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Photo: PhotoAttractive / E+ / Getty Images When deciding whether to build a house or buy a house, there’s a wide range of pros and cons to consider. It’s nearly impossible to answer the question of which is better since so much depends on region, economic factors and personal preferences.  Typically, there isn’t a huge…

Hiring a Residential Construction Manager Hiring a construction manager takes a lot of the hassle out of building a home or completing a major remodel. Commercial projects use construction managers to oversee the day-to-day and logistical activities like coordinating material delivery, organizing laborers and more. Occasionally, they’re hired on to do projects for single-family homes….

What is Construction Management Construction management is professional planning, implementation and oversight of a home building or improvement project, including: Pre-construction development of schedule and budget with design architect Hiring and leading teams of supervisors, subcontractors and general contractors Monitoring of budget and schedule throughout process On-site supervision and oversight of progress and quality Safety…

Excavation contractors dig, move and grade the earth using heavy machinery for various construction projects. The most common jobs include trenching, grading and landscaping. Trenching includes installing wells, sewers, utilities, and foundational supports. Excavation contractors usually subcontract as part of larger projects. This means your general contractor takes care of all hiring and project management….

When you’re thinking about home improvements, you may need to hire an architect or interior designer. These pros can help you create a design that will look great and solve current problems. They perform many similar tasks for your house, but they are not the same. Here’s how they differ and a few tips to…

Photo: Shiyan / Adobe Stock Slab foundations are solid concrete flat surfaces—sometimes called slab-on-grade—4 to 6 inches in thickness anchored by footings set to a depth below the frost line. Crawl space foundations are elevated foundations that stand 18 inches to 4 feet above the ground. Slab and crawl space foundations appear in areas where…

Who Draws House Plans? Before your custom home, remodel or expansion begins, you’ll need technical house plans for your general contractor to follow. If you already have an engineer and a design, you’ll need a draftsperson to turn that design into a blueprint for the construction crew. If you need comprehensive services that includes the…

Finding a Builder to Build a House An experienced professional can help you design and construct the home of your dreams. This guide will help you find and choose the right one. On This Page: What is a Home Builder? The term “home builder” can apply to any contractor involved in constructing residential housing. However,…

Building your own home or starting a renovation can be risky. You want to know the risks, anticipate, plan and solve them. Learn what often goes wrong on a custom building or renovation project and find possible solutions. 1. Incorrect custom orders PROBLEM: You’ve ordered a custom material. Whether it’s cut incorrectly or there’s an…

To answer this popular question, HomeAdvisor set some parameters and dug deep to find out which option gets you the most for your money. Take a look at these 15 cities across the US and find out if it’s smartest to buy new, fix up or build a home with a $250,000 budget. 1. New…