Building Your Own Dome Home vs. Having It Built

by David B. South

I'm often asked, "Should we build our own dome home or have it built?" That's a tough question and not one that I can answer for you, but here are some thoughts and suggestions.

I. Build it Yourself

Money

Many people think that doing something yourself automatically makes it less expensive. Sometimes that's true. But when it comes to building your own dome home, it may not be.

Building your own dome home means turning yourself into a do-it-yourselfer. Can you afford to do that? Most do-it-yourself projects make very little money per hour. Compare the earning ability of the do-it-yourself project with what you earn at your regular job, including overtime pay you may be able to earn. Can you afford to become a full-time or even a part-time do-it-yourselfer, or might it make better sense to earn as much as you can in your regular job and pay others to build your home?

Banks and Lenders

Most banks and mortgage lenders absolutely hate do-it-yourselfers. Why? Because they often do not finish what they start. Few people carry a project through from A to Z, especially a huge project such as building a home.

Time

It's not lack of skill but lack of time that often turns the do-it-yourselfer into a no-can-doer. Something like the plumbing and electrical done by just one, nonprofessional could add up to 240 hours. The construction of the entire house could take as much as 4000 hours. That's a hundred 40-hour weeks or two years carved out of your life.

Think about how much time you are willing to devote to your project. Think about your banker or mortgage lender who wants your house done in less than a year, and think about your spouse and family. They might enjoy helping with the project, but sooner or later, they will want to do other things as well and they will want you involved.

Choices

Do-it-yourselfers often choose expensive materials and items. Only the top of the line and the top of the price list seems to suit them. I know a do-it-yourselfer who would not settle for painted base boards. He wanted maple -- clear maple, not finger-jointed maple, and he wanted it varnished. Those base boards cost him at least ten times as much as painted ones would have.

Another do-it-yourselfer I worked with insisted on a tub that was 5.5 feet long instead of the standard five feet. Those additional six inches cost an extra $2000!

A long time ago I learned that I could choose a full set of light fixtures for a home that everyone would like and put them in for $100 to $200. But if I sent the owners to pick their fixtures, they rarely left the shop without spending $1000.

When Building Your Own Does Make Sense

If you think you would like to get into the dome-building business, building your own makes a lot of sense. You can practice on your own home, learn from your mistakes, and have something you can show prospective clients.

But if you are new at it, I would rather see you build a rental unit or two before starting on your own house. If you're already a builder, be wary of imitating the Cobbler. He's the guy who got much too busy making shoes for everyone else. Consequently his own children went barefoot. Many builders begin houses for themselves that never get finished.

If you don't plan on making dome-building your business, then I suggest that you seriously consider having the dome shell built and finishing it out yourself. Reason: Constructing the shell takes a lot of practice for the first timer who understandably makes a lot of mistakes; it also takes expensive equipment and manpower, but you get little return for the investment.

On the other hand, doing the finish-out is usually most satisfying. The finish-out is the part of a house that really makes it a home. But again you must consider time and money.

Building in Stages

If you're still bound and determined to build your own dome-home, I suggest that you build in stages. It's relatively easy to build a small dome-home and leave proper openings for any attachment you may want -- a playroom, gym, guest bedroom, mother-in-law quarters, indoor pool, etc. As you build, you get practice from one to the other. You may find that each new addition goes faster than the previous one. That kind of progress avoids getting discouraged or frustrated.

II. Having it Built

Hard-Nose Planning

Lastly, really do some hard-nose, realistic planning. When I say "realistic" I mean consider your age and stage in life and your lifestyle. Many couples get their children raised and then begin planning the building of their dream home. Almost invariably that dream home is still the one they dreamed of having while their children were small. They forget about considering their changed circumstances, and they still want their two-story dream home with its 3000 square feet of living space, although they no longer have any practical use for that much room -- let alone a stairway to navigate in the years ahead when mobility is likely to decline.

Building a home takes a lot of time and a lot of money. Consider what it will be like to make those investments. Remember: you want to own the home. You don't want the home to own you.

Total General Contract

It is very difficult for a Monolithic Dome Builder to be the general contractor (called the GC) for a Monolithic Dome home. It is the money. At this point in time the Monolithic Dome Home industry is growing. There are more and more homes being built in spite of the home industry problems. But they are being built in lots of different areas. Few areas have more than a few Monolithic homes within a GC's working area.

GCs build homes using relationships

They, over time, build a relationship with local plumbers, electricians, masons, dirt contractors, painters, etc. Some of the trades have to be locally licensed as well as the GC. This means the out of town contractor has to establish these relationships. This takes time and money. If a GC is new to a locale he has to spend serious money lining up sub contractors. For homes it is generally better for a local GC to build the house.

Monolithic Constructors, Inc. as a GC

...at times builds the Monolithic Dome home complete from start to finish. Because of distance this occurs within just a few miles of our headquarters her in Italy, Texas. If the owner insists MCI is to do it all in other areas we hire a local GC to to everything but the dome. In other words we sub contract to a local GC to be the GC on the job. Or we sell the job for the GC and act as a sub to him.

At times the new home owner will act as his own GC. This takes time an effort that some do not want to do. So hiring a local GC or hiring the Dome Builder to hire a GC is certainly an option. As a variation the owner can hire two prime contractors. The first prime contractor is the Dome Builder and the second is the GC to finish the project.

But in general we at MCI like to build the Dome and let the owner supply the finish out. Often MCI will work as a sub contractor to a general contractor that has the total contract for the house. As MCI is only building a small percentage of the Monolithic Dome homes the owner / buyer must decide which way to go for the completed project.

Banks usually like a single contractor to deal with. So the owner can find the GC and then let him deal with the bank. The GC then works with the Dome builder for the dome phase and the rest is pretty much conventional.

How to find a GC

This takes some care. You want one big enough to get the job done but small enough to pay attention to your project. Start looking by asking at the local banks, lumber yards, plumbing shops, electrical shops or contractors, etc. Then check references. Then interview the GC.

One thing to guard against is the GC that immediately tries to talk you out of “your wild idea of a Monolithic Dome”. If he does he is not the one you want. You want the one that says “boy, this seems interesting, or challenging.” The first will be afraid of new ideas. The second will be open to them. The Monolithic Dome is a paradigm shift in construction. It is better construction. But the builders will need to pay attention if the owner is to get the benefits. For instance, the home cooling system will need to be 1/3 the size of a conventional. If a larger unit is installed the owner will be cheated of huge savings. Good GCs are around. You just have to look for them. Get your Dome Builder talking with your new found GC. Make sure they are compatible.

You are now ready to proceed. Go for it.

April 25, 2005
edited 7/14/08