The past few years have created significant price increases in the building trades and especially in new home construction.
Rising demand, fuel prices and the recent epidemic have driven up materials costs. Record highs in home equity values have spurred a boom in renovation and additions to existing properties, placing construction labor in high demand. These factors make 2024 one of the most expensive times to build or renovate in recent memory. If you are contemplating a building project, the following guidelines will help you get the most from your construction dollar.
Don’t overbuild.
While there is some economy of scale in construction, ultimately a contractor bases the construction bid on the total square footage of the project. That means that an excessively large stairway, hall or similar nebulous area -- what architects call ‘circulation space’ -- really costs you. A compact and efficient floor plan tailored to the needs of your building program will deliver the most usable and economical space for the money.
Minimize complexity and detail.
Jigs, jogs, corners, cathedral ceilings and intersecting roof lines may lend a lot of excitement and drama to a space but they do so at a premium, and can really annihilate a construction budget. This does not mean that your home or addition need assume the shape of a shoebox, but it does mean that such elements should be chosen wisely and orchestrated to greatest effect relative to their elevated cost. A good solution will create a dynamic and interesting space without placing excessive demand, hence cost, on the builder.
Employ economical materials.
Trim, mouldings and cabinetry are the most expensive aspects to finishing a room. Minimize the application and simplify the configuration of these to make a positive affect on your bottom line. Evaluate alternatives to notoriously expensive materials like granite countertops.
Take advantage of scheduling. A project that must start tomorrow and be finished by the first major holiday generates a lot of extra costs. Your builder must scramble to assemble labor and obtain building materials. You are forced to take whatever and whoever is ready and available rather than items that comparatively shopped and services that are competitively bid. Scheduling your project within a generous window of time will allow you to entertain bids from a larger pool of builders that are seeking to fill gaps in their schedules to stay busy.
How does an architect help control building costs?
An architect’s drawings level the playing field between prospective contractors, positioning your project at best advantage against prevailing building costs. The architect produces a set of construction contract documents, commonly referred to as ‘plans’ or ‘blueprints’. The drawings are legal documents, and include a written specification that describes exactly what materials and building practices are to be used in the project. This allows you to compare bids “apples to apples” to determine the best price. There can be as much as a 30 percent difference between the high and low bidder, typically more than offsetting the cost of the architect’s services.
Architects are usually hired to create appealing designs for their clients, but when one considers the amount of money in flux during the design and bidding stages of a project, an architect makes good financial sense too.
John MacFarlane is principal of JWM Architects LLC in Glastonbury. He can be reached at 860-657-3020 or via the company website at Jwmarchitects.com
An architect’s drawings level the playing field between prospective contractors, positioning your project at best advantage against prevailing building costs.
There can be as much as a 30 percent difference between the high and low bidder, typically more than offsetting the cost of the architect’s services.