I don't know how many home owners, and potential clients that I have talked to have said,"I have heard so many bad things about building a custom home, we aren't quite sure we want to do this."
My response to them and to all of you who have the same sentiment is this, "Building a custom home is the art of bringing together a thousand different details. If you go into it without a plan you plan to fail, but if you have a plan centered around details that allow you to see the end from the beginning then you will have a good experience."
That is where we are going to start. We are going to break this home building experience down to the very core and find out what makes a successful project flow from concept to conception.
Lets get started.
Below you will find a Pre-Construction Checklist. A useful tool that I used as a general contractor to help make sure everything was in place before we started a project. I will present it in its entirety. Then over the next few months I will break it down so that you can understand the details behind the checklist.
Now there are other details before this like where to build, house plans, and the bidding process, but I have decided to start here at the Pre-Construction Checklist, because this is where trouble can start if you are not prepared.
I. MANAGEMENT DOCUMENTS
- Schedule
- Contracts
- Budget
- Complete Architectural/Mechanical Plans
- Specifications
- Building Permits
- Change Order procedures and fees
- Back Charge procedures and fees
- Transmittal/Submittal
- Purchase Order
- Quality Control
- Daily report
- Warranty and Service procedures
II. ON SITE and GENERAL ITEMS
- Home Base
- Office Supplies
- Information Binder
- Communication plan
- State Notification
- Builders Risk Insurance Policy
- Relationship strategies
- Trade Contractor/Supplier selection
- Project Goals: individual, team, financial
- Holiday/Vacation schedule
- Construction Meetings
- Site Cleanliness, Protection, and Security Plans
- Site Signage Plan
- Long lead items
- Project Funding
- Manpower
- Travel arrangements-vehicle, housing, subsistence
- Out of town payroll
- EEO/Affirmative Action
- Inspections
- Budgets and Cost Codes in place
- Equipment mobilization
- Supply Drop off/Pick up plan
- Utility Sources
- Construction waste disposal
- Human wast disposal
- Official land survey
- Seasonal implications
III. SAFETY
- Safety Plan
- Crisis Management Plan
- Safety Challenges
- Job Site Safety Meeting
- Job Site Safety Report
- Fire Prevention Plan
- Emergency Evacuation Plan
- Job Hazard Analysis
- MSDS Book
- Asbestos Survey copy
- Special clothing requirements
- Special training
- First Aid Kits
- Fire Extinguishers
- Hospital/Instacare facilities
- Hard Hats
- Safety Glasses
- Gloves
- Noise protection
- Dust protection
- Rebar caps
- Safety signage
- Fall protection/exposed openings
- Drinking water
- Special hazards
- Traffic/Pedestrian routing and protection
- Storm/Waste Water Plan (SWPP)
- Site/Project Dust Control (Air quality permit required)
- Certified Equipment Operators
- Tools and equipment needed
If you have any questions before I start breaking this down feel free to leave a comment and I will help you out. Until next time good luck and keep swinging.
