Click on the question for more information.
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What drawings will I need for my builder?
It is important that builder's drawings contain all the important bits that are needed for the builder to price the work properly. The Developed/Scheme design drawings will form the backbone of the information, however you will need to go through the Developed/Scheme design drawings with your builder and architect before works start to agree the appropriate level of detail. Some builders do not need full detail drawings in order to build standard building elements. If the design contains elements that are particularly complex or unusual, it is sensible to get homearchitect to prepare detail drawings of these elements. If you want more things added to the drawings or any additional help we are here to help you through the process.
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How do I select a builder?
When choosing a builder, make sure that you can check the company out first. A good starting point is to ask friends, neighbours or other homeowners who have recently had work done close to where you live, if there is anybody they can recommend. Once you have chosen some possible builders, contact them for a list of references and follow these up even if they came highly recommended. If you want help with this process your My-Architect architect would be able to handle this process for you.
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What sort of things should I be watching out for?
For large or complex projects, a standard form of building contract that requires a contract administrator is definitely the recommended route to follow. homearchitect can, of course, also perform this task for you.
For many domestic projects however, people regard this approach as rather over the top, and simply resort to working things out directly with the builder. If you follow this route, the drawings that homearchitect provide you with will help to define what it is the builder has agreed to build. Nonetheless, it is very important that before your builder starts work, you have a written agreement stating the work to be done, the price agreed and the time scale involved (the bones of a Building Contract). The RIAI has a simple standard form of contract agreement available that has been specifically designed for small domestic works called 'Short Form of Contract 88' (SF88). It is easy to read and covers most of the important areas. - Costs! How much will it cost to build my extension?
The cost of a building project is extremely difficult to predict particularly before it is fully designed. There is a myriad of factors that can affect the price including geographic location, size, scope and complexity of the work, amount of structural work involved and level of specification required, to name just a few. Your architect will be in a better position to give you an idea of costs once you have discussed what you would like to achieve and he/she has seen what is involved. To find out a ball park figure for your entire project go to our cost estimator. The cost of a luxury fit out can be five or ten times the cost of a basic or budget fit out. Contrary to popular belief, the choice of fittings often is the most influential issue to affect the cost of a building project.
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Costs! I have heard of builders adding huge 'extras' during the work. How do I control these?
The more detail that is tied down on the drawings/documents that are sent to the builder for pricing, the more tied down the price will be. Agree all the details up front, both for the construction and the building agreement (payment amounts, method and frequency, insurances required etc.). A set of detail drawings will illustrate these decisions in a way that can be quantified, see example of standard construction stage drawing here. This will leave less opportunity for unforeseen extra costs to creep in at a later date. Try not to change your mind during the building work, as last minute design changes are a sure way of losing control over your budget!
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Some useful tips and important things to agree with your builder.
- Hours of working: how many days a week, what time they start and finish (this may also be governed by the Planning Permission conditions).
- Use of facilities and services: toilet facilities, water supply, electricity, telephone etc.
- Access and storage: agree where the builders can store their materials and how they should come in and out of the building, who holds keys etc.
- Regular meetings: it is good to agree to meet formally to discuss progress every week or fortnight.
- Foreman: agree whether you will have a full-time foreman on your project from start to finish - this is generally a good thing, but might make the price more expensive.
- Additions and extras: agree how any additions or changes that you might want after work has started would be agreed and priced.
- Over running: agree what happens if the work takes longer than the builder has indicated up front.
- Payment schedule: the best way is to agree a timetable of payments that goes with the timetable of completed works.
