Do It Yourself Building 

Doing Your Own Labor

Things You Might Try Yourself ─ And What To Expect

Painting
You could save approximately 2% of total construction cost.  Painting is a job that will be more difficult and time-consuming than you may imagine.  You’ll be starting after the trim carpenter is finished. You’ll have to caulk every nail hole, joint, window and door, and do a lot of sanding before you apply any paint.

Landscaping

Potential savings are approximately 2% of total construction cost.  This isn’t just about digging and planting trees, shrubs, and grass.

 

If you want to try your own landscaping, hire a professional to do a rough grade with whatever fill dirt and or topsoil in necessary  He will make sure you have proper slope, which guarantees good drainage and no standing water in the lawn.

Flooring

Certain types of tile and wood flooring may lend themselves to a do-it-yourself effort.  Savings could again be around 2% of total construction cost.

Miscellaneous

Other things you could try are general cleanup, brick cleaning, pressure cleaning (driveways and sidewalks) and final clean.

All of these together could add up to a couple of thousand dollars, more or less.