Happy Thanksgiving
Decisions, decisions and more decisions make a custom home.
Building Success 101
Q: What kind of decisions and product changes can I make after the job has started?
A: Before construction begins, Merlin Custom Home Builders’s Chief Estimator, Robert Brown, works closely with our homeowners architects and interior designers to identify every component of a home (big or small). The better the level of design detail the more exact the itemized budget can be. Also, and just as important, the general construction costs won’t be affected with stops, starts and an extended timeline.
On the other hand Merlin Custom Home Builders’s field team knows and understands that changes and redesigns are part of a custom home, so we have built in review meetings and scheduled re-evaluations. These milestones are timed to provide our homeowners with the three- dimensional view and feeling for rooms, lighting, appliances layout and furniture layout. A review at this point allows for changes with limited financial impact. An example is, before the drywall goes up we make sure the ceiling lighting feels appropriate to the form and function of each room; we make sure all the appliances make sense in their planned locations; we may change the length of a wall to accommodate the swing of a door, etc.
During the early planning and budget process the designers identify paint colors, the number of different colors for different rooms or conditions. We have a hard bid for that, but we like to paint a large sample area of a wall in the specified color to make sure it works. Often we paint a number of panels with different shades of the spec’d color to allow our homeowner and designer to select the best one. There is no charge for those samples and that is a final decision that can be delayed.
Merlin Custom Home Builders’s team is well versed in understanding how to advise our clients with regard to which decisions are critical at what point and schedule those decisions with deadlines that will keep the construction moving and hold the line on the budget.
A complete set of plans and specs will eliminate problems and help ensure a smooth custom home construction project.
Never underestimate the importance of good plans and specifications to a successful new custom home construction. These crucial documents need to be fully completed in order to generate a realistic price, schedule, and contract. Too often, however, they’re left undone.
The plans are the visual representation of the finished home, showing what it will look like when complete. They include dimensions and other important details that guide the custom home builder during the project. The plans should also verify any regulations that apply to the project, such as height limits, setbacks, solar access by neighboring properties, survey requirements, and whether the home is in a flood zone. In fact, all the Southern Nevada building departments want to see a full set of plans before issuing a building permit.
Specifications, or specs, detail in writing what types of appliances, fixtures, roofing, siding, and even paint will be used in the home. They may even reference written quality standards. This information helps the custom builder create a realistic budget and tells the homeowners exactly what they are getting for their money.
Incomplete specs are a common cause of job problems. That’s because a lot of projects get underway before all items have been fully specified. The reasons? Perhaps the builder didn’t want to make the effort (specs take a lot of work to write) or the homeowners couldn’t make up their minds about certain items, such as the grade of carpet in the master bedroom. In such cases, the builder and homeowner may agree on an allowance amount to spend on the items and leave the actual product decisions until later.
Most jobs proceed smoothly with some allowances, but having more than a few is asking for trouble. Remember that plans and specs set expectations and give clarity to the job, so leaving things out may lead to conflicts, delays, and unexpected price increases. The same goes for vaguely written specs–the term “midrange kitchen faucet” might mean different things to the builder and homeowners, so the homeowners could end up with a lower quality faucet than they expected or have to fork over $200 more for the one they really want.
A professional custom home builder eliminates these problems by putting in the time and effort required to complete the specs before work begins. That same builder may lean on customers to make design and product choices. Making these choices early requires effort from the homeowners, but in the long run it will save them time and money.
Good specs include lots of detail, such as brand and model names, colors, and other variables (for example, a Kohler Veer 21 in. pedestal bathroom sink with 4 in. centerset faucet holes in bone white). They may also spell out standards for workmanship, such as detailing the prep work that must be done before painting the trim.
If performance is the key variable, performance specifications can be used in place of, or in addition to, product specs. Performance specs are used for items like mechanical systems and insulation (for example, R-15 blown fiberglass insulation behind applied netting on all exterior walls).
Specs are a complex subject, and this article only scratches the surface. Homeowners can help by making the decisions needed to clearly define the job before it starts. After all, it’s easier and less costly to move or change a window on paper than it will be after the wall has been framed.
Warm Regards,
Steve Jones & Bart Jones
Merlin Custom Home Builders
6408 S. Arville Street
Las Vegas, NV 89118
702.257.8102 – Phone