It is normal to have questions when hiring a professional team to build a custom home in Houston. Most clients have specific ideas about how they want the home to look and flow. They also need to remain informed about the timeline and each turn of events. Asking questions is never an issue, but to get the answers you need quickly, it is important to speak directly with your builder.
Know the Cost
One of the main concerns for clients is staying within their budget while building their new Alair Homes Houston property. Discussing changes or additions with your sub-contractors is one way to potentially increase costs. Sub-contractors often offer to help when asked. However, many projects require support from more than one trade. There are also sometimes new materials to order or items to return in order to complete the client’s request. If this is not all communicated to everyone on site, inspectors and the supply warehouses accurately, the end result is sometimes higher than expected final costs to build the home. Many clients end up frustrated if they notice unexpected charges for services that they were unaware of or did not understand they were responsible for.
A builder provides the most accurate estimate of costs to make any desired changes. Talk directly with their representative, your project manager, to avoid any surprises and stay within your budget.
The Mistake in Contacting Sub-Contractors First
Most sub-contractors prefer clients not come to them with questions or concerns. Client contact is not their responsibility. Even when all intentions are good, answering questions takes up time that they need to spend building the home. It also sometimes makes their relationship awkward with the builder.
Make it a point to understand each person’s role ahead of time. Ask your general contractor to explain their method of communication and who is in charge of what. Then, follow the chain of command, and go to the right person with any concerns.
Keep the Project Moving
One way custom home building projects see delays is when clients frequently make changes to the house and ask everyone but the builder to perform the task. Builders maintain a strict process for ordering all materials and scheduling sub-contractors and inspections. When you leave them out, information is not relayed to the right people, and the end result is often an extended timeline for project completion. Keeping your project manager informed about modifications ensures that the processes run smoothly.
There are many different moving parts during the construction process. This makes it necessary to avoid interrupting the progress as much as possible. When changes do happen, going to the right person ensures the least interruptions occur and gives your builder time to keep you informed if your new choices will change the timeline.
When you have questions about your new home, it is always best to contact your builder first. Choosing to speak to sub-contractors directly only leads to added costs, delays and frustrations. Get the answers you need quickly and ensure everyone stays on the same page throughout construction by keeping the lines of communication open with your project manager.