Home Building - Planning
So that design is looking pretty good, right? You've figured out your spaces. You've picked the colors. You even know which faucet is going in that new master suite. Now it's time to figure out how we build this thing.
The Nitty-Gritty
Turning that design into a great new addition or a brand new house takes planning. Those pictures are great, but every one of those little lines has to become a wall or a window or a floor. Planning is where we determine how it's all going to work, how much it's going to cost, and how long it's going to take.
At RandomSPACE we really want to get this part right. The better we budget (both time and money) the better your renovation experience is going to be. Here's the sequence we think works.
- Rough Numbers
This should really happen back when you are drawing on napkins, but if you are serious about doing something and just want to keep tabs on the cost, you can do this exercise after your architect has put together some preliminary drawings.
Sometime during design start getting a handle on the budget. Better to know before the plans are all done if that party tub you have designed for the master suite is going to break the bank.
The crew at RandomSPACE is more than happy to take any level of design you have and give you some numbers. Depending on the level of detail you give us, we can get pretty close to the final number. Sure, we might make some assumptions if you haven't decided on hardwood or carpet, but even with that we are going to get you in the ballpark and help you start to understand the cost of things.
We like to see people start doing this right after the big wish list phase. The sooner you know what the dream house is going to cost, the sooner you'll know if you can afford it or if you have to make some concessions.
RandomSPACE is happy to work with you and your architect to produce preliminary numbers at multiple stages of your design. This way there won't be any sticker shock at the end.
- Real Numbers
When the design is done and the drawings are ready, it's time to get real numbers. If you are working with us already, then we've been giving you pretty good numbers all along. If you haven't, we're happy to give you a new proposal based on completed construction documents. RandomSPACE tries to stay competitive while not lowballing prices just to get jobs. Remember, your goal should be to see the number you are going to end up with, not the number some contractor uses to land your project.
When you are out collecting bids, remember a few basics:
- Is this a fixed bid? - Ideally the contractors you invite to bid on your project will give you a fixed bid. This means the number they give you should include everything you need to get the job done and should not increase without very good reasons. There are always things that will come up on a project and you are certainly allowed to change the scope of the job as you go, but you don't want a contractor that tells you one thing and comes back later to tell you things were more expensive than he thought. Get the contractors bidding on your job to tell you exactly what can affect the budget they present in the beginning.
- Are these people licensed - You wouldn't go to a doctor that isn't licensed. You wouldn't use a lawyer that's not licensed. Think the same way when choosing a contractor. Most municipalities require general contractors to hold at least a Class C license before they can pull permits. If the contractor you are talking to suggests you pull the permit, that should be a red flag. Don't work with unlicensed people. If they aren't serious enough about their business to get licensed, how serious are they going to be about building your house?
- Are these people insured? - This is probably even more important than licensing. Any contractor working on your house should have current liability insurance in an amount that will cover any damage they may do to your property. Furthermore, every sub-contractor your general contractor brings on to a job site should carry their own liability insurance. They should also carry adequate workman's comp insurance if they employ people. Make sure the contractor you select can provide you with documentation to this effect. No insurance means no real concern for your property.
Liability insurance is expensive for general contractors. If somebody is offering you an extremely low bid, make sure it's not because they don't have insurance.
- What else have these people done? - Do you want to be the first project some contractor takes? Do you want to work with somebody who has repeatedly blown their budget or schedule? Do you want people in your house that have no references? The answer to all these questions is the same: No.
Make contractors give you references. Ask to see pictures of previous jobs. It's even OK to ask about seeing previous work in person. Any serious contractor should be able to give you all these things. Know what they can do before they do it to you.