Trade Masters Building Services, Building A Better Way.

How do I approach my building project?

Okay, you have decided that you would like to go ahead with a particular building project, but you are not sure what to do next. While not exhaustive in detail, this is a quick run down on how a “concept to completion” type of project is carried out.

Please note: If you are building a new home, we will assume that you have already purchased a section that is suitable to have a dwelling constructed on it.

	The ideas stage. Step 1. You need to have a reasonably clear idea of what you require. A lot of time and money can be swallowed up by not being able to convey your ideas to those who can make it happen for you. You don’t need to have any special expertise on construction (as this will be dealt with by your designer), but if you can do some simple sketches and/or diagrams, and you can talk your way through what you want done, it will make things a lot easier for all who are dealing with you at this stage. Clippings out of magazines or photos of things you would like to incorporate into your design are also a big help.

	The budget (estimates and quotations ) Step 2.. In an ideal world, this would not be a concern, but as there are very few of us with unlimited funds, a budget must be set. When trying to establish how much you can afford with respect to the work you wish to do, unfortunately there are no set rules. This is the point where being able to convey what you want to have done comes in very handy. Talking to a builder or designer at this point is a very good idea as they will be able to give you a very rough idea if the amount you are planning on spending is sufficient to complete the work that you propose. There are some square metre rates that can be used for different types of work, but they can be very misleading (especially on renovation work). At this point you will be only dealing with estimations, and these are totally different to a written quotation. At this point you need to be very aware of the difference between an estimate and a quotation. The only way to know exactly what your job will cost, is to obtain fixed price quotations from reputable builders. A fixed price quotation cannot be given fairly without all those who are pricing having exactly the same information. And this will require a set of working drawings and a job specific specification.

	Decisions need to be made. Step 3. Okay, so you have decided to go to the next step of engaging a designer and getting some plans drawn up. Now you need to think of the types of finish you want on your job. Things like: concrete or timber floor, type of roofing, external cladding, colour schemes for things that are prefinished (such as roofing steel, aluminium windows, bricks etc). If you can have all this information ready when your concept drawings are done, you will be able to discuss them with your designer.

	Choosing a designer. Step 4. At this point you need to know whether or not the work you want to do will require a building consent. You can either contact a builder or designer and ask them about your proposed project. A good builder will be able to tell you whether or not the work you want to do will require a building consent and if it is found that your job does require consent, you will need to have professional working drawings done. There are 3 basic levels of designer for structural work, They are :Registered Architect, Architectural designer, and Draughtsperson, Each level of designer has a special skill set that they can bring to your project. You normally contract your designer to produce some concept drawings. These will be an over view of your work, and any changes you wish to make to these are relatively easy to do at this stage. It is often possible to work out a rough estimate of your project at this stage as well. Once everyone is happy with the concept design, a full working drawing can be produced. The full working drawing is used for submitting to your council for building consent, quotations and construction.

	Choosing your builder. Step 5. You now have a set of full working drawings complete with a specification of materials. It is now time to call for tenders on your proposed work, so you know exactly what the job will cost, but first you need to choose which builders you will get to tender on your job. This is very much a personal choice, but you must be aware that you are entrusting (what is usually) your largest asset to these people, and you need to get on with them and trust them, and if ever the old adage of “you get what you pay for” is true, it is no more so than in the building industry. The builder you choose has to be able undertake his part of your project with professionalism, high quality workmanship, and excellent customer support and service. There are many ways to find a builder to tender on your project. You can look through the Yellow pages, check out the local papers, get your designer to refer them, ask friends and family, approach builders working on some else’s job, look for them through builders’ organisation websites and a host of other ways. Please click on the above links to find more about these different options. Ask for references from past work by all means, but remember, you will never see a bad reference. Ask the builder if they have undertaken a job similar to the one you are proposing, and get them to find out if the owners of those properties would mind if you contacted them. Your builder should be registered to a builder’s organisation (Certified Builders or Master Builders). If your builder belongs to either of these organisations, it can have very real benefits for you. It is worth noting that Certified Builder’s must be trade qualified to belong to their association. The same is not true for Master Builders.

