Eds, plots, architects, and permits.

At some point you've got to step off the ledge into oblivion and REALLY take the plunge.  You know - the point of no return - which technically comes when you go down and apply for a building permit..  That means you have your lot, you've paid this years' taxes on it, you have your plans, you've figured out funding and have a budget, and you've secured Ed.  Ed?  Who's Ed?  Well, remember all that money I said you were going to save by building yourself??....At this point you need to invest a healthy chunk of it in your own Ed.  My Ed is pictured above, and you can't have him.  Get your own Ed!  My Ed has built over 2300 homes in the area, first with a large developer, then as an independent custom builder of homes just like mine.  Ed is not the General Contractor of Record (GC) for my house - I am.  But I'm paying Ed (more than anyone else is paying him at the moment on purpose) to be there when I call with a question, or a problem, or encouragement.  Ed knows all the answers - even the ones I don't want to hear.  Take a good look at Ed and remember - old guys with grey hair and an attitude know a LOT of shit.  You don't.  The only thing you have to be careful with Ed is he loves to spend MY money!  And that's good, because all Ed wants to do is build a GREAT house.  Ed is like a beaver (not his looks!) - building is in his blood and anything I decide to do in opposition to Ed, is a compromise.  But I simply can't afford EVERYTHING Ed wants to do, so I have to choose wisely.  Ed is my secret weapon in being my own builder.  Everyone should have one.

Now back to the permit - aside from a deed and about $550.00, all you need to get an "OWNER/BUILDER" building permit (in Durham County NC anyway) is an architecturally "Sealed" set of house plans and a plot plan.  If you think you can get beyond this point with a "sketch" of the house, you're wrong.  You must have a bona-fide architect-drawn full set of blueprints AND obtain Structural Engineering (from a licensed Professional Engineer -PE) for the design.  So start looking for a good architect NOW (he'll know where to get the PE) - it's like going to a good dentist.  It's uncomfortable, it's expensive and tedious, and all you wanna do is be done with them, but it's necessary and good for you in the long run.  When you get a set of plans from an architect it's like licensing software - they're only good for ONE site.  You can't re-use plans without paying for another set.  No, they're not cheap - NOTHING is cheap.  Good plans and Structural Engineering from a good Architect & PE will run you anywhere from 3 to 5 Grand, or more, depending on how much work you throw at them.  Try and know what you want going in so all they're doing is producing the plans.  After all was said and done (hundreds of "THAT ONE's" later), I'm actually building the same basic floor plan I'm living in now, with everything that was wrong about it fixed, and a number of "upgrades" tweaks, and changes to make it new again. 

Once your plans are finalized with the Architect (or close to it), you can go-ahead and find yourself a good Surveyor.  For a few hundred more dollars he'll take your house plans and in about 15 minutes (thanks to the high-tech glory of CAD files) produce a viable plot-plan - dropping the footprint of your house onto the survey of your lot (part of mine is shown in the picture above).  In addition to the footprint, your plotplan must include a number of calculations right on the drawing that indicate the "percentage of impervious surface area" your house and paving will take up on the lot.  Mine's about 23%, which is good.  50% is bad.

So, armed with two sets of SEALED Architect and Structural drawings, one well prepared plot plan, and another check (get used to it!), I headed down to the City Building and applied for my OWNER/BUILDER PERMIT, which takes about 10 days to get IF everything is in order.  Oh, and I had to promise (as an owner) that I wouldn't sell the house for at least a year, or I'd need a General Contractors license.  9 days later - I walked out with a Permit and was ready to roll!