This agreement sits underneath everything else OwnerBuild OS sells. It describes what you are
taking on when you decide to be the owner-builder on your own project, and it is deliberately
blunt, because the building department will be blunt with you too.
The short version. When you pull an owner-builder permit, you step into the
role a general contractor would normally fill. The responsibility, the liability, and the
consequences of a mistake land on you — not on OwnerBuild OS, and not on Dennis Vu. We teach you
how the job works. You run it.
Who this is between
"OwnerBuild OS," "we," and "us" mean OwnerBuild OS and Dennis Vu. "You" means the person who buys or
uses our courses, checklists, calls, or document reviews. This agreement applies from the moment
you buy anything, book a call, or download a free resource.
What OwnerBuild OS is
OwnerBuild OS is education and coaching for homeowners who intend to act as their own general
contractor on a new home, a whole-house remodel, or an ADU. We supply sequence, checklists,
budget structure, bid language, and experience from projects we have run ourselves.
What OwnerBuild OS is not
- We are not your contractor. We do not perform construction work on your
project, we do not pull your permits, and we do not supervise your job site.
- We are not your architect or engineer. Nothing we provide is a design,
a stamped drawing, a structural calculation, or a substitute for a licensed design
professional.
- We are not your lawyer, accountant, or insurance advisor. Contracts,
taxes, entity questions, and coverage decisions belong with professionals you retain.
- We are not a party to your contracts. Every agreement with a
subcontractor, supplier, designer, or lender is between you and them.
Where guidance touches a licensed trade, treat it as background for a better conversation
with the licensed professional you hire — not as a replacement for hiring one.
The Owner-Builder Oath
By buying from OwnerBuild OS or using what we provide, you confirm that each of the following
is true and that you intend to act accordingly:
- I own the property, or I have the owner's written authority to act. The permit will be
issued in my name, and the building department will hold me responsible for the
work done under it.
- OwnerBuild OS is teaching me. Dennis Vu is not my general contractor, architect, engineer,
employee, or agent, and has not agreed to act as any of those on my project.
- I will confirm the owner-builder rules that apply to my own property before I rely on
anything I learn here. Those rules differ by state, county, and city, and they change. In
California I will check the Contractors State License Board and my local building department
rather than assuming.
- I understand that California's owner-builder exemption comes with conditions — including
rules about occupying the home as my principal residence, about not building the structure
for sale, and about how many structures I can build and sell within a three-year period —
and that claiming the exemption when I do not qualify carries real consequences.
- If I hire people directly instead of contracting with properly licensed subcontractors,
I may legally become their employer, with everything that follows: payroll taxes, workers'
compensation coverage, and liability for injuries on my site.
- I will verify that every subcontractor I hire holds a current license for the work and
carries their own insurance, and I will check those licenses with the licensing board rather
than taking a business card at face value.
- I am responsible for safety on my property, and for anyone who is hurt there — workers,
inspectors, neighbors, or my own family.
- I am responsible for permits, inspections, and code compliance, and for the cost and
delay of correcting anything that does not pass.
- I will carry appropriate insurance for a project under construction, and I will speak to
my insurer and my lender before work starts rather than after a claim.
- My budget, my schedule, and my financing are mine. No one at OwnerBuild OS has promised me
a savings figure, a completion date, a valuation, or an approval.
- Every decision on my project is mine. When I ask for input and receive it, I understand
that acting on it is my choice and the outcome is my responsibility.
- I will stop and hire a professional when a question is beyond me. Recognizing that
moment is part of running the job well, not a failure.
Why we put this in writing. The Contractors State License Board warns
homeowners to be wary of anyone who talks them into owner-building as an easy way to save
money. That warning is fair, and we would rather be measured against it than hide from it:
owner-building is real work with real exposure, it is not right for every person or every
project, and you should walk away from it if this page makes you uneasy.
No guaranteed outcome
The 10–25% figure discussed on this site describes what a general contractor's fee typically
represents on a project. It is context, not a promise. What you actually save — or spend —
depends on your property, your design, your market, your subcontractors, your financing, and
the decisions you make. Projects run over budget and past schedule for reasons no course can
control. We do not guarantee savings, results, permit approval, financing, property value, or
any particular outcome.
Assumption of risk and release
You accept the risks of acting as an owner-builder, including financial loss, delay, damage
to property, and injury. To the fullest extent the law allows, you release OwnerBuild OS and
Dennis Vu from claims arising out of your project and your use of what we teach, and you agree
to be responsible for claims brought by others in connection with your project. The limits and
exclusions in the Terms of Use apply to this agreement as well.
Questions before you commit
If anything here is unclear, ask before you buy: hello@ownerbuildos.com. We
would rather answer a hard question early than have you find the answer on a job site.