Our Cottages are designed purposefully to be efficient to build and maintain. In order to achieve efficiencies in construction, we have specified panelized elements and building products that streamline the building process. But keeping to the aggressive schedule that we’re proposing, will require coordination between the Owner, Engineers, contractors, suppliers, and approving agencies as well. And as material availability, the labor force, and workloads are ever-changing, this will be a moving target to try to hit. Once the site has been selected, there are a lot of steps in the process of building a house, but many of them can happen concurrently to save time. Time efficiency is key in the planning phases.
Hiring Engineers early
So, first, the design is selected, the plans are ordered, and the Owner then has the tools to start the process. Hiring a Structural Engineer to review the Plans, and a Civil Engineer to generate a Site Plan can be done while waiting for the delivery of the Construction Documents (CDs). Quite often there will be a wait time to get on their respective schedules, so the sooner contact is made, the better for the overall timeline. Hiring these Engineers early can also define their fees, and help to further define the overall construction cost.
The search for a General Contractor
Probably the most critical order of business is finding a General Contractor (GC) who is willing to work within our Chesapeake Cottages guidelines, and able to match the pace required to meet our proposed schedule. This search and selection can also happen while waiting for the delivery of the CDs. The interview process will allow the Owner to decide which candidate(s) can deliver the project within their time frame and projected budget, and who will be the easiest to work with. Consider that compatibility can be even more important than budget when deciding who you are literally welcoming into your home. A combative relationship with the GC is never time-efficient.
Waiting to receive the CDs and then asking multiple GCs to bid on the project may only serve to lengthen the process since the specifications dictate systems and materials, and multiple bids shouldn’t result in widely varied numbers. If, however, the timeline prior to beginning construction is not as critical, and the owner feels the bidding process would be advantageous, then having 3-4 different GCs submit a bid for the project could be achieved in 6 – 12 weeks or more. But, if pre-buildtime is more critical, then negotiating a contract with one qualified builder, who agrees that time efficiency is key in planning, is a good way to shorten the schedule and still meet the budget.
Start the Shop Drawing process
Now, with a selected plan and a General Contractor with an approximate time slot for the project on their schedule, the Owner can move to the next step. The preliminary pricing for the foundation panels and the SIPs are included with the CDs and will give the Owner and their GC a good idea of the order of magnitude for the base construction cost. If the Owner is comfortable enough with where the final budget should fall, they can make contact with the Panel Manufacturers and pay the required deposit to start the shop drawing process, as soon as the CDs are received.
Each Manufacturer will take the drawings supplied by Chesapeake Cottages and generate the actual diagrams by which the panels will be produced. When the Shop Drawings are done, in around 8–10 weeks, they will be sent to the Owner to be reviewed and approved before the actual panel production begins. This is a critical step and allows the Owner and GC to confirm that the drawings are accurate. It is also a chance for changes to be made in window/door sizes and locations, or Electrical plans, if necessary, without a cost penalty or time delay in production.
If changes are requested, and the Shop Drawings need to be revised, the Owner should expect several more weeks to get the revised drawings back for review and approval. Remember, time efficiency is key in the Shop Drawing review, as nothing can move forward without the Owner’s approval. Once the drawings are finalized and officially approved, production of the panels can start, and a delivery date can be set. These dates and the available time slot of the GC and their subcontractors will need to be coordinated, so the actual start of construction can be set.
Efficient ordering of materials and scheduling
Once the CDs are received, the GC will also be responsible for ordering all the materials that are required for structure and framing, as well as the windows and doors, and the materials for completing the exterior envelope. Some of these will require time from the Owner for selection and approval. All of them will most likely have different delivery dates, but it is important that they all be on-site and available once construction has started. It is critical that the SIPs and framing not be left unprotected and exposed to the weather for any extended time. So, it is the GC’s responsibility to make sure that all the materials are received and safely stored on-site, ready to be installed as soon as needed.
Lead times on some items could be as much as 24–30 weeks or more, so procurement should be started with the items having the longest lead times ordered first. And remember, these times may impact the planned start of construction, and may also require requesting a change to the panel delivery dates. The GC should prepare a detailed schedule to pinpoint each delivery date, as well as the dates that Subcontractors will be needed on-site, to ensure that the build will progress smoothly once started. Time efficiency is key in planning the schedule as well.
Applying for the Building Permit
Concurrently, once the CDs are received, the Structural Engineer can review the structure, and revise it if necessary, then sign and seal the drawings for the permit application. The Civil Engineer can also generate the Site Plan, as required by the local jurisdiction. With these documents and the CDs, the GC can then apply for the building permit. The timeframe for getting the permit in hand will be dependent upon the workloads of the particular jurisdiction and could vary widely. With this potential waiting period, the Owner and GC can continue working on selections for the interior – casework, fixtures, appliances, finishes, and paint colors – to be efficiently ordered and stored until needed.
The payback for good time efficiency
Once construction is able to start, if all preparations have been made, the excavation, installation of the foundation panels, basement slab, structural framing, and SIPs should progress seamlessly. Then the installation of the house wrap, windows, doors, roofing, siding, and trim, should render a complete, weatherproof exterior envelope in as little as 6 weeks. That can allow interior system installation and finishing to progress without weather delays. And, with a clear schedule in place, to get the house substantially complete as soon as 3 months from the start of the build.
Once again, this is an aggressive schedule, which counts on good forethought, planning, and coordination among all the participants. This is a difficult thing to achieve, but well worth the effort to keep site disturbance, construction noise and intrusion, and finance fees to a minimum. And, the prospect of getting into a new home so quickly is also a good driving force. So, paying attention to time efficiency in the planning and pre-build phases is the key to a fast and smooth build.
Chesapeake Cottages exemplify Quality over Quantity