If you are considering doing your own general contracting, you need to think very carefully about it. To help you, let's review the basic role of the general contractor. That role is twofold -- first is to manage the entire construction project; second is to hire and manage the subcontractors. Let's examine each role in more detail.

As the manager of the entire construction project, it is the job of the general contractor to execute the many multitudes of details involved in such a massive undertaking -- details such as setting and maintaining the schedule and the budget; dealing with emergencies that arise (and there will be several!); answering questions; and making decisions that impact schedules, budgets, and subcontractors; it requires spending time on the jobsite, being on the phone evenings and weekends, being away from your job and your family. The general contractor is the "captain of the ship", "the leader of the band", the "main man". In short, doing your own general contracting requires a tremendous amount of time, effort, energy and focus.

The general contractor must also manage -- hire, fire, schedule, and pay -- a group of subcontractors who are each responsible for different aspects of the project. Examples of subcontractors that may be involved are framers, plumbers, electricians, sheet rockers, painters, roofers, carpet installers, and many others. Each of these subcontractors have references to be checked, payment plans to be met, work and personal schedules that must be accommodated, work styles and skill levels to be dealt with, etc. Typical construction of a new home may involve up to 30 subcontractors. Keeping track of them can be a nightmare. If you decide to undertake this task yourself, any past construction management or large project experience that you have will prove to be very beneficial in this aspect of general contracting.

Now that you have a basic idea of the overall responsibilities of a general contractor, let's examine the many personal qualities that a good general contractor should possess. These qualities will give you a framework in which to work when doing the necessary self-analysis required before you make the decision to do-it-yourself; Or the list can provide guidelines that may be useful if you decide to hire a general contractor. The necessary major qualities to look for are as follows:

Patience and the ability to deal with change. Almost daily, something will happen that will effect your project on one way or another. The general contractor, as the overseer, will be the one to carry out the details necessary to implement any change. If you like surprises, general contracting may be something you would enjoy.

Excellent organization skills. The general contractor should be a methodical master of details. He should have the ability to see how the minute details of the project will affect the big picture.

Negotiation skills. Schedules and the prices of materials and labor will need to be negotiated.

A strong desire to "do your homework" or "dig for information." If you have no previous construction management experience, there is a tremendous amount of knowledge you need to acquire before you attempt to do your own general contracting. You must be willing to take on this task. Preliminary studies on things such as types of framing materials types and brands of windows, siding, and roofing, and building code requirements and inspections need to be done. Building "lingo" must be learned to communicate effectively with the subcontractors.

An ability to deal effectively with different types of people. One of the things that keeps life interesting is that we are all different. This fact of life can prove to be a major difficulty for a general contractor. Everyone involved in our project will have different quirks and different personalities -- from the banker to the crews of each subcontractor. You can count on it.

Know your limitations. If after a real hard, honest look at yourself, you come to the conclusion that you do not possess at least 95% of the personal qualities or traits that I have just discussed, seriously consider hiring a general contractor.

If you decide to do your own general contracting, that one task will become the center of your life until it is completed. In addition to possessing the personal traits just covered, you should be sure that certain situations or conditions are present in your life to help you successfully complete such a tremendous undertaking. Some questions to ask yourself are as follows:

Will you get the support of your spouse and family? Think carefully about this. I know of marriages that have broken up over building a new home, even over a kitchen remodeling project. Your life will be a living hell if you do not have the support and understanding of the important people in it. Your nights and weekends will be spent on the phone talking to subcontractors, dealing with the day's problems and preparing for tomorrow's schedule. Daily rituals that exist in your life, such as dinner at 6pm, or spending every Wednesday with the kids, will be disrupted. In short, your decision will affect the lives of others. Do not take that lightly.

Is your job situation flexible? Give serious thought to how your job will be affected...because it will. As a general contractor, you may need to be on the jobsite at a moment's notice to deal with an emergency. You may need to use personal and/or vacation time to justify your time away from work. Is this really how you want to use that time? I'd suggest enlisting the support of your employer before deciding to do your own general contracting. Your inability to be flexible will impede the progress of your project.

What is your bank's position on general contracting? If you are receiving financing from a financial institution, check with them on their individual policy regarding self general contracting. Some banks and mortgage companies will absolutely not allow this to happen.

If you do decide to do your own general contracting, please be sure that you do your homework. There are plenty of good books that can be found in your local bookstore on general contracting.

And, if your plans are to do another aspect of the construction, such as part of the building, plumbing or electrical work, make sure you have the knowledge and skills necessary to do it right. Let me digress a moment and share with you a story that will illustrate my point.

A few years ago, an acquaintance of mine decided to build a home. He hired a general contractor but decided that he would do the electrical work himself to save some money, even though he had absolutely no experience in this area. To make a long story short, the light switches and fixtures ended up in inconvenient, awkward locations resulting in poor lighting; some of the outlets did not work properly, and the wiring was not done to proper building codes. The house had to be rewired by a professional electrician. So, my friend's desire to save money actually cost him more in the end. And he still has light switches in the most unique places. Sometimes, saving a few hundred dollars should not be your primary consideration. Always keep the big picture in mind and know your limitations.

In summary, making the right decision about general contracting can set the stage for the entire project. If you are strongly considering this undertaking, take a real hard look at yourself and your current life situation within the context of the information that I have provided here. If you can make clarity out of chaos, go for it! General contracting your own project may be one of the most rewarding, self-satisfying experiences you will have in your lifetime; and it will save you some money. It can also end up being a major source of frustration, misery, regret and financial loss.