Why is it that a lot of American construction workers have the skills to build buildings, but do not build homes for their own families?

Like most barriers to wealth and home-ownership, I expect it has mainly to do with the US economy making it really hard for people to accumulate enough capital to do so. But also maybe because they have a sense of how much time and work it would be and how many people need to be involved, and bureaucratic obstacles, and probably many other details I don’t know about.

Of course, there’s also at least one cooperative that does organize people to build homes for other people in need.

And some people involved in home building do end up doing at least some of the work on their own homes.

Many construction workers that I know specialize in one thing – tile, air conditioning, masonry, floor laying, but that in itself is not enough to get a house built, plus they’re busy working. However, contractors that I know usually have nice houses because they have the all around knowledge and contacts to get it done, and get it done efficiently. They may, for example, do someone’s bathroom and order extra tiles or have extra tiles with which to do their own bathrooms. Where I live, small houses have been bought by contractors and made into large houses.

They might be sick of building buildings.
Imagine that you work a certain amount of hours, each and every day, only to have to add a few hours, each day, to do the same again once getting ‘home’.

I know how to build a house but I don’t intend to build one. I how how to do many things that I choose not to do. Isn’t freedom grand?!

I have 2 men who can, and would, do it all, except major electrical. We’re in the process of rebuilding the inside of this house we bought.

They have better things to do with their spare time.