Partnering with your builder for the best results.
Homebuilding has changed significantly over the last hundred years, especially since the 1950s, when the housing industry boomed after World War II. Building a home in a classic, hands-on way is far from standard practice these days, as home construction has evolved from a trade or craft to a systematized process with many moving parts.
Today’s builders manage a variety of construction materials and methods, coordinate many trade partners and suppliers, and deal with countless building codes and regulations. The complexity of these arrangements can distance homeowners from the actual building process and cause uncertainty about where they fit in.
In fact, a homeowner’s role during construction is more important than ever. The homeowner is still a leader in the project. By gaining a solid understanding of the building process, a homeowner can participate more fully with the rest of the team.
Consider the following tips that help define a homeowner’s role on a project:
Education is key. It pays to learn about the building process and gain an understanding and respect for the pace, phases, and materials that go into a home’s construction. This knowledge helps the client communicate with the builder and provides confidence as the new home moves through stages of completion.
Meet deadlines. Builders set deadlines for decisions so that materials and labor will arrive on the job site at the right time during construction, enabling steady progress. With that in mind, builders need homeowners to agree on reasonable deadlines for their decisions, such as selecting cabinets or flooring, and then stick to them. Meeting these deadlines helps keep the construction schedule on track.
Respect the change order process. Your contract will include a formal process for managing change orders, which are decisions made (or changed) after an agreed-upon deadline. Most projects will have some changes, which can affect schedules and budget. It may take time to remove one product, wait for delivery of the new product, and install it, especially with today’s supply chain challenges. As professional builders, we do our best to accommodate requested changes and help homeowners to understand the impact a change order has on costs and the schedule.
Communicate. Communication is critical, so we ask our clients to share concerns, issues, and ideas. Come into the homebuilding process with an open mind and feel free to ask questions. Our process includes a weekly progress update to homeowners which will prompt clients with any decisions that need to be made to stay on schedule.
As a professional builder, we are proud of our business operations and systems. We build a relationship with each of our clients. Our savvy customers meet us part of the way, by educating themselves, sticking to deadlines, and asking thoughtful questions.
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