INDUSTRY INSIGHT
Contracting Is Key
How to Assemble a Construction Team
64 724.942.0940 TO ADVERTISE | Peters Township
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Y
ou know that you need to design before you build. The search begins for a
design professional at the onset of your home renovation/addition project.
Bringing the contractor on board early in the process to partner with an
architect or designer is invaluable to the flow of the project. The time-worn concept
of preparing plans and then finding three contractors to bid your project is flawed.
Three evenly capable contractors will produce similar bids. The only difference
in the outcome of the bidding process will be in who missed pricing the details
accurately or who has underbid the project in some way. Do you really want
the outcome of a significant investment like a home improvement project to be
determined by low price alone?
The concept of bringing a contracting professional on board to help with the
planning of a major home improvement is gaining acceptance with many savvy
homeowners. They recognize that the contractor’s valuable input during the
design process will help in many ways to keep the project in check during this preconstruction process.
1 – It builds the relationship of the team members. The owner,
architect/designer and contractor will have time to work together in
the pre-construction phase enabling all parties to develop a unified
understanding of the project before the actual construction work
begins. The owner will also get a chance to discuss aspects of the
home improvement process with the contractor prior to the start of
construction. The contractor also benefits from this relationship-building
phase by getting to know the homeowners – what their concerns are and
what is important to them.
2 – It allows the contractor to give real-time cost feedback as the plans
develop. This budget management tool helps keep the budget on track,
not allowing the design to exceed the owner’s desired investment level.
It may also increase understanding of any additional costs due to design
details that are important to the owner, even though they may raise the
budget limit. The contractor can also suggest alternate construction
details or materials to the architect during the design process that may
also help to control costs.
When the drawings are complete, everyone will have had an
opportunity to work together and to contribute to the planning stage.
The construction process will have less emphasis on getting to know
the players, and more emphasis on completing the work. Levels
of communication, working relationships and expectations will be
established, and the contractor, owner and designer can focus on the
actual work process.
If you still want contractor selection options, consider interviewing
three contractors before making a decision to bring one on board. Select
the best candidate for your team based on experience and references. And
don’t forget personality—you will be working closely with this person for
potentially several weeks or months.
The great room addition (above) was Designed & Built by Prime 1 Builders.