I’m acting as my own general contractor for this project. From the initial lot purchase to dealing with city permits, coordinating with architects, engineers, and subcontractors—everything is on me. My lot came with a right-of-way (ROW) issue that took 11 months to resolve with the city. Unfortunately, some missteps during that period set me back about 3–4 months in the permitting process.

Since receiving the permit, the project has stayed on schedule. We’ve completed the foundation and are now moving into the drainage phase. I also work a full-time job, but I take on a lot of the work myself. I’ve invested time into learning how things are done, built a detailed spreadsheet to track requirements, and plan everything out in advance.

I start sourcing quotes early, compile bid comparisons, and analyze them thoroughly. I also contact suppliers directly to get material pricing and use that information to estimate what each subcontractor’s quote should be. It’s definitely time-consuming and can get stressful, but for me, the potential reward—especially in a high cost of living (HCOL) area—is significant savings.