How to Make GOOD Decisions While Under Construction


Have you ever changed your mind so many times that you can’t remember where the decision came from to begin with?

Typically, we try to avoid this on a job site. However, it is unavoidable and decisions need to be made every day on a job site from small details to ordering plumbing fixtures and built-ins.

Here are a few things to keep in mind to avoid making mistakes while under construction:

1) Bring your designer onto the job site! It is worth every penny to pay them and bring their opinion, vision and expertise to the decision-making process.  I always tell my clients that they can pay me to detail the drawings and spend hours at the computer drawing OR have me over to the job site and we can design in 3D in a more cost efficient way. This makes the drawing process less expensive and a more productive and realistic in the field.

2) When making decisions about closets and built-ins, this is always better done while under construction so that long-term mistakes are not made. The cabinet designer will not order the cabinetry until the walls are framed anyway so this is your opportunity to think about function, layout and daily use of the space. Most people can not “see” the space in 2D and want to really think about function while thinking about where exactly their socks and shoes will live or how they will want to sit and file paperwork.

3) When ordering plumbing fixtures, make sure that they really fit and that the flow is exactly what you want. You can see in this photo, they have the bathtub, vanity and sink and toilet cut out as templates on the floor. This is gives a good sense of space but also consideration of plumbing and electrical layout.

This project has been really interesting because it is all being built within the roofline of the existing garage and mudroom. What this means is that we created interesting dormers to get proper head height and code creating few flat walls and interesting ceiling lines. The homeowner is building this himself so there has been the opportunity to work closely with him to make good decisions while under construction.

 
 
 

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