Construct it Yourself
You Don't Need to Become a Contractor. You Need to Know How to Be the Owner.
Construction professionals know their jobs.
Architects design. Contractors build. Trades perform their work.
But the owner has a job, too.
You have to decide what you are building, establish what you can afford, make decisions at the right time, get meaningful prices, select the right contractor, understand what you are agreeing to, and manage the project through completion.
Most owners have never been taught how to do that.
Construct It Yourself (CIY) teaches you.
CIY is a self-guided system that walks you through the owner side of a construction project—from the first idea through planning, bidding, construction, and completion.
You don't have to figure out what comes next.
CIY shows you.
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Construct It Yourself Teaches You to Conduct It Yourself
Your architect manages the design.
Your contractor manages the construction.
But neither of them manages the project for you.
Someone still has to connect what you want, what you can afford, what gets designed, what gets priced, what gets contracted, what gets built, and the decisions that happen along the way.
That someone is the Owner.
Construct It Yourself gives you the knowledge, process, and tools to conduct your own project—from Dream to Done.
You remain the Owner. You make the decisions.
CIY gives you a professional process for making them.
Construction Gets Difficult Long Before Something Goes Wrong
Most owners don't begin a project carelessly.
They talk to contractors. Gather ideas. Look at plans and finishes. Ask for prices. Try to make reasonable decisions as information becomes available.
It feels like progress.
But construction decisions are connected, and they don't all have the same consequences.
An undefined scope becomes an assumption in a bid.
An assumption can become an exclusion in a contract.
A decision postponed during planning can become a change order during construction.
And by the time the problem becomes visible, the easiest opportunity to prevent it may already be gone.
What feels like a construction problem often began much earlier.
That's why CIY puts the owner's decisions in sequence.
Before You Sign a Contractor Contract, Get the Project Ready
One of the most important shifts in a construction project happens when you move from planning to pricing.
Before that point, you still have choices.
You can change the scope. Compare alternatives. Clarify materials. Establish priorities. Resolve inconsistencies. Decide what you are willing to spend.
Once contractors begin pricing incomplete information, assumptions enter proposals, differences become difficult to compare, and negotiating leverage begins to shift.
CIY helps you define the Project before asking the market to price it.
Plan first. Bid with clarity. Build with control.
Before you commit thousands—or hundreds of thousands—of dollars to construction, invest $500 in understanding and managing the decisions that determine how your Project proceeds.
CIY Founder Membership gives you the complete guided process, tools, checklists, and templates to conduct your Project from Dream to Done.
From Dream to Done
CIY follows the natural progression of a construction project.
Overview — Understand the Process
Free
See the entire construction journey before you have to navigate it yourself. Learn where owners commonly lose control, how the phases fit together, and which decisions matter most.
Planning — Define the Project
CIY Members
Turn what you want to build into something contractors can understand, price, and execute.
Define the scope, establish the budget, make important decisions, and prepare the project for competitive pricing.
Bidding — Use Competition
CIY Members
Create fair competition around a clearly defined project.
Compare what contractors are actually offering, identify gaps and exclusions, clarify differences, and select your contractor while you still have negotiating leverage.
Construction — Manage the Work
CIY Members
Manage execution without losing control of the owner's responsibilities.
Track progress, manage changes, review payments, document decisions, recognize problems early, and carry the project through completion and closeout.
You Don't Need More Construction Information
There is no shortage of information about construction.
The harder questions are:
- What should I be doing right now?
- What needs to happen before I move forward?
- What should I have before I ask for a price?
- How does this decision affect what happens next?
A construction project can involve hundreds of decisions, documents, questions, and details.
You don't need all of them today.
You need to know what matters now, what comes next, and what needs to be complete before you move forward.
That's how CIY is organized.
As your project moves from Planning to Bidding to Construction, CIY gives you the guidance, tools, checklists, and templates that apply to that stage of the work.
Follow the process in sequence, or use the Conductor's Toolbox to explore related subjects and understand how today's decisions affect later outcomes.
Learn what you need. Make the decision. Complete the work. Move to the next step.
And when something requires more attention, CIY provides deeper guidance to help you work through it.
A complete construction management system, organized around where you are in your project.
