Info on How to Start a Construction Contractor Business

[Lewdog]

I live in Kentucky and doublewide trailers are very popular here. They are not very sturdy however, especially in bad weather. What makes them so popular is their low price and ability to be sold and moved to different locations. I've been doing some research into refurbished shipping container houses and would like to start a business here in Kentucky contracting the construction of them. I'm just not real sure where to start so I am asking for advice for anyone that has a business like this. So far I've found a cheap place to find the shipping containers, picked a couple floor plans to use, and priced some of the items needed for the construction. Other than that I've come up with a company name and verified that the website name is available. I'd like to do this with as little money as I can upfront, where I'm able to sell the houses with deposits that cover most of the initial costs.


Any advice and resources will be gladly appreciated! Please don't post just to troll...

 

[strollingbones]

i am not sure about kty but in nc you have to be licensed and insured to be a contractor. there is a contractor state exam one must take and pass...there are levels of contracting.....you may want to check into that....if a house is only coming in at 35 k..there are different rules for contractors than a house coming in at 1 mil...

i would consider how long you think the tiny house craze will last...shipping containers seem to be the next big boom in them...if you can get on on the ground floor...what is surprising to me...the actual cost of a tiny house....its not that tiny

i would see a lawyer and an accountant...seek their advice on this...

 

[Skull Pilot]

i am not sure about kty but in nc you have to be licensed and insured to be a contractor. there is a contractor state exam one must take and pass...there are levels of contracting.....you may want to check into that....if a house is only coming in at 35 k..there are different rules for contractors than a house coming in at 1 mil...

i would consider how long you think the tiny house craze will last...shipping containers seem to be the next big boom in them...if you can get on on the ground floor...what is surprising to me...the actual cost of a tiny house....its not that tiny

i would see a lawyer and an accountant...seek their advice on this...

There are many more design considerations and custom work that goes into maximizing space and usability in a very small dwelling. But I would think the savings realized on heating, cooling, etc will make up for that over the long run

 

[Lewdog]

i am not sure about kty but in nc you have to be licensed and insured to be a contractor. there is a contractor state exam one must take and pass...there are levels of contracting.....you may want to check into that....if a house is only coming in at 35 k..there are different rules for contractors than a house coming in at 1 mil...

i would consider how long you think the tiny house craze will last...shipping containers seem to be the next big boom in them...if you can get on on the ground floor...what is surprising to me...the actual cost of a tiny house....its not that tiny

i would see a lawyer and an accountant...seek their advice on this...

Well from a lot of the foot work I've done so far, I can actually get the materials and container needed to build a 40 foot two bedroom one bath house for just over $10,000 not counting the labor. If I can get one completely built for $20,000 and sell them for $27,500 apiece, I'd be pretty happy.

 

[Lewdog]

i am not sure about kty but in nc you have to be licensed and insured to be a contractor. there is a contractor state exam one must take and pass...there are levels of contracting.....you may want to check into that....if a house is only coming in at 35 k..there are different rules for contractors than a house coming in at 1 mil...

i would consider how long you think the tiny house craze will last...shipping containers seem to be the next big boom in them...if you can get on on the ground floor...what is surprising to me...the actual cost of a tiny house....its not that tiny

i would see a lawyer and an accountant...seek their advice on this...

There are many more design considerations and custom work that goes into maximizing space and usability in a very small dwelling. But I would think the savings realized on heating, cooling, etc will make up for that over the long run

They actually have these ductless wall HVAC units that aren't very expensive and can heat/cool a small dwelling pretty cheap. They use them a lot in Central America.

 

[Skull Pilot]

i am not sure about kty but in nc you have to be licensed and insured to be a contractor. there is a contractor state exam one must take and pass...there are levels of contracting.....you may want to check into that....if a house is only coming in at 35 k..there are different rules for contractors than a house coming in at 1 mil...

i would consider how long you think the tiny house craze will last...shipping containers seem to be the next big boom in them...if you can get on on the ground floor...what is surprising to me...the actual cost of a tiny house....its not that tiny

i would see a lawyer and an accountant...seek their advice on this...

