Construction Process for New Homes in Hattiesburg
Building a home is part science, part art, and part plain old hard work. As one of the last handmade products left in this world, each home is unique in the same way that an oil painting by a landscape artist is unique. This section of our website is designed to inform my clients about the building process. Here we explain just what you can expect before, during, and after construction. We have a great deal of valuable information in this section, and it may take some time to read, but it is well worth it.
- Before Groundbreaking (Plan Selection, Design Specifications, and Construction Preparation)
- During Construction (Schedule and Safety)
- Prior to Occupation and After You Move-in (Warranty Information)
BEFORE GROUNDBREAKING
Selecting a Builder and Pricing Your Home
The first question a new client usually asks is "How much does it cost to build a house by the square foot?" Don't be misled by builders quoting a square footage price without looking at your plans first. A builder can give you an "average price" of the subdivision or other homes he has recently completed. This is a poor way of pricing your home and can be very deceiving.
Ask what square footage the builder is using as the basis. Is it the total under-roof footage or the heated and cooled living area only? Of two homes with exactly the same purchase price, one of them can appear to cost less per square foot simply by using the greater square footage.
At Richard Hiatt Construction, we want you to have the home you want. We will take the time to sit down with you and discuss what features are important to you in your home. We will then price your home properly with everything necessary to complete your home. You will not have any unforeseen charges at the end of construction and you will receive a detailed specification sheet so there are no misunderstandings.
Once you have decided to build, a natural question is, "When can we move in?" Understandably you are anxious to see dirt moved and walls erected. That move-in date can't come soon enough. However, in the initial stages of the project, the delivery date is a moving target largely due to factors beyond a builder's control.
Weather is one obvious factor. Also before construction can begin, a builder has to accomplish several important tasks that involve outside people and entities, for example:
- In the city of Hattiesburg, residential construction requires a building permit. The process varies and it can take a few days to many weeks for a permit to be issued, depending on workload.
- If you make structural changes to the plans, the engineering for the home may need revision. This revision can take from several days to several weeks, and it must be completed prior to breaking ground.
- If your home will be in a covenant-protected community (one with a homeowner's association), your house plans may need to be approved by the association's Architect Review Committee. These groups generally meet twice a month.
Richard Hiatt Construction, recognizes that timing is critical to planning your move. Although a guaranteed date is unrealistic in the early stages of construction, we can provide regular updates. As your home nears completion, we can provide a firm delivery date (usually 30 to 60 days before the closing). Meanwhile, be flexible and avoid making arrangements that might cause you to worry if the move in date changes.
DURING CONSTRUCTION
Construction Schedule
Prior to the physical work actually beginning, we will create a construction schedule based on experience and input from the trades. During construction, some portions of the work must occur in sequence; at times some trades work best alone in the home. As an example, having the electrician and the plumber in the home at the same time prolongs them both because they get in each other's way. There may be days that no one is on the jobsite at all. Lead-time (or notice) to the trade contractors changes constantly and depends on the level of overall construction activity in your area. Sometimes materials deliveries can impact a building schedule. The construction foreman orders materials so that deliveries occur at the correct time. You can help by completing your selections as early as possible and following your builder's guidelines for changes.
The construction foreman is involved with your home on a daily basis. He frequently checks the progress of work at the site, updates the schedule, answers questions from the trade contractors, and checks on material deliveries. When the construction foreman asks you to clarify details, you need to respond quickly to prevent delays. Both your satisfaction with the home and Richard Hiatt Construction's reputation rely on this close attention.
For any issue that arises during the process, you should consider whether it can wait until the next routine conversation with the construction foreman or whether you should contact us immediately. For instance, if you order a pink bathtub and see a blue one delivered, your builder and the plumber will both appreciate your calling attention to the error right away. However, try to resist pointing out items the builder will address in the normal sequence of construction. If you have a question, get in touch with your builder. Don't give instructions directly to trade contractors who may only know about one portion of the plan.
If you are in doubt about how urgent your concerns are, play it safe and contact the builder. Put serious questions or extensive lists in writing and keep a copy. Putting your concerns in writing reduces the possibility that they will be forgotten or miscommunicated. Also keep the following points in mind once you have notified the builder of a concern:
- Your concern may involve a detail the builder already has noticed or appreciates your pointing out. Still, correction may not occur immediately.
- Work may simply be incomplete; an early stage can look wrong to you, but be exactly right when finished.
- Methods and materials vary from region to region and change over time. When you are familiar with one method, you naturally question a different one. That doubt does not make the new method wrong. Ask questions until you are comfortable.
During construction you may meet many characters on the building site. Overall, you will find them a pragmatic group of people committed to doing a good job. You should also expect mud, trash, material scraps, lunch wrappers, gravel, more mud, blowing sand and dust, mystery parts, and vehicles of every shape and size. From time to time this diverse cast of characters may all seem to leave the stage simultaneously. At several points during the construction of every home nothing appears to be happening. Several factors may contribute to this occurrence:
- Until the home is closed in, precipitation, high winds, or low temperatures can stop all work. Exterior work is always subject to weather conditions.
- Sometimes a trade completes its work ahead of schedule. The next trade has an assigned time that we cannot change on short notice.
- Sometimes a trade contractor arrives late because work at another site took longer than expected. One late trade can lead the builder to reschedule several others. Because of that rescheduling, your home may lose its place in line with one of the affected trade contractors.
- At several points during construction, progress must stop until the work up to that point passes required building department inspections. Items noted by inspectors must usually be corrected before work can continue. Few homes go through construction without an inspector citing something.
- Materials may not arrive on time. The arrival of back-ordered or custom-made items is especially unpredictable. Sometimes shipments arrive incomplete or damaged and must be sent back.
- Some portions of the work move quickly while other more-detailed tasks move slowly. Work may be progressing quite well even though you don't see much change.
If these scheduling delays cause you concern, remember that Richard Hiatt Construction works with these circumstances every day. All existing homes were subject to the same factors.
Safety
Everyone involved in building your home should keep safety in mind at all times. This practice is common sense. Please keep the following points in mind at all times:
- Always look in the direction you are walking.
- Stay clear of large, noisy equipment and power tools. Assume the operator does not see or hear you.
- Be aware of someone working above you. Construction personnel working on the roof may not hear you arrive.
- Avoid handling or attempting to use any tools, equipment, or ladders you see on site.
PRIOR TO OCCUPATION AND AFTER YOU MOVE IN
Warranty
The Warranty Process begins approximately one week before you take possession of your new home with a pre-delivery punch list. A representative of Richard Hiatt Construction will call you to perform a walk-through at which time you can record the items that are unfinished or need repair on the punch list. These items will be completed by the closing date. In addition to signing off on the punch list on the closing date, you will be asked to sign a copy of the "Mississippi New Home Warranty Act," a warranty to which all homebuilders in Mississippi must conform.
After you move into your new home, you will be asked to start a post-delivery punch list. Sometimes there are flaws that don't show up until a new home has been lived in for a while. For example, wood trim goes through a shrinking process as moisture is pulled out of the air once the heating and air conditioning system is fully operational. You may notice cracks in the paint where the trim is caulked. Add this and similar items to your punch list. After 30 - 60 days, a representative of Richard Hiatt Construction will return to your home to complete all the items on the punch list all at one time.
Maintenance
To get the most out of living in your new home and to maintain its value over time, don't forget periodic maintenance. Try to schedule monthly maintenance items, such as cleaning or changing air conditioning filters, on the first day of the month, and yearly maintenance items, such as smoke alarm batteries and paint caulking, on the first day of the year. We've found that these dates are a lot easier to remember.
