[HarryD]

I manage construction projects as part of my job. There is no free lunch. If I want the job done right, not only do I need a very clear vision of what I want, but I need to take an active part in the supervision and not depend on a third party. That means daily inspections, regular meetings and constant review of materials recieved, progress and work by the craftspersons. It is very time consuming but in the end, you get what you want.

As another observed, the cost of the materials is usually only 25-33% of the installed cost. Yet we will spend a tremendous time selecting the materials and give only a cursory review of the person doing the install.

I am always amused by folks who think that they will save big dollars by "doing it themselves". They often find the cost comes in the form of lost time due to the need to closely supervise the work of others or the time spent in doing it themselves.