Planning to build a house this summer? Wondering what to do first? Purchase the land, design a floor plan, visit the bank, hire a contractor? To those building for the first time, the whole construction procedure may seem somewhat confusing, even intimidating. There are numerous people to deal with – real estate agents for land purchase, mortgage officers for financing, lawyers for the paperwork, contractors for construction, municipal authorities for approvals, and of course, the designer.

It’s easy to get caught in the maze of legal, technical and financial aspects of building a house. What is really most important though, in the long run, is the design itself. The design of a house is what you must live with after everything else is said and done. So in the process of meeting all the other obligations of building a house, keep the design foremost in mind.

The size and shape of a building lot has a major effect on the design of a house. It is best to have the land purchase finalized before starting the house design. In this way, the house can be customized to take advantage of features unique to the site, and the relationship of indoor space to outdoor space can be well coordinated.

When checking out land options, consider not only the price, but the factors which affect the design. The buildable area of a lot is critical, and has a major impact on the perimeter shape of a house, also called the building footprint.

Municipal regulations govern the distances required from the property lines to a house, such as setbacks and sideyards. A setback is the distance a house must be “set back” from the front property line. Setback regulations ensure a standardized depth of front lawns on a given street, and allow room for future street widening on main thoroughfares. On corner lots, a setback is required from the side street as well.

Sideyards are the minimum distances that must be maintained between the side property lines and each side of the house. Sideyards establish the minimum amount of space required between neighbouring houses.

Easements affect the buildable area of a lot, as a house cannot be built on, or extend over, an easement. An easement is a legal “right-of-way” across a property for services such as overhead power lines, or underground water and sewer lines. Before buying a building lot, check the legal survey for any easements which may affect the location of a house.

The financing available to a homeowner affects the design of a house. Before approaching a designer to produce a glorious mansion, know your financial limits. Find out how much space you can build for your budget. Once the upper limit of cost is known, the total amount of affordable building area can be established by the designer, based on current house construction costs.

The contractor you choose affects the design of a house. Check references, and make sure things are well spelled out beforehand in a written contract. Don’t leave design decisions to the discretion of the contractor. The quality of materials, and the method of assembly must conform to building codes, and pass inspections required by municipal authorities. Ensure any changes to the contract during construction are subject to the prior approval of the designer and you, the owner. When alternate materials must be substituted, make sure claims for extra amounts by the contractor are justified, and insist on credit amounts where materials of lesser quality are used.

Lastly, the designer you choose has the greatest effect on the design of your house. Look for someone with specific experience in house design. Talk to former clients and visit houses previously designed. The designer brings their own wisdom and knowledge to the situation, but is still sensitive to your needs and preferences.

CHANGE ORDER

During construction, unforeseen things arise, and even the best set of plans may have to be modified. Changes to the design may be requested by the owner, material substitutions may be required, or previously unknown factors may be discovered, e.g. bedrock or poor soil conditions.

Since it is impossible to predict every possible building circumstance with perfect accuracy, architects have established a method to adjust the contract price during construction to allow for variations to the original design, called a “Change Order”.

On a Change Order form the scope of design revisions are detailed by the architect. If additional labour and materials are required, the contractor quotes the increased amount, called an “Extra”. If less labour and materials are required, the contractor quotes the reduction to the contract price, called a “Credit”. In either case, the architect must approve the Change Order amount before recommending it to the owner for final approval.

Before entering into a contract with a contractor, ensure the Change Order procedure is firmly established. Only very rarely does a building project not require any changes during construction.