Owner/builder construction questions

[JB740i]

Probably gonna have a lot over the next few years. Gonna be building a house very soon. Got my permit for the house and 24x30 detached garage Monday afternoon.

My father-in-law is a retired electrician and his brothers are contractors or have spent their lives in construction. Me, I've got no experience in building a house. But I'm being tasked with various things since they're slightly more than an hour away and don't know the locals.

The people I know in the construction industry locally are all contractors. So I can't really call them for help on every little thing because that's what they get paid to do. Can't expect them to answer questions for free, right?

So right now I need to find someone to get me a quote for the foundation and need to call to find prices on concrete.

Can I just call any masonry company for a quote on the foundation? Is a mason the same thing as a masonry company? Don't know anyone in the field.


In the past, someone typed up an excellent thread on the things to have ready when ordering your concrete to be delivered like how far apart you want the trucks to arrive, different types of mixes, etc.

But to get a price per sq. yd, it's as simple as asking that?


More questions to follow I'm sure. Might just keep the thread going if ya'll want to share you knowledge.

 

[JB740i]

Oh, found another phone number in the trash that someone left in my dumpster. Had found an address before and went down to the house but they'd moved. And I got ahold of someone at the first phone number I found but the lady said she wasn't the one I was looking for. It was on a pawn store receipt where I found it. The lady who answered sounded like she'd had lots of calls for this chick.

Sent her a letter today telling her to come get her **** outta my dumpster before I call she cops. But I'll try the other number I found tomorrow. Good times.

 

[Will67]

To get a price for concrete delivered to your job site, yes all it takes is a phone call.
But for concrete "installed", by that I mean grading work, forms and such, then no.

Do you have a set of plans? I am in the begining stages of my garage build and I went down to Kinkos and had several sets of my plans copied. These I have given out to several concrete contractors. I have gotten bids all over the place, each with their own list of what is included and whats not included.

Almost all bid will not do much if any grading work and none will haul off any soil that is generated from digging footings for exterior walls and over where beams will be.


Out here in California (northern) delivered to site concrete is about 110 per yard with a 5 yard minimum with a 3,000 psi strength.

 

[Kevin54]

A masonry guy would be one to do block laying and brick laying. But he would know who to talk to for cement work as he is the one that works behind them. Once you get comfortable with one or two of them, then ask who they prefer or recommend. Talk to them and get references so you can check out the work and don't hesitate to do so. If they do good work, they will be proud to show it off. By asking around between contractors and asked them about other names that I was told, I was able to narrow down my concrete flat work to one guy, his cousin, and a helper. I told him straight out, up front...no satisfaction, no money!!! He wanted no money up front because he had excellent credit with the concrete company and initially all he would be out was labor. I told him if I was satisfied it would be cash the day he was done. I never seen three harder working individuals. Morning to night, non stop, and hardly ever talked to one another. They had a job to do and each one knew what to do. All in all, a 20x20 building with a foundation, floor and drain, probably a 32x32 pad, a 12 x 16 pad, and probably 250' of sidewalk and I save roughly $7000 over others than did less than what i would call substandard work. And the concrete guy has gave me a few names of guys that I have used for different things in a project. Plus afterwards he has let me use his skidloader and concrete saw. So it pays to get to know your guys from the start. And keep their names on hand. If you are satisfied, they know that you will be calling them again.