Upfront Planning

Good up front planning saves time and money and helps you to stay in control of your project. It enables you to develop a realistic budget and make any necessary changes before you start construction.

Because construction is largely a sequential process, resources need to be scheduled on a timely basis. When building components or manpower is not available at the jobsite it will cause a ripple effect. Trades that are booked for jobs will be delayed and the building completion timeline may be affected. It is often difficult to reschedule trades as there is a general shortage of skilled labor.

The reality is that changes to the design once the project has been started can be a major cause of increased costs and time delays. On site changes that may seem simple can result in structural design issues and the need for additional materials and construction resources.

The key is to planning ahead is to look carefully at all factors that will impact the building process and try to fix as many variables as possible. This allows you to generate a realistic budget so that you can monitor performance on a timely basis and make decisions that minimize risk.

Technical Resources

Most homeowners require external expertise to take the project from concept to completion. Technical advice and support are often required prior to and during construction. This is especially true if changes are required due to site issues that occur during the course of construction. Hiring experts who are unfamiliar with your project can be expensive and cause delay.

Building a custom home requires assembling a variety of professional resources that can jointly provide the wide range of expertise needed to complete the project. These resources typically act independently. They need to be available at the right time and work together at different stages of the project.Critical areas where external expertise may be needed:

• Obtaining permits and approvals
• Site specific geo-tech & environmental issues
• On site design changes
• Load bearing issues in certain terrain or areas
• Other engineering requirements

As builder alliance members we have full access to Linwood’s technical experts including designers, drafting personnel and engineers. This provides a distinct advantage to save valuable time if on site changes are required.

We help you set a Realistic Budget

The variables of the building process will affect the initial costs of construction. Choosing materials that will reduce maintenance costs after the home is built should also be considered. To get a realistic budget for your project you will need to take into account other non construction issues including access, site preparation and availability of services.

Getting a fixed price on the entire project is generally not feasible due to the complexity of building a custom home. There are three distinct aspects to a construction project:

• Site improvement - roads, well, septic, land clearing, bringing services to the property, etc.
• Home construction - foundation, building to lock-up and finishing to occupancy.
• Construction of auxiliary buildings, decks etc.

Only qualified builders and sub-trades can only provide you with realistic construction quotes based on a home design that is specific to your building site, the type of materials that will be used and the scope of the project.

This is why you should beware of construction quotes from other builders that use simplistic finished prices per square foot for the whole project. This approach is usually unrealistic and can result in budget overruns because each custom home and its property have unique features and issues. It takes time to prepare a proper quote based on the specifics of the project. There are many reasons why per square foot pricing is not suitable for custom building projects. Some of the most common are.

• The cost of foundation work and site services can vary dramatically
• Covered porches cost almost as much as finished interior space
• The cost of adding decks is greater than most people realize
• Full height or walk out basements will affect average square foot costs
• The quality of interior finishing can vary greatly
• The complexity of the roof system and materials used will impact construction costs

When you get competitive quotes make sure you understand what is included and what is not included in the scope of work. Otherwise you may find yourself in a situation where the costs to finish the work exceed your expectations.

Project Management Options

All homeowners are actively involved in their project in some capacity. To get a successful outcome they need to either personally manage the process or hire someone they can trust to do it for them. Someone must act as the general contractor and take overall responsibility for the project. A number of homeowners want to act as their own general contractor while others require the services of a professional. The right choice will depend on the homeowner's level of expertise and time available.

Our experience in working on other custom projects allows us to provide services for a range of project types and sizes. We work with qualified sub-trades who understand our projects, can meet our standards for quality control and are properly insured.

Professional trades are usually required to complete foundations and complete the building to lock-up. At this stage the structure is weatherproof and secure.

Many homeowners are then able to manage the process of finishing the home and even do some of the work. This approach can result in significant savings.

We can work with you to determine the best option for managing your project.