The Responsibilities of a Home Addition Contractor
Posted on: 12 August 2022
You do not need to move out of your home when you need extra living space. A home addition contractor can create an extension to increase the living space in your home.
The excerpt below details the responsibilities of a home addition contractor once you hire them to create a home extension.
Assessing the Project's Viability
The contractor's first task is to assess the project's viability. Typically, they ask for the building's blueprints to determine whether the existing structural features can support the new loads. For example, the foundation or pillars could crack if you if they are not designed to handle additional loads. If this is the case, the contractor reinforces the existing structure to ensure it can withstand the new loads.
The contractor also examines your current property design to determine whether an extension suits the property's architectural style. Remember, an extension should improve the allure of the property. Therefore, it must be well designed to ensure it enhances the property's value.
Ensuring Compliance with Building Regulations
Different building regulations control home addition projects. Your contractor examines these regulations to ensure that the building meets the minimum requirements. For instance:
- The local government could expect you to seek formal approval before commencing construction work.
- If your area is gazetted as a heritage or conservative area, you could be required to use specific designs.
- You could be asked to hire a building certifier to inspect the footings and pillars of the new structure.
- Some resident associations expect you to limit noise and air pollution as you renovate the structure. Alternatively, they could restrict renovation work at night.
Project Management
An experienced home addition contractor should help you with all aspects of managing the project. For instance, the professional should develop accurate project estimates to ensure you know how much the project costs. Most contractors keep up with the recent trends in the construction market. Therefore, they could recommend suitable financing if you do not have adequate funds to execute the project. Alternatively, the contractor could help you cut down the construction costs without compromising on the design. For example, the contractor could use precast building materials to save on labour costs at the site. Besides, they could use recycled materials to reduce the cost of purchasing building supplies.
Your contractor should also help with material sourcing. Ideally, they must ensure that the materials used are high-quality and have the required government certifications. Finally, they create a construction schedule with several milestones to ensure you have an easy time tracking the construction work.
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