Protect Yourself When Working With A Home Builder
Building a home is complex
Building a home is complex. There are many things that you can't completely control.
Here we will discuss some things you will want to keep in mind when working with a builder of your new home. The more educated you are, the less likely mistakes will be made and regrets to be had later.
If you are working with a custom home builder, it can simplify the process because they will have legalities in place already and will be easier to work with. But if you hire a contractor yourself you need to arm yourself with as much knowledge as you can.
Here are just a few: the weather, production of cabinets & tops, inventory of items at the local supply houses, the schedules of sub-contractors, the quality of the vast amount of materials you are expected to install.
Stop and think of how many different trades and different parts go into a house. You or the builder needs to be familiar with each one. If a mistake is made early in the job (say an out of square foundation), it will handicap the rest of the project.
Houses require excellent foundations. The same is true for the entire home-building process.
The foundation of the process is an excellent set of plans and written specifications. Many people think that any plan is a good one.
Great plans leave little to speculation. They include lots of detail, there are separate pages for electrical and mechanical layouts, and there are many schedules or tables that outline what is supposed to happen where.
Specifications are a must. Written specifications are just detailed notes and explanations about various aspects of the actual drawn plans.
For example, there can be a paragraph about the exact nature of the mortar used for the brick. Other notes can mention the process of finishing the hardwood flooring.
If you are building a home, you need a simple, clear contract. There is little need to include lots of words about what is going to be built if you already have an excellent set of blueprints and specifications.
Building your own home whether you do it yourself or use a builder is one of the toughest jobs you will ever do. It can be lots of fun and filled with excitement IF you are prepared.
If you want a solid house with few problems, then you are going to have to work side by side with the builder. This means that you will need to do lots of reading.
Many of the aspects of construction are well documented by numerous associations. In other words, if you want to know some details about concrete, why not contact the Portland Cement Association or the American Concrete Institute?
Your foundation must be square! Your footer needs to be at least 8 inches thick with 2 number 5 bars run continuous.
Spend the extra money and get vertical steel in addition to the horizontal steel in your foundation. Don't allow the house to be built too deep into the ground.
The top of the foundation must be a minimum of 18 inches above the highest point of soil within 10 feet of the foundation. You use the dirt from the hole to create this slope. If done correctly, it will appear that the house is on nearly level ground.
Use cast iron pipe for your plumbing drain pipes that carry water within the walls. You will have a quiet house.
All roof flashing must be tin or copper and be soldered. 95 percent of all roof leaks happen at flashing. Make sure yours are the best and installed properly.
One of the biggest nightmares with new home construction is failing to identify a cost item.
To obtain an accurate total price, you must have two things: 1. Each major and many minor items listed 2. Accurate prices for each item - not guesses or allowances.
Though every single nut and bolt won't need to be listed, you might be surprised at the detail of the list anyway. Remember, it can be a tedious process, but the end result is your beautiful home!
by: Jack Landry
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