What'd you think is harder planning or building?

[mobilesport]

I just finished planning and designing my house and it seems like it was more work then actually building it , part of my planning was learning the whole process of building from the ground up and collecting info on each , framing , plumbing electrical etc.
I'm glad to be done with the planning and ready to build

[rick91351]

A lot depends there where your skill set is at. Some guys and gals love to do the math and handle the planning and figuring.  Some are great being the Sherpa wheeling cement and carrying materials, cleaning up their job site, sort of with the brain in coast.  Others love to build but hate all the anal stuff of planing, permitting, contacting.  Very rare anyone has the complete skill set.

[Squirl]

Building, but the building goes a lot easier with good planning.

[MountainDon]

Planning. One needs a lot of knowledge regarding the choice of materials and methods of connecting them and why certain materials are to be used in places and why some materials should not be used in some places. Building is easy once there is a plan, and by a plan I don't mean some ideas bouncing around in one's head. A plan is on paper, drawn in a manner that any person with half a brain can follow.

If planning was so easy there wouldn't be so many on the fly changes being made as some projects proceed.

A mistake in the building stage can pretty much always be corrected. Some mistakes take a little more effort to correct than others. A mistake in planning can be virtually impossible to correct with any ease if the mistake is two or three steps back in the construction change. Wobbly posts in the muck, for example.

It's my personal belief that far too many people spend too little time in the planning stages. They pay for that later. My 2 cents...

[rick91351]

Thanks MD great advice....... From house planing to basic cabinet 101.  99% of all problems are headed off or at least seen and cured with putting it on paper.  Sketch-up is free, it works great.  If you are not that type.  A t-sq and a couple triangles can even be bought at Wal-mart.  Vellum Paper is available for Office Depot - Stapples.  You don't have to have a degree in architecture or engineering to put something down on paper.   

[Alan Gage]

Planning and figuring out how to build were definitely the hardest for me, basically starting from scratch (like what's a rim joist and header?). I didn't think there was really anything that difficult about actually building the place. Just takes some time.

I'm all about instant gratification and tend to just dive into projects. I'm very glad I decided in December that I'd build that coming summer because it took every bit of that 5 months and more to learn and plan. If I'd decided in March I was going to build that summer there's no way I would have taken the needed time to research and plan because that would have put me into next year.

Alan

[NM_Shooter]

I think it depends on the scope of the project and the location. 

I built a very simple 14x20 structure, at 10000' elevation and 3 hours from the nearest HD/Lowes, and an hour from any pavement.  The work on-site was the hardest part for me. 

I built a 1600 sq ft addition on my house, 12 minutes from the closest Lowes.  The planning was by far the hardest. 

[redbird]

I'm in the planning stage, so definitely planning. 

[Squirl]

I seem to be in the minority  .  I will explain my answer a little better.  When I was building, I remember a weekend that is was a snow/rain mix while laying concrete block while I was up to my ankles in mud for a few days.  That was more brutal than all the years I spent sitting in a nice comfortable chair in a warm room reading dozens of books on building and drawing every last detail on a computer while sitting in an office chair or on a couch.

warm, reading, thinking, planning = enjoyment.
rain, cold, snow, mud = misery.

[SouthernTier]

Well I know one thing, planning is a lot cheaper than building 

[UK4X4]

I'm still at the electronic wood stage

where deleting a 2x6 does not involve skinned knuckles 

it is however dificult to visualise some parts of the construction -

I'm dying to start construction but have to fight my way through the permit office first which due to me being in Colombia is a tad dificult - to get my radon/ uranium certificate etc etc

To me being a practical chap I think once I have a pile of timber in front of me- it will be easier- my long history with mechano- lego- fishertechnic and forays into reparing dade county after hurricane andrew will all help in changing a pile of timber into an erected framework- but we'll see !

[Rensmif]

Slowly moving to the building stage now and I know it will be tougher physically.  The planning stage is pretty interesting for me, I just have to remember to study published material more and read internet advice less, I have however, learned a tremendous amount here.

[Erin]

Because of a few major set backs, we have been VERY slow getting going on the building phase.  Our basement has been done for over a year, and we're finally getting to the framing part.  Consequently, planning has been more FUN, for the simple fact that I could get something "done" almost instantaneously.  It's also far easier to correct goofs. 

Which one's harder?  Well, I guess I would have to say the building just because it's been so hard for us. 

[Arky217]

I just finished planning and designing my house and it seems like it was more work then actually building it , part of my planning was learning the whole process of building from the ground up and collecting info on each , framing , plumbing electrical etc.
I'm glad to be done with the planning and ready to build

If you just finished the planning, how do you know that it's more work than the building ?
(Just pulling your string)

For me, the planning was harder also, but mentality rather than physically.
The area that was especially hard for me was laying out the floor plan.

I actually planned for several years before building.
I started construction about 18 months ago and just now finished the outside.
Starting now on interior walls, electrical, insulation, drywall, etc.

But I was delayed for a couple of years because I made my own lumber from the trees on the land. Lumber prices were high when I started logging and milling but came down drastically by the time I was ready to build. Don't think that I would go that route again, however, I enjoyed the logging and the milling more than anything.

Camping on site and using a generator to power your tools also tends to make it somewhat more difficult.

But physically, the most difficult and challenging part was doing the construction myself. When you don't have a helper, moving heavy beams, raising walls, installing trusses, etc. makes for a real challenge. Oh, for a second pair of hands at times.

On second thought, actually the most difficult part is having a mental attitude of stick-to-it-ness. There can be times when you just want to give up, but you have to remember that Rome wasn't built in a day.

Arky