experience necessary to avoid complications with your building. Otherwise, you might quickly end up making the kind of errors that ruin the style of your home forever.
DIY Opens You Up to Building Errors
Even if you're a pretty good builder with some years of experience, there's a good chance you're not quite as good as a professional construction crew. This problem is one that might not seem like a big deal – after all, how hard is it to hammer a nail? – but it can be a disaster if you make any building errors. Just a few of the most common include:
These common mistakes may not seem like an outstanding deal and probably aren't in some instances. While you'll ultimately spend more money when you call a professional to fix your mistakes, you probably didn't do anything to ruin your home. Right? Well, perhaps not but there is also a good chance that you could have severely affected your house's structure and stability.
For example, you might add excessive weight to the side of your home and cause damage to underlying areas. You may even cut through dangerous areas of the house, such as spots near electrical wiring, that can increase your home's risk of severe fire danger. The concerns related to DIY building make it too problematic to try for most people, which is why professional help is so smart.
Professional Building is Always the Best Choice
No matter how good you might be at building, you should always contact a professional to do your building projects for you. DIY construction is just too fraught with potential problems and issues that could make the situation much worse. For example, professional builders provide a myriad of benefits that you can't get elsewhere, including:
As you can see, professional builders are your best option for this situation. Even if you have to spend thousands of dollars more for their service, you are making a wise investment in your future. These experts will not only avoid common mistakes but will work hard to provide your home with the high-quality upgrades that it needs to look great.
Just as importantly, professional builders also provide free fixes if they do happen to make any mistakes, which is something you're not going to get if you do your building. So you know what to do in this situation: say no to DIY and yes to high-quality professional builders.
Finding a Professional Who You Can Trust
As you can see, DIY construction is not worth the headache that it causes most people. Yes, there is a chance – though often a small one – that you might save a little bit of money on this process. However, there is also an excellent chance that you're going to make the building mistakes that sabotages your attempts to make your home look great.
So if you're ready to build something new on your home and new a professional crew to help, contact us at Coohey Construction today. We can help people in Iowa City, IA, and the surrounding areas get the help that they need for their building jobs. We have years of experience serving the area and will do what we can to help you succeed and steer you away from the dangers of DIY building.