Project Coordination in New Home Construction
I am working on developing a budget to contract a proposed four unit apartment building on a waterfront site. The owner called me after he had already commissioned the architectural design. In fact, the plans provided were already signed and sealed by the designer’s engineer. Not surprisingly, the owner thought he had plans that were ready to go. Working on building a new home construction project involves the coordination of multiple experts.
The owner was a little perturbed when, after spending a few hours reviewing the plans, I informed him that the project was far from ready to build. “I thought that is what I paid the architect for” was the response from the owner when I asked him to clarify some of the missing plan items. The lack of a fire sprinkler design, finish selections or window manufacturer never occurred to the owner when he made the final payment to the architect.
Particularly vexing was the note by the designer disclaiming any responsibility for structural bearing capacity of the soil in spite of the fact that the owner had paid for and received a geotechnical investigation. Perhaps the fact that the plans were completed before the geotechnical report was drafted is an indication of the lack of coordination. Apparently it did not occur to the designer that the building foundation he was designing needed to rest on some type of soil.
At least the missing gaps of information and project coordination can be fixed before the building has started. I have explained to the owner that a qualified person needs to coordinate the planning and preconstruction activity or the proposed apartments units will not be built with compliance to any timetable or budget. I am still waiting for the answer to decide if he sees the value of my suggestions. We shall see.
Michael Stein
, The Gentleman Builder, is a home building and remodeling expert located in
Bonita
Springs
,
Florida
.
Michael has over twenty-seven years experience in the home building and real estate development business and has built thousands of home throughout the United States.
