Building a new home is an exciting endeavour. From start to finish, the planning and construction process can take between six months to a little over a year (depending on the complexity of your design). As a homeowner, you will rely on your builder to keep the project on schedule. Major delays can be costly and painful. Here are some helpful tips to avoid construction delays or schedule impacts during your new home build.
Avoiding Construction Delays Before You Start Construction
The key to a successful, on-time home construction project starts before work begins. As a homeowner, there are several things you can do to increase the chances that your builder is able to stick to their originally quoted schedule.
- Builder Interviews – It’s important to spend time selecting the right builder for your home project. It’s best to interview a few builders before deciding who will build your home. During the process, ask the builder to tell you how long they think construction will take (a good builder should be able to point to examples of similar size projects they have completed). Pay close attention to builders who have timelines that are very different from the others. If you go with a builder who is promising to build your home in half the time as the others, you could be setting yourself up for failure. It’s likely that they aren’t being transparent with you about the schedule, or they don’t fully understand the scope of the project.
- Incentives and Penalties – You can negotiate a discounted rate if the project falls behind schedule (for example, a 2% discount if the original schedule is missed by more than 30 days). This can keep the contractor motivated to avoid missing out on any additional revenue. On the flip side, you could also agree to pay an incentive if they are able to complete the project ahead of schedule. This creates a win-win for both you and the builder.
- Discuss How Delays will be Communicated – Having open and honest communication with your builder is often the best way to work together to mitigate construction delays. Unfortunately, some builders are overly optimistic about getting back on track when they experience minor setbacks. One small task slips on the schedule, then another, and before you know it the project is behind schedule by a month. Instead, set clear expectations with the builder on how often you will receive updates and a deadline (for example, 24 hours) that they will notify you of potential issues that could impact the cost or schedule of construction. While bad news is never fun, try to be understanding. The last thing you want is to make a contractor feel like they can’t share important updates with you.
How to Get the Contractor Back on Track After Construction Has Started
There are a wide range of issues that could cause construction delays on your new home. The city could be backlogged delaying the approval of your permits. The weather isn’t cooperating. The materials the builder ordered are stuck in customs at the port. One of the builder’s subcontractors went out of business. It’s impossible to solve construction delays without determining the root of the problem. First, sit down with your builder and ask them to walk you through the cause of the delay and what potential solutions exist to get construction back on track. As a homeowner, there are some ways you can support the builder in on-time delivery of the project.
- Resist Requesting Major Changes – During the construction process, your vision might change as you see your home coming to life before your eyes. Perhaps you spotted a different finish that you can’t live without in a home design magazine and want the builder to make a change. Changes to the design or plans in the middle of a job will almost always cause delays or extend the schedule. If you want to request a change, discuss it with the builder and find out the impact to the project before making a decision. If the request is minor, they may be able to accommodate the request, but be prepared to approve a change order.
- Be Flexible – You may need to be flexible if the contractor runs into certain types of issues like securing a specific finish material. While the world is emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic, there are still major supply chain issues and economic challenges that are impacting material lead times. If this is the case, as a homeowner, you have a choice to make – adjust the schedule to accommodate for the material delay or work with the builder to select an alternative material. In some cases, you may find something that is comparable or even better than what you originally selected. Keep in mind that the new material could cost a little more. However, the additional cost may be worth avoiding the delay (for example, if extending the build means you have to continue spending money on rent for a couple more months).
- Help Prioritize Tasks – Ideally, you want your home to be completely done prior to moving in. However, you might be able to get your home mostly complete and liveable with minor tasks and finishes happening after you move-in. Of course, this creates additional challenges for the contractor who must work around a family in the home. But, delaying the completion of a part of the home like the garage after move-in likely isn’t the end of the world.
- Worker Shortages – Over the past decade, Australia has faced major worker shortages across construction trades. If your builder is facing a worker shortage, you might try to help alleviate their pain by allowing extended working hours (you’ll need to check with the local jurisdiction on restrictions) or offer a little more money to allow the contractor to attract more workers.
While this is extremely unlikely, major construction delays in your home project may force you to consider changing builders. This is a major undertaking, so it should only be considered as a last resort. You’ll need to review your existing contract to see what your options are. Other things will also need to be completed, such as transferring building permits into the name of the new contractor. There could be additional costs to make this change.
Work with a Builder Who is Committed to On-Time Completion
At Zee Builders, we take a lot of care and pride in making sure our clients are satisfied with the timeliness of their construction projects. We understand the hassle and frustration that comes with construction delays. We’ll always provide a transparent schedule from the beginning to make sure you understand any current challenges that exist in the construction industry. Our goal is to never make promises that we can’t keep. Contact us today to find out how long it will take to build the home of your dreams!