Here's what I've learned about building. How about you?

[flyingvan]

1)  Design it based on what you want it to be, NOT based on your current abilities
2)  Overbuild.  Overinsulate.
3)  DO NOT set deadlines.  The instant you set deadlines it's no longer fun.
4)  If people offer to help and they have not built before, they are thinking framing.  They are not thinking digging.
5)  The majority of building is digging.  If this is not true for you, you're gonna have foundation problems later.
6)  Do everything to code.  Regardless of what you think, it isn't arbitrary.  If you hate building codes, visit Tijuana.
7)  This is a cool site.
  Make friends with your inspector.  Ask him (her?) about the next inspection--what are their peeves?  What have they failed others for in the past?
9)  Owner/builder is a life enriching experience.  Don't blow it by neglecting more important things.
10) Family is more important.  Do this for them, not in spite of them.
11) Buy good tools and set aside a half hour at the end of the day to maintain them and put them away properly.  Keep a rag soaked in oil in a ziploc baggy to wipe down concrete floats.    Clean your brushes.  Oil your air tools.
12) No alcohol until all your tools are unplugged and your ladders are taken down. 
13) A board cut to 97 7/8" last night will not be 97 7/8" the next morning.  Work within the variables or switch to (ick) steel studs.
14) Put a lot of time into the original plan and stick to it.

[dmanley]

You are pretty much right on.  Thanks for the insite.

[MushCreek]

I hired a contractor for #5- no digging!

I have a couple more:
15) Everything will cost more than what you've carefully planned for. Count on it.

16) You will get to experience weather extremes of biblical proportions as you build. Take pride in being part of the biggest snow/rain/heat wave/drought/plague 'O locusts ever seen in your area.

[muldoon]

17) avoid borrowing tools.  If you borrow it, it has a 90% chance of breaking thus you will end up buying the tool anyway but not even getting to keep it.

18) If you plan to use a tool more than once, get the best one you can.  If you intend to use the job for one week or weekend, harbor freight it or rent it.

19) When your buddies come help, watch them.  Don't expect the same level of dedication from them as yourself. 

20) Things are twice as expensive and take twice as long as you think they will.

21) Have at least six parallel mini-projects at all times.  That way if you run into a surprise and cannot continue on a task -(don't have the right part, something broke or you run into something you didn't expect, you can park it and move onto another task.

22) Keep the beer stowed until your work is done for the day. 

23) Expect the unexpected, like coming up to work on electrical only the find the gate in disrepair or a tree that needs chainsawing or a fence is down and cows loose. 

24) If you don't respect your property, no one else will.  Don't allow trash on the ground, cigarette butts on the ground, tools thrown around.  If you make it important others will do so, if you don't no one will.

[flyingvan]

#21 is a very good one I should have included....I'm going to add--

25) Keep a piece of paper somewhere whose soul purpose is, when you think of something you need from the hardware store, write it down. 

[JavaMan]

26 ) Remember that it WILL take longer than you thought.  That goes for everything, from buying nails at the hardware to pounding them in to what you're building.

27 ) Don't fret it if you decide you have to tear something out and redo it - as long as you're redoing it better than it was

[Mike 870]

27) Don't rush, when you try to go fast, you make mistakes and do sloppy work.  Enjoy the journey of building, it in itself is part of the reward.

[Don_P]

#17) Yup, I have to relearn that one every few years. We needed to hoist buckets of grout up the chimney yesterday and a neighbor had offered the use of his winch, 30 minutes in we let the magic blue smoke out. We were under 1/4 of the load rating, but we were continuous. 17a) Apologize immediately and go buy them a new one, the thinking problem happened when it was borrowed. A tool should not a relationship break. 17b) No one else feels that way about your tools, try hard not to loan them out and write it down on the fridge list who has it. If it's gone or damaged reread the bottom of 17a, you loaned it freely.

[flyingvan]

True---you never really loan tools, you're giving them away.  My answer is, you can use any tool I've got but you have to use it here.  Same with books

[davidj]

Oh the digging.  That was one of those memories my mind had carefully suppressed to protect my sanity but now you've unearthed it!

All fantastic advice. And I hadn't realized how true #3 is until reading it here - by far the hardest times were when the desire to complete a phase before winter hit implied a deadline.

How about:

28)  What's straight this weekend will only be straight next weekend if you give it no other option.

[flyingvan]

Re: #28.  Are we talking building materials or people?  I'll accept it either way

[Squirl]

#3 has been the most important one for me.

I have to work on #11 more.

[muldoon]

along the lines of enjoying the building process and doing it for your family I'll add this in.

Subscribe to a star watching site, have a general idea where the planets are and when they rise.  Set out a picnic blanket in August to see the meteor showers.  Check out the international space station viewing opportunities and try to find it.  Make a point to try to come out during the new moon weekends.  In the city I never get to see the stars and my kids had no idea until I pointed it out to them.  Life is not a race, it is a journey. 

[speedfunk]

good thread.  I noticed my things differ and contradict with some of the original list lol.   

1. learned how to deal with codes a bit more. 
2. learned a lot about concrete
3. learned pacing
4. learned about how to use certain tools in in what applications they work best.  Some tools are un-necessary
5. learned weather will be less then optimum most of the time
6. learned to push when necessary but can only push so long without an equal rest period, some back to back to back 14 hour manual labor days get to you come day 3.
7. learned to work from the general to the specific ( j.raabe quote of course but so true).  Some things I way over analyzed and once i got there the solution spoke for its self.
8. costs are def more then I thought.  Still doing ok budget wise but I thought I could keep it lower.
9. the longer it takes the more damage/time/chance or redoing you will do
interested in others thoughts...
10. while attention to detail is important going to far this way will create stress and after a while you just need to get it done
Jeff

[texasgun]

When I estimate the cost of a small project I double the price and when I figure how long it will take me I triple that figugure then atleast I am close!