There are many more design considerations and custom work that goes into maximizing space and usability in a very small dwelling. But I would think the savings realized on heating, cooling, etc will make up for that over the long run

They actually have these ductless wall HVAC units that aren't very expensive and can heat/cool a small dwelling pretty cheap. They use them a lot in Central America.

they are used quite a lot here as well and the heat pump mode doesn't work well in all climates so IMO a small propane hot air furnace is the way to go for heat and you really don't need ducts in a tiny home

 

[strollingbones]

one must be aware of local zoning laws....you cant sell what people cant have on land....etc....a lot of places have servery restricted tiny houses...

 

[Skull Pilot]

one must be aware of local zoning laws....you cant sell what people cant have on land....etc....a lot of places have servery restricted tiny houses...

most of the ones I have seen are built on wheels so they are not considered permanent structures

but I have to say that it's none of the town's business how big of a home a person wants to build as long as it meets code

I have a feeling the restrictions are solely to keep the tax base up

 

[strollingbones]

i have seen tiny houses with tiny wood stoves....smh.....i dont think i would risk that...the main customization issues are bathrooms well hell the whole thing....and lew are you doing these to order?

btw how much does a shipping container cost?

 

[strollingbones]

the wheel thing....one was stolen here....just hitched it up and drove it away....

 

[Lewdog]

one must be aware of local zoning laws....you cant sell what people cant have on land....etc....a lot of places have servery restricted tiny houses...

Yep that is one of the things I have tried to look into and haven't gotten an answer yet. For some reason the permits department is in the County Health Department Offices... but this being Kentucky, and with as many trailers that get sold here, and how poorly built some of the homes are, I don't think it will be a problem.

 

[strollingbones]

people think they will cause depreciation in the hood.....i dont care for hoa's and those rules...

 

[strollingbones]

who is designing the interiors for you?

<---loves doing that shit....as long as someone checks the math lol

 

[Lewdog]

i have seen tiny houses with tiny wood stoves....smh.....i dont think i would risk that...the main customization issues are bathrooms well hell the whole thing....and lew are you doing these to order?

btw how much does a shipping container cost?

I could do them to customization, but I'd prefer to start out with just the two floor plan options of a one bedroom and a two bedroom. I've found a place in Florida that sells refurbished use 40 foot shipping containers with the rust sanded off, dents fixed, new coat of paint, and new rubber coated roofs for $2,000 each.

 

[strollingbones]

do you plan on composting toilets....so tell us your ideas....the kitchen is always a hard part to design and people have to be down with little water usage ...

 

[Skull Pilot]

i have seen tiny houses with tiny wood stoves....smh.....i dont think i would risk that...the main customization issues are bathrooms well hell the whole thing....and lew are you doing these to order?

btw how much does a shipping container cost?

I could do them to customization, but I'd prefer to start out with just the two floor plan options of a one bedroom and a two bedroom. I've found a place in Florida that sells refurbished use 40 foot shipping containers with the rust sanded off, dents fixed, new coat of paint, and new rubber coated roofs for $2,000 each.

what would you insulate them with because a metal box is going to get awfully hot in the summer and awfully cold in the winter and how much space will you lose

 

[strollingbones]

damn dude you could sell those for storage units.....or start your own mini storage lol....i did not realize they were that cheap...now how much to get them to ky? starting with one or two floor plans is a great idea....but you know people love so called 'change orders' and that is where you can make money or lose your shirt

 

[strollingbones]

you would build thin walls and Styrofoam insulate...lot more r value per inch

 

[strollingbones]

fire .....what kinda fire safety do these things have....something small like that....will fill up with smoke fast....

 

[Lewdog]

i have seen tiny houses with tiny wood stoves....smh.....i dont think i would risk that...the main customization issues are bathrooms well hell the whole thing....and lew are you doing these to order?

btw how much does a shipping container cost?

I could do them to customization, but I'd prefer to start out with just the two floor plan options of a one bedroom and a two bedroom. I've found a place in Florida that sells refurbished use 40 foot shipping containers with the rust sanded off, dents fixed, new coat of paint, and new rubber coated roofs for $2,000 each.

what would you insulate them with because a metal box is going to get awfully hot in the summer and awfully cold in the winter and how much space will you lose

Well you wouldn't lose that much space because you are going to want to put up studs in order to put up dry wall, and from what I've been told spray foam insulation is cheaper than rolls. The spray foam insulation would also be good for noise proofing them a bit.

Most people here are used to high energy bills from living in doubelwides and trailers.