Once you select the right building contractor to take on your custom home project, the second part of the equation is to make sure that he or she has a clear understanding of exactly what you want the end result to be for your dream home. To help your design and build process go as smoothly as possible, it's wise that you also play an active role.
With that being said, here are 5 ways to help you stay on top of the job and maintain strong communication with your building contractor:
1. Establish good communication from the beginning.
One of the most important questions that you should ask when interviewing building contractors is how he or she likes to communicate throughout the design and build process. Ideally, you will want to work with someone that is willing to share his or her phone number with you and give you the OK to call when needed.
Also, since the building contractor may not always be on site, it's a good idea to set a pre-determined time each day with the job foreman so that you can get an update on how things are progressing.
2. Keep a project journal.
There are a lot of moving parts with a custom home build, and an easy way to keep your sanity throughout the project is to maintain a project journal. This journal is ideal for keeping track of the progress, writing down questions that you want to ask your building contractor, jotting down ideas for your home, storing product order numbers, and referencing upcoming delivery dates.
3. Request for all changes to be made in writing.
One request that you should include in your contract is that all change orders must be submitted to you in writing and signed by you for approval before any changes are made. This will help you keep track of anything that adds to your bottom line and will provide you with a clearer understanding of what these costs are.
4. Visit the job site at the end of each day.
If you're fortunate enough to live within close proximity to the project site, make a point to stop by at the end of each day to monitor progress. You can make notes of anything that you see in your journal so that you can bring it up in the daily meeting with your job foreman. You have the right to expect that a quality job is being done, and regularly being present at the job site can help to ensure that your vision is in line with what your building contractor is doing.
5. Keep your working relationship professional, but friendly.
Building a custom home can be a very exciting and enjoyable experience. By making an effort to maintain friendly relations, you'll find that your crew will really enjoy working for you, which will further motivate them to do their very best. Something as simple as serving the workers cold lemonade on a hot day can go a long way. And of course, good communication from the gecko helps to ensure that interactions with your building contractor, job foreman, and crew continue to stay friendly.
If you're interested in hearing more tips about how you can make the custom home building process go smoothly, please contact us at Empire Custom Builders. We also invite you to read some of our customer testimonials that offer some insight about our relationships with our customers and our approach to exceeding their expectations.
1. Establish good communication from the beginning.
One of the most important questions that you should ask when interviewing building contractors is how he or she likes to communicate throughout the design and build process. Ideally, you will want to work with someone that is willing to share his or her phone number with you and give you the OK to call when needed.
Also, since the building contractor may not always be on site, it's a good idea to set a pre-determined time each day with the job foreman so that you can get an update on how things are progressing.
2. Keep a project journal.
There are a lot of moving parts with a custom home build, and an easy way to keep your sanity throughout the project is to maintain a project journal. This journal is ideal for keeping track of the progress, writing down questions that you want to ask your building contractor, jotting down ideas for your home, storing product order numbers, and referencing upcoming delivery dates.
3. Request for all changes to be made in writing.
One request that you should include in your contract is that all change orders must be submitted to you in writing and signed by you for approval before any changes are made. This will help you keep track of anything that adds to your bottom line and will provide you with a clearer understanding of what these costs are.
4. Visit the job site at the end of each day.
If you're fortunate enough to live within close proximity to the project site, make a point to stop by at the end of each day to monitor progress. You can make notes of anything that you see in your journal so that you can bring it up in the daily meeting with your job foreman. You have the right to expect that a quality job is being done, and regularly being present at the job site can help to ensure that your vision is in line with what your building contractor is doing.
5. Keep your working relationship professional, but friendly.
Building a custom home can be a very exciting and enjoyable experience. By making an effort to maintain friendly relations, you'll find that your crew will really enjoy working for you, which will further motivate them to do their very best. Something as simple as serving the workers cold lemonade on a hot day can go a long way. And of course, good communication from the gecko helps to ensure that interactions with your building contractor, job foreman, and crew continue to stay friendly.
If you're interested in hearing more tips about how you can make the custom home building process go smoothly, please contact us at Empire Custom Builders. We also invite you to read some of our customer testimonials that offer some insight about our relationships with our customers and our approach to exceeding their expectations.