	The tendering process. Step 6. There are 2 distinct ways to engage a builder to complete the work. These are “full contract” and “labour only”. full contract means that your builder has undertaken to see the job all the way through from beginning to end, or to the agreed upon stage (for instance you are left to do painting and floor coverings etc). The builder will supply and organise all the materials, labour, and subcontractors, like electricians, plumbers, drain layers, brick layers etc. You will often be able to supply your own fixtures and/or people for portions of the job, but ultimately, the builder is responsible for the whole job. A very common example of this is that you supply the light fittings, plumbing fixtures and tiles, but the builder supplies the electrician, plumber and tiler and they in turn supply all the other necessary fixings and materials required. labour only is where the builder is only being engaged to supply his labour and normal tools of trade. Everything else is up to you, including all material purchases, sub contractors, site management, specialised equipment supply, and total responsibility for the work. Some believe that labour only contracts save them money, but unless you have very significant experience in quantity surveying, project management, job scheduling, and in depth knowledge of all the different sub trades and their work ethics, a labour only contract should be avoided. Decide now how many builders you wish to have quote on your work, 3 is the most common number, but there are no hard and fast rules as to how many can quote on the same job. Make sure that all the builders are given the same information and tell them that there are others pricing the work. Organise to meet with the builder and give yourself plenty of time to go through your plans with them. Chances are pretty good that you have been going over your plans for a while now, and this may be the first time your builder has laid eyes on them. It can take some time to get a feel for your particular project (especially if your job is quite complex), but a good builder will get the jest pretty quickly, and should be able to interpret your drawings with you at the first meeting. If you have a closing date for tenders, please make it realistic. Just because you are getting only one price off the builder, doesn’t mean he is the only one involved in the pricing process. There are usually a sizeable number of people who have to contribute to your quote, and if one of them is slow at getting a price back, it can slow down the whole process, so please be patient at this stage. It is a good idea to have your plans in for the building consent at the same time as you are calling for tenders, but be aware that if the local body requires something that is different to what is indicated on your plans, this will alter your quoted price. Make sure you inform the builders who are tendering on your job of where the work stands in relation to building consents, they need to know if you have applied for one yet or not, and if you have, how long has it been going through. We strongly suggest that you have your designer submit your plans for consent on your behalf, but if you do choose to do this yourself, please be aware that this process can take quite a long time, and is by no means a quick process. PC Sums are something to look for when your quotes come back in. These are often required as sufficient detail for a particular item has not been supplied. Kitchen designs and construction, tap ware, electrical fittings and fixtures etc, have often not been decided upon at the quoting stage, so these sums are supplied. Watch for some unscrupulous operators who seriously undervalue or use too many PC Sums to get the work, because when the final bill comes in, you may be in for a shock.