Knowledge, Tools, and Professional Reviews
Everything you need to understand and conduct your Project. Professional review when you want an experienced second set of eyes.
CIY is more than a collection of construction articles. It's a complete working system that guides you through Planning, Bidding, and Construction.
Your membership gives you step-by-step instruction, practical tools, checklists, templates, and decision guidance organized around the actual progression of your Project.
Instead of wondering what to do next, you'll know what needs to be done, why it matters, and what should be complete before moving forward.
CIY Founder — $500
Conduct your Project with confidence.
Get one year of access to the complete CIY system, including the guidance and tools to define your scope, prepare for bidding, evaluate contractor proposals, manage construction, and bring your Project to completion.
You remain in control of your decisions, supported by a professional process from Dream to Done.
CIY Founder Plus — $3,250
The complete CIY system, with professional reviews at critical decision points.
Founder Plus includes everything in Founder, plus five professional reviews across Planning, Bidding, and Construction.
These reviews help identify gaps, clarify concerns, and strengthen your decision-making before important commitments.
One complete system. Two ways to put it to work.
Where Are You Right Now?
Wherever you are in your Project, the decisions you make today affect what happens next.
Whether you're preparing to hire contractors, evaluating proposals, or already managing construction, CIY helps you understand your responsibilities, recognize potential problems, and take control of the process.
Planning — Before You Ask for Bids
Do you know exactly what you're asking contractors to build?
Incomplete plans and unclear scope can lead to inconsistent bids, unexpected costs, and disagreements during construction.
CIY helps you organize your Project, define the work, establish your expectations, and prepare a clear foundation for competitive bidding.
Start with a Project that's ready to price.
Bidding — Before You Sign a Contract
Are you comparing contractors—or comparing different interpretations of your Project?
A low bid isn't necessarily the best bid, and different prices don't always represent the same work.
CIY helps you understand contractor proposals, identify exclusions and assumptions, evaluate qualifications, and prepare for contractual commitments.
Know what you're buying before you sign.
Construction — After the Work Begins
Do you know how to keep your Project under control?
Once construction begins, decisions about changes, payments, scheduling, inspections, and quality can have significant consequences.
CIY helps you understand what to monitor, what to document, what questions to ask, and how to manage the responsibilities that remain yours as the Owner.
Stay informed. Stay organized. Stay in control.
Wherever You Are, CIY Helps You Move Forward
You don't need to start over or become a construction professional.
You need a system that helps you understand where you are, what needs attention, and what comes next.
Built From the Owner's Side of the Table
More than 30 years of construction experience. A system built to put that experience to work for you.
Construct It Yourself was developed from decades of hands-on construction and project management experience, working through the decisions, challenges, and relationships that determine whether Projects succeed.
Throughout that experience, one principle has remained constant: successful construction depends on informed decisions, clear expectations, defined responsibilities, and a project team working toward a common objective.
CIY brings that professional experience into a practical system designed specifically for Owners.
You don't have to learn every lesson through your own mistakes.
Real Experience. Real Results.
My wife and I were planning to remodel our home. We were terrified about the entire process because neither of us has any experience in construction remodeling. The entire process was like taking a trip to the moon for us.
Thankfully, Construct it Yourself gave us a path to follow. Upon applying the principles in the program we were able to communicate with the contractors and suppliers at a level that made us feel capable and competent.
As a result we saved nearly $35,000 in labor and material.
Richard Cartright has used his vast experience as a construction manager working in such exotic locales as Chicago's Field Museum to produce an essential process about the successful management of home remodeling projects. But this isn't a simple how-to.
Richard covers everything from negotiating the bid process to obtaining building permits, from planning the project to completing the construction phase. And he describes the process in a style that isn't boring or mundane. He's enlightened, breezy, and informative; the absolute reverse of stodgy and technical. Cartright gives you an educated look at the construction process from the viewpoint of a guy who's done a lot more than remodel basements.
You will not only learn how to create and complete that much-desired home remodeling project, big or small, you will also capture an insight into the construction process in America. Written by one of the industry's stars.
If you are planning on remodeling your home or have a commercial project, Construction Conductor is a "Must Have".
