Should You Hire a General Contractor or Be Your Own?
Here's What Most Homeowners Don’t Realize
If you're planning to build or renovate, you're probably trying to figure out how to save money — and one of the biggest questions that comes up is:
Should I hire a general contractor, or manage the project myself?
It’s a tempting idea. You think, “I’ll just hire the subs, keep things moving, and save tens of thousands of dollars in the process.”
But here’s what I’ve seen firsthand: most homeowners don’t realize what they’re signing up for until they’re knee-deep in permits, inspections, scheduling conflicts, and unanswered texts from three trades at once.
I've worked with dozens of clients who started off thinking they’d GC their own build. Some pulled it off. Many ran into serious headaches.
In this video, I walk through the real differences between hiring a general contractor vs. going the self-GC route — and what you need to think through before making the call.
What This Video Covers (And Why It Matters)
I want to be clear — I'm not here to scare anyone away from self-GC’ing. I am here to help you make an informed decision, not one based on idealism or social media highlight reels.
In the video, we break down:
What a general contractor actually does (it’s way more than scheduling subs)
The most common misconceptions homeowners have about architects and project management
A real quote from a homeowner who tried to self-GC — and what they learned the hard way
How to know whether you’re the kind of person who should consider managing your own build
This is one of those decisions that can either save you a ton… or cost you a ton. Let’s make sure you’re asking the right questions before you jump in.
A Quick Sneak Peek: The Quote That Stuck With Me
There’s a part in the video where I quote a homeowner who said:
“We thought we were just hiring subs.”
That’s when it hit me — this is the core misunderstanding.
People think a GC is just a middleman. But in reality, they’re the glue holding the entire thing together. And no — your architect isn’t going to handle that for you (despite what many folks assume).
I break that down in the clip and explain how this one assumption can completely derail a self-managed project.
So… Should You GC Your Own Build?
It depends. If you’re highly organized, have a flexible schedule, and know how to manage people and timelines — it can work.
But if your full-time job already keeps you busy, or if the idea of chasing down trades, coordinating city inspections, and handling unexpected problems stresses you out? Hiring a general contractor is probably the better path.
Either way, this video is a great starting point. It'll help you self-qualify and feel a whole lot more confident about the decision you’re making.
🎥 Watch the full video here: https://youtu.be/ty-ZptYTjlI
Then let me know — what questions do you still have?