I'm close to reaching my initial budget in savings for a covered back porch. My FIL, who used to be a general contractor and now designs houses for a living, is going to draw up some design ideas. Since he is getting up there in age, I don't know how much actual labor he can do, and the extent of my experience is minor maintenance on vehicles. However, I would like to DIY whatever I can and hire out for whatever I am not able to do.
Plans include:
18 x 24 x 1.5 ft exposed aggregate concrete back porch
Roof that would attach to brick veneer & other parts of the current roof
Wood pillars
Gutters
Electrical work to put light in and extend current porch lights out to corners of new porch.
Without much experience, I am guessing that all I can do myself is shingles & gutters. My FIL can do the electrical work. However, after typing this out, I'm doubtful that my initial budget of $12k is going to be sufficient.
May I suggest that if you FIL is getting up in age and used to be a general contractor and does (presumably good) electrical work you take this as an opportunity learn these skills from him before it is too late.
Has anyone taken on similar projects? What were some challenges? What was the budget? And did costs come in around the budget?
My FIL shared his rule of thumb for DIY with me. Take your initial estimate of time and money of a DIY double the cost and triple the time then you'll be close.
I've that smaller projects I can make a pretty good estimate. But his rule of thumb still reins king in larger projects; either because I have forgotten in include something in my estimate (fasteners, joist hangers, necessary tools, beer and pizza to bribe help, or some other odd or end) or a nasty surprise (the joists run a different direction in that area of the house, the sheeting is rotten there, there should not be knob and tube here, why is the septic drain line routed there, they build the deck using roofing nails for the joist hangers, and so on).
Since you are hiring it out what are you basing your budget on? It sounds like you don't have plans, and presumably don't have any quotes for the work you would hire out.
The first thing I would do is a plan on what you are going to be building and how (if you happen to be like me it will be changed many times before you are done). If you FIL can design it all for you that is a step you don't have to learn or hire it out (but if he will tolerate questions of why and how, I suggest learning).
Second once I know exactly (what you think) I would be building, I would determine I can do now (for example: dig the holes for the footings and install roofing), what I can stretch to do (perhaps basic framing), what I can learn from others (sounds like electrical is a good bet here) and what you need to hire out because you cannot do or cannot do alone.