March 23, 2006

Starting a successful construction project requires good planning

By Marc Bauman and
Jason Goldsmith
Special to the Times

The most important thing to remember when starting a successful construction project is that most contractors are booked several months in advance. With a little bit of planning, however, you can still have your project built on time. If you want to build an addition this summer, for example, contact a contractor in the spring in order to ensure your project starts on time.

The first action item in your planning process is to decide whether to approach your project as an architect-bid or design-build project. In an architect-bid process, you hire an architect to design the project and then shop the plans to several contractors. In a design-build process, you interview several design-build firms and select one of them to design your project and then build it.

Architect-bid process
If you decide to approach your project as an architect-bid, you will first need to write down a description of the project and call several architects to decide the one you would like to work with. Once you’ve selected an architect, you will spend a few weeks or months refining the design and determining all of the specifications for your project. It is important to make sure that all the details are written down and incorporated into the plans because missing details may result in costly change orders and delays down the road.

Once a full set of plans and specifications are completed and approved by the city, you can begin to send those plans out for bid. The key here is to make sure that every item that is going into your project is specified in detail. Anything that isn’t specified on the plans is open to interpretation by the contractor, or may even be left out of the bid entirely. In an architect-bid process, you as the homeowner warrant to the contractor that the plans are complete and accurate; if anything is incomplete, it is likely that the price you receive in your bid will not be the same as the final price when the project is complete.

Most contractors require a complete copy of the plans for bidding purposes to keep for their records. It can take a few weeks for all of the contractors to get back to you. If your plans and specifications are accurate, you can expect most of the bids will be about the same price. Any contractor who comes in well above or below the average price should be called to better understand their pricing.

If none of the contractors are able to build the project within your budget, you may need to return to the architect to discuss a reduction in the scope of work. After you have selected the contractor you are most comfortable working with at price you can afford, you’re ready to begin building.

Design-build approach
If you approach your project as a design-build job, you will still need to provide a complete description of the project you intend to build. You will also need to determine your budget for building that project. You will want to talk to your design-build candidates about the scope of work and the budget to make sure that what you want to accomplish is within reach of your budget.

Design-build is based on trust and openness, so don’t be surprised if the contractors tell you that your budget may be insufficient for the scope of work. At this point in the process, it is more important to evaluate your candidates based on their references, experience and ability to interpret your ideas.

The design-build process may take several months as you work with your contractor to shape a project that can both meet your needs and meet your budget expectations. The initial step in this process is to work with your design-builder to tailor the project scope to the budget. During this process you will be making decisions about what your final project will look like. The design-build process is an iterative process, usually requiring several passes to arrive at final selections. The decisions made during each iteration will directly affect the price, but throughout the process you will know how much the project is going to cost.

Once the design process is completed with your contractor, you’re ready to begin construction, there is no second step. The plans have already been approved, the project has already been priced out and a schedule has been laid out to get the project from beginning to end. There should be few surprises, and fewer change orders along the way as every major decision has been agreed on in advance. Your project should be completed at substantially the same price as the agreed upon final budget.

Marc Bauman is owner of Bauman Builders and a general contractor serving the Silicon Valley. Jason Goldsmith is the operations manager at Bauman Builders. If you have questions or comments they can be reached by e-mail at remodel@baumanbuilders.com or by phone at (408) 265-1202, or online at http://www.baumanbuilders.com.