Choosing a Contractor

Over 40% of our clients assemble their own shell themselves, many with little construction experience. The Kit panels come marked with numbers and letters to match the Assembly Manual that goes with the building kit. The building plans also have elevation views with numbers and letters. Our best kit assembly success stories are owner builders who read and follow the assembly manual and building plans and call us when they have any question.

If you do not have the time or do not want to assemble the dome shell kit we know of a specialist that will supervise your or your contractor’s laborers and assemble the shell. By using a shell sub, this will greatly take the heat off your contractor to estimate the shell erection costs as he has not assembled one of our kits before. To learn more about this service click on Kit Assembly Consultant.

Using three to four good laborers and depending upon the size dome and type of hoisting mechanism you use, shell assembly (kit with two entryways and four dormers) can take from 9-16 days. Once you decide on your floor plan, we can estimate the number of days needed to assemble the shell (entryways and dormers take longer to install than triangles).

You or your contractor would hire conventional subcontractors to do the normal jobs like forming and pouring the slab, plumbing, electrical, framing, etc. We figure you should not pay some one to come in from out of state to do work that your local subs can perform.

A few years ago prior to us knowing of working consultants that would supervise the shell assembly, some of our dome owners had to hire contractors or individuals that had never assembled one of our dome shell kits. As a result the contractor had to overcharge the dome owner because they did not know what problems they would run in to. Many times they would charge as much as the cost of the building kit for the labor cost to assemble the kit.

A helpful web site is rsmeans.com They sell construction manuals, construction estimating CD's, etc.

The methods used for lifting the panels includes:

Small cranes that can lift 400 - 500 lbs; 25 ft up and 25 ft out, Highlifts (all terrain scissors forklifts often used by roofers).  

Monthly rentals on transverse lifts also called Boom Lifts, Horizontal Boom Fork Lifts, Roofing Lifts, Shooters are available from National Rental Chains like US Rentals, Hertz Equipment Rentals, United Rentals, etc. The companies can be found in the telephone book.  To learn more click on Hoisting Mechanisms.