Not only does it explain the process from concept to completion, but guides you smoothly through each step, saving both time and money.
It's you own personal project manager and coach, giving you control every step of the way.
The "Toolbox Tools" are invaluable and the coaching is amazing. I was impressed by how Construction Conductor helped me avoid problems, control my project and save thousands. Every step of the way, I felt like Construction Conductor gave me a guiding hand to help ensure a good outcome.
Construction Conductor's CIY tips are clear, simple and easy to understand.
With rudimentary skills and Construct it Yourself, even a novice can tackle complex projects without engaging a general contractor.
We were able to get our renovation done prefectly, so the in-laws had a nice place to stay when they come for the holidays.
Thanks Construction Conductor!
This is a great for anyone serious about managing their own remodel.
The info is detailed, thorough, and very well organized. It's easy to flip to the info you need, and it's in the order that you'll need it. There are so many details that make all the difference in the success or failure of any remodel.
Using this system will save you thousands... and also save you heartache and frustration.
I really can't recommend it enough.
Construct it Yourself provides a great service and helps fill gaps for construction issues often overlooked by people. I've been a professional engineer in the construction industry for over 25 years, and I learned some things that I didn't know before. Their service helped me describe the work I wanted done, made suggestions that helped round out my project scope of work, and protect us from unforeseen issues. I am very happy with the project outcome and Construct it Yourself. I highly recommend them to help you with your project.
The principles behind CIY have already helped Owners make better decisions, manage their resources, and achieve meaningful results.
Now those same principles are organized into a complete working process you can apply to your own Project.
Your Project. Your Money. Your Decisions.
Your Project Deserves a Plan. You Deserve to Be in Control.
You've worked hard for the money you're investing in your Project.
Before you commit that money to contractors, materials, and construction, invest in understanding how to manage the process.
Construct It Yourself gives you the knowledge, tools, and professional working process to make informed decisions, establish clear expectations, and conduct your Project from Dream to Done.
You don't need to become a contractor. You need to know how to be the Owner.
Start Conducting Your Project Today
CIY Founder — $500/year
Complete access to the CIY system, including Planning, Bidding, Construction, tools, checklists, and templates.
CIY Founder Plus — $3,250 for the first year
Everything in Founder, plus five professional reviews at critical points in your Project. Subsequent annual renewals are $500 for continued access to the CIY system.
One complete system. Choose the level of professional involvement that's right for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need construction experience to use CIY?
No. CIY was designed to help Owners understand and manage their responsibilities without becoming construction professionals. The system explains what needs to happen, why it matters, and how to move forward.
Does CIY replace my architect, engineer, or contractor?
No. CIY helps you work more effectively with the professionals responsible for designing and building your Project. It teaches you how to fulfill your responsibilities as the Owner while maintaining clear expectations and accountability.
When should I join CIY?
Ideally, before you begin soliciting contractor bids or making contractual commitments. The earlier you establish a clear scope, budget, and project-management process, the more opportunities you have to influence the outcome.
However, CIY also provides guidance for Owners already in Bidding or Construction.
What's the difference between Founder and Founder Plus?
Both memberships include the same complete CIY system.
Founder provides the guidance and tools to conduct your Project independently.
Founder Plus adds five professional reviews across Planning, Bidding, and Construction, giving you an experienced second set of eyes before important decisions.
Can CIY help me save money?
CIY teaches practices intended to improve scope definition, bid comparability, cost control, and project management. These practices can help Owners identify unnecessary costs and avoid preventable expenses.
Actual savings depend on your Project, decisions, and circumstances.
What if I hire a general contractor?
CIY remains useful. Hiring a general contractor doesn't eliminate your responsibilities as the Owner.
You'll still make decisions about scope, cost, changes, payments, schedule expectations, and completion. CIY helps you understand and manage those responsibilities.
Is CIY useful if I'm managing subcontractors myself?
Yes. CIY helps you understand the coordination, documentation, scheduling, and management responsibilities involved when you're directing the work yourself.
How long can I access CIY?
Founder membership provides one year of access, with annual renewal available. Founder Plus includes the first year of CIY access and the professional reviews described in that membership.
Your Project. Your Money. Your Decisions.
Make them with confidence.