	Starting the work. Step 7. Finally it is time to sign up a builder. The consent has been granted, and you have got all your quotes back in and have gone through them thoroughly, paying very close attention to the fact that all those who have supplied you with a quote have allowed for exactly the same thing. There is nothing more annoying to the client than accepting a price that they believe to be the best one, only to discover that crucial parts have been excluded from the quote, especially when this part is added in and it brings the total cost to more than one of the other quotes that had included the missing item. This is why having a full written quotation is so vitally important. If your designer is still involved at this stage then you will find them a big help in sorting out the quotes. Once you have notified your chosen builder, it is only fair to notify those who missed out on being awarded your contract. A simple phone call, email or letter is sufficient, and it means that they can move on with other quotes that may be in their system. Contracts must be signed prior to work commencing and, among other things, these will state the required payment schedule. The most common payment schedule’s are: progress payments at various stages of completion, or monthly payment demands on work and materials onsite. Please make sure you have all your finance in order to pay these bills promptly. One thing that seems to be a major breakdown between owners and builders is financial disagreements. If the work has been done to your satisfaction, you must pay on time. Another thing to watch here is insurance. If you are building a new home, it is usually the builder’s responsibility to insure the work, but if you are having renovation work carried out, it is up to you to notify your insurance company of the work and make sure that you have insurance in place to cover the total cost of your project. Insuring the materials and work completed at any stage of the project, is quite different to the non-completion and workmanship quality insurances offered by the major building associations (10 years for CBANZ and 7 years for RMB). At this point it should also be made quite clear what your responsibilities are with regard to supplying the items and/or services that you have undertaken to do. Please make sure they are on site when those who are fitting them require them, you do not want to be the one who is holding up progress of your job. Job schedules can be asked for prior to commencement of the work as well. These will always be offered in good faith, and in an ideal world everything would work exactly as planned. Just because you are ready to start now, doesn’t mean that your builder can just leave all their other jobs already underway and you may have to wait for them to finish someone else’s work before commencing yours. Things such as weather, material supply, council attendance and sub contractor attendance can also affect the time schedule of the work, and even if you feel like jumping up and down and getting angry, as long as you can see that everything that can be done to keep your project on time is being done, you can’t really ask for anything more. Once again keeping a harmonious relationship with those working on your job will help things along a lot more than having tension between you.

	Your job progress. Step 8. Everything is going well on your project, and then you see something that can be done differently or altered. The dreaded “what if” bug has got you now (what if that wall had another door in it etc), and you would like to change something that isn’t on the plan and hasn’t been allowed for. Sometimes these changes are very straightforward and can be achieved with relative ease, but others can be a real head ache for all. Be aware that some adjustments may require a resubmit of the plans to council for updating your consent, and this can severely affect the progress of the work. The less things you wish to change, the less chance there will be off holdups. Also be aware that a variation will issued to your quoted price, and this will alter it. If your work comprises of renovations, please make sure that those who are expected to work there have clear and free access, and that all of your possessions are out of harms way. You also need to be aware that while the work is progressing, the areas of your home involved are work places, and as such are covered by quite strict health and safety regulations. Even if you are still living in your home, the worked in area is under the total control of the main contractor (usually your builder) as the health and safety of those working there is his responsibility. Please respect his wishes; if he asks you not to let children or pets into a certain area, then you should listen to him. It pays to keep an eye on the work as it progresses (as indeed most people do), and if you see something that is going wrong or you are not satisfied with a particular item, then raise the issue sooner rather than later. A good builder will want to produce top quality work, and keep the goodwill between you, and if you are not happy about something, they will want to know quickly so that things can be rectified. Building by it’s very nature is a noisy dirty and dusty exercise. Good builders will try their hardest to keep the disruption to your life to a minimum. But be aware that there will some disruption and mess. Your home should be left in a tidy and safe state at the end of a working day, but you may have to realistic about the day to day mess that occurs. You should not have to put up with radios at full volume, other peoples animals or pets wandering around your home, materials for other jobs stored on your property or excessive mess left behind at the end of each day though, and your home should be left clean and tidy when the work is completed.

	Completion. Step 9. The work is complete. Everything has been done to your total satisfaction, and you are enjoying living with your new home, or newly rejuvenated home. Then a door starts to stick or maybe it is some other small inconvenience. Please do not to be alarmed at this (even though it is very frustrating at the time). When having major work carried out on an existing property it is quite common for some settlement and readjustment within the building structure, the same is also true for new homes. These things should be minor though, and because you kept a harmonious relationship with your builder all the way through the job, rectifying these small issues should be no problem at all. While the above is by no means an exhaustive explanation, it should give you a good idea of what is involved in the building process. Ultimately, everyone wants a top result with the work finished in a timely manner, on budget, and to the highest standards, and by engaging the right professionals to work on your building project with you, the chances of achieving this are vastly improved. We hope that the above information will assist you during your next building project.