Construction Process
You've saved, dreamed, and planned? Now the home-building
begins for those of you who purchased a new home. What's
next, what's goes on, and who's doing what...
■
It's Building Time!
The construction stage of the home-building is when all your
dreams and plans come together. It often is the most
gratifying and most enjoyable part of the process.
Successful execution of your plan requires a multiple effort
by the builder, the subcontractors, the suppliers, the
building department, the lenders and you.
Methods and materials used to build new homes vary from
region to region, but the following items are typically
completed for newly built homes:
- Site
Work
There's a good chance you'll need site work, (sometimes
called "site-prep") which may include clearing brush and
trees from the lot, cutting a rough driveway, placing
stakes to mark how the house will sit on the lot. Other
work includes setting up signs, barriers and hooking up
temporary electricity service.
- Excavation
Excavation and foundation, which may include digging a
hole for the foundation, setting steel and pouring the
foundation, installing plumbing, drainage, ventilation
pipes, pouring the concrete floor of the home, digging
trenches for utility service, waterproofing walls and
grading.
- Framing
Framing, which may include installing steel beams,
constructing a wood structure and installing windows and
exterior doors.
- Roofing
Roofing and exterior work, which may include applying
roofing and installing siding, an outdoor deck, rain
gutters and a garage door.
- Mechanical
Mechanical, which may include installing plumbing,
electrical and heating/cooling systems, pre-wiring the
home for a security system, running wiring for
communications, media, intercom, sprinkler system and
placing pipes for a central vacuum.
- Interior Work
Interior finish work, which may include installing
insulation, installing and finishing drywall, painting
and staining, and installing cabinets, countertops, tile
floor coverings, and built-in appliances.
- Trim
Trim, which may include hanging interior doors,
attaching door stops, installing fireplaces and mantles,
setting plumbing fixtures, mounting light switches and
electrical outlets, hanging electrical fixtures, setting
registers, thermostats and heating/cooling unit and
installing faceplates for the central vacuum, intercom
and communication outlets.
-
Completion
Final work, which may include installing carpet padding
and carpets, cleaning the exterior and interior of the
home, finishing the driveway, landscaping and completing
any miscellaneous punch-out items on the entire home.
Home construction varies dramatically from place to
place. For example, in some parts of the country, homes
have basements. In other places, basements are unheard
of. In some parts of the country, homes are built to
withstand all types of natural disasters. In other
places, disasters are less of a factor in home
construction. Your builder is a great source to help
educate you about home construction requirements and
practices in your region of the country.
■
Permission from Authorities
Many approvals must be obtained before construction of a new
home can begin. The homebuilder most likely will obtain the
necessary approvals on your behalf, but you need to
understand what's involved and be prepared to do some of the
legwork, especially if the builder is working under a
construction management agreement.
Some of the required approvals are:
-
Zoning Ordinance
Zoning is often already established for land, but most
communities require a check to make sure new
construction will comply with current zoning
regulations.
- Wells and Septic
If your new home will be located in an area without
public water or sewer services, a well will need to be
drilled and a private sewage disposal system will need
to be installed. Permits for the well and sewage system
must be obtained from the local state or county
authorities. When homes are connected to public water
and sewer systems, applications for connections to those
services will be needed along with a deposit and/or
hookup fee for each one.
- Building Permits
Local county or municipality inspectors typically
will issue permits and check your new home during and
after construction to ensure your home's compliance with
local building codes. Permits may be required for
utilities (e.g., electricity and natural gas) and other
services (e.g., telephone and cable television). You
usually will have to remit a fee with each application
for service. Some connections will be needed during
construction while others can wait until your new home
is ready for your occupancy.
Covenants recorded when a subdivision is approved for
development may govern types of construction permitted.
Some covenants are very simple, while others are very
restrictive. Restrictive covenants must be considered
and approvals must be obtained from the governing
authorities before construction can start.
The
required steps may include:
- Application
Each application may involve payment of a fee and
could be very simple or quite complicated.
- Plan Review
Many times a committee of homeowners within the
development has the right to review and approve the
plans for new homes. These committees ensure that new
homes comply with the covenants and architectural
guidelines. A committee's review on issues could take a
day, a week or several months.
■
Do you have Insurance?
The insurance policies
that should be in force before construction begins on a new
home that can protect the structure, the builder and the
subcontractors include:
-
Builder's Risk
Designed to protect your home while it's under
construction. Covered items typically include wind and
fire damage, vandalism and theft. This type of insurance
generally includes a limited amount of liability
protection.
- Worker's Compensation
Covers injuries and lost work time that occur on the
job. Requirements vary across the country, but generally
worker's compensation is carried by the builder and
sometimes by the subcontractors and the suppliers.
Often, buyers obtain worker's compensation insurance
during the construction of their home.
- Liability
The builder, the subcontractors and the suppliers
need to have auto and general liability coverage
throughout the construction of your home. The buyer may
very well need a good liability policy too.
Whether the buyer or the builder must obtain, pay for
and be protected by each type of insurance policy
depends on the contractual agreement between them. Be
sure to understand what insurance is needed and make
sure the correct policies are in place before
construction begins.
■
The Builder's Business
The construction phase of building a home can sometimes
cause a little or lot of stress. Fortunately, problems can
be minimized through clear expectations on your part and
good communication between you and the builder. Work the
builder may perform include:
-
Scheduling Subcontractors
Most builders rely primarily on the expertise of
independent subcontractors. Subcontractors specialize in
building specific components of home construction (e.g.,
roofing or concrete). The fact that subcontractors work
for multiple builders makes scheduling them an important
aspect. The builder coordinates each subcontractor with
the scheduling for other subcontractors.
- Coordinating Subcontractors and Suppliers
Subcontractors overlap one another at many phases of
construction and often must work together to accomplish
tasks. The builder manages cooperation among the
subcontractors.
- Supervising the Job Site
The builder or a foreman hired by the builder helps
supervise subcontractors and make sure their work is
completed correctly and on schedule. The builder
mediates, disputes and resolves any problems and
conflicts among the subcontractors.
- Administration
Every new home carries with it a lot of paperwork.
Administrative responsibilities for the builder
typically include tracking job costs, preparing bank
draw slips, initiating warranty records, maintaining
files and arranging for inspections.
- Communication with the Buyer
The builder should keep the buyer informed about
progress on the site. Communication may take place by
telephone, at the job site, in the builder's office or a
convenient place near the job. A builder also guides the
buyer through the process for making decisions about
allowance items (e.g., fixtures and appliances) for the
home. Thousands of items must be coordinated within a
specific time-line, careful consideration should be
given for an adequate amount of time to purchase the
items the buyer selects for a new home.
■
A Job for a Professional
Many people believe they'll be able to save money on
their new home by performing some of the work themselves.
Sometimes, homebuyers want to paint their own home, install
insulation, prepare part of the trim or clean up the
construction site.
Most builders do not permit this type of do-it-yourself
involvement for the following reasons:
- Expertise
Even simple construction tasks can be much more
difficult than they appear at first and all the work
performed in building a home affects the quality of the
final product.
- Warranty
Building a new home requires a blending of effort and
contributions by many people. That means it can be hard
to pinpoint precisely which subcontractor is at fault
for any defect. Your participation could make resolving
job site conflicts much more difficult.
- Insurance
Typical home-building insurance doesn't cover
construction work performed by the homebuyers because
their not involved in the home-building business.
Insurance is available for buyers, but it is very
expensive and subcontractors or suppliers who could be
injured as a result of the buyers actions must be
covered.
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