[MountainDon]

Draw everything in detail and think about how one factor will affect another.

Plan ahead to the final completed point. EG, adding the porch later without thinking out the plan in advance of any construction may lead to compromises or extra work and expense.

Design the floor plan; once happy then design for expected loads from the roof down to the foundation, not the other way around.

[flyingvan]

Planning loads from the roof down makes perfect sense.  That's a good tip. 

We appear to be working from the general to the specific here---so I'm going to add--

Always be thinking about keeping the heat in (or out), while allowing for good airflow.  Sometimes the only opportunity to insulate a spot is during framing.  Insulate all 6 sides, and remember more energy is lost high and low than out the sides---where the pressure differentials are.  (I've heard simply insulating your attic access has more impact than replacing all your single glazed windows with dual glazed)

[considerations]

#17 If you get boxed into a corner and DO borrow a tool, give it back better than you got it, i.e., cleaned, sharpened, oiled, serviced, etc.  You've just raised the "bar".  That way if there is ever an emergency...and they do happen, the person you borrowed from will be more willing to pitch in.    If they are ever in a pinch and need something, tool or otherwise from you, they may remember how you treated what they lent you and may do the same.

We are a long way from town, and so this kind of "helping" comes in pretty handy....happens often in all directions and with little trouble.

[jdejarn]

Shoot. So much learned.  How about:

It's a place to go and relax and create or recreate.  This is not a labor camp.

If you have a fear of heights, don't think forcing yourself up on that roof will easily cure it.  When there is no cel signal, you will lay there a long time.

Work alone if you need to but when you can get injured badly and quickly, have someone there to warn you it's coming or laugh at you after they have gone for help.

It'll never be done.  You won't want it to be.  As soon as you can stay a cold winter night comfortably in it, you will add on or build an outbuilding.

I'm coming up on the fourth season since I started, and I could live in it now, but I will never be done with it.  Mudding waits again, flooring gets put off, the upstairs rails stay undone.  The stove, the sofa and a good book and radio take priority.  And if you get to working too hard again, a lazy, cuddly dog can help you enjoy it.

Oh, and the most important lesson learned from building off grid cabins for yourself:  It'll be worth it. For every tank of gas, every spent weekend, every dead battery and part that breaks on the generator, the reward of the book, radio, and sofa are worth it!  Ask my cuddly dog!

[cbc58]

all great advice.  i'll add - "wear boots - not sneakers."

"If you have a fear of heights, don't think forcing yourself up on that roof will easily cure it.  When there is no cel signal, you will lay there a long time.  Work alone if you need to but when you can get injured badly and quickly, have someone there to warn you it's coming or laugh at you after they have gone for help."

This is so true.  One year I was high up on a ladder in the back of my house - alone - and I was shifting the ladder over by using my weight and it slipped and collapsed somehow and I wound up upside down with my ankle caught between the rungs.  Hung there for 2 hours until my wife came home and yelled at me.  Couldn't walk for 2 days.  Lesson learned.

[RRS4727]

Great advice.
I'll add:
Know when to hire the varsity squad. What part of the project can you not afford to get wrong or is standing in the way of what you're good at and willing to do.

" 1) Design it based on what you want it to be, NOT based on your current abilities".
We've learned a LOT from previous projects. We didn't know what we couldn't do.
I'm great at planning (that's the best part) It's all about the possibilities.

But I'm going to cover my ears on the one recurring theme or we'll never get started: (ok, so I know it's true, sometimes reality just doesn't work for ya  )
"Things are twice as expensive and take twice as long as you think they will."
Or
"When I estimate the cost of a small project I double the price and when I figure how long it will take me I triple that figure then at least I am close!"
Or
15) "Everything will cost more than what you've carefully planned for. Count on it."
I also read somewhere,
"When you're out of money, you know you're about halfway done".
The rest are great ideas!

[CjAl]

i learned i have been driving truck for way too many years.

put down the big mac and step away from the fries

[flyingvan]

  Seems many folks build tiny just to avoid pulling permits.   Instead of avoiding them, think about embracing them----you end up with a more valuable, and I believe safer, structure.  You'll be in step with the UBC which will help assure you're doing things correctly, and while doing your research and drawing plans, you'll address issues you never even thought of.  The big box hardware stores carry great flipcharts with most of the codes from UBC spelled out in simplified form, organized by plumbing, electrical, framing, etc.
   Another thing that is a grat experience----ask if your building department offers a ride along program.  They do here in San Diego County---you can spend a day riding with the building inspector.  You can see first hand what they are looking for.  You can see other building projects.  You can gain a wealth of info from them and maybe make a few friends for the times issues arise

[MountainDon]

   

[MushCreek]

If you don't pull permits, and don't build to code, don't be surprised if the insurance companies won't talk to you, or worse, take your money, and then deny a claim.

I learned a lot about framing from watching a framing crew work. I was surprised at how few tools they had. I figured my nice big 12" sliding miter saw was a necessity, but all they used was a circular saw and a speed square. OK, my cuts are a bit more precise, but I'm the only one who knows that once the walls are closed in.