Monitoring the Building of your New Home

By Mark J. Donovan

When having a new home built it is imperative that you visit the site regularly to make sure the home is being quality constructed. It is very important you do this early on in the home construction process as well as the end of it.

It is better to uncover problems early with your builder and your home’s construction, than later, when it becomes more expensive to make changes. When you see problems immediately bring them to the attention of your builder so that he has the opportunity to fix them before it is either too late or too expensive.

When visiting your new home construction site you want to focus on several key items:

• How well the job is being managed
• Attention to job site safety
• The cleanliness of the job site – in and around the new home
• The quality of the framing and construction
• The quality of the rough electric and plumbing
• Storage of construction material
  

Two of the most important things to look for in your builder and new home construction are how well the project is being managed and the attention given to site safety. Look to see if the builder has a centralized location within the home or on the site (e.g. trailer) for storing architectural drawings, building permits and safety notices.

Another red flag is job site cleanliness. If there is trash and scrap material lying all around the home construction site, there is a higher probability that there will shoddy workmanship as well. Trash and construction scraps should be placed in an onsite dumpster and the new home should be swept out at the end of everyday. The home should be free from trash.

When visiting the home construction site examine the framing for clean and neat joints, and the use of straight lumber. If you see shoddy cuts or twisted lumber being used bring it to the attention of your builder. Otherwise the finished walls will look terrible, not to mention structural concerns.

Also examine the home’s rough electric and plumbing. Make sure that holes being drilled in the floor/ceiling joists and walls are centered. You do not want wires and pipes too near the finished wall surface, nor do you want floor or ceiling joists improperly weakened.

Also check the home for proper use of flashing. Flashing prevents water damage and should be used on the roof, in-between the deck and home, on chimneys, and on siding, doors and windows.

Finally, check to make sure the construction material is being stored in a dry and covered area. Frequently construction material is damaged or stolen when left in the outside elements.

Monitoring your builder’s performance and your home’s construction early on can help to ensure your home is quality built. Don’t hesitate to talk to your builder about issues you have uncovered during your visits.

To learn more about hiring the right building contractor for your custom home building project see HomeAdditionPlus.com’s Home Construction Bid Sheets.