How To Make Changes To Homebuilding Plans

The following are some tips for making changes to your home building plans:

Communicate with your contractor. Good communication about changes is essential. When there is clear communication and expectations are made known early on, changes to the building process, including the overall budget and the anticipated completion date, can be minimized.

Understand the costs. Change orders on floor plans always have a cost attached to it, whether for labor or the added materials required to adequately finish the job. And it's not only certain projects that affect the overall cost-the timing of your changes can also make a difference. As a general rule, however, the closer you are to your completion date, the more expensive the changes will be to make.

Have realistic expectations. While most contractors and builders will go out of their way to make sure your home building plans are satisfactory to you, some things are not realistic; for example, deciding you want a basement when the framing on the house is being done or adding a second story to a one story house after the roof has been put on.

Ask questions. Changing your home building plans can be costly, and even costlier to undo the changes if you decide you don't like them. Make sure you are familiar with and approve of everything that will go into the changes. Ask questions if you are unsure.

Make payment arrangements. Each builder will do it differently. Some may bill the changes separately, and some may add them to the total percentage to be paid out. Some ask for full payment upfront. Make sure you are aware of the payment arrangements before signing.

How to make changes to your home building plans

With that in mind, most contractors and builders should follow this process, or a similar one, when you decide you would like to put in a change order on your home building plans:

Make sure everything is documented. This includes the actual blueprints, as well as estimates and final bids for the changes in the home building plans. Having a paper trail will help in the event something goes amiss.

Confirm it in writing. In addition, you will also want to make sure you sign a new contract detailing costs and the new anticipated completion date. No changes in the plans or the building process should occur until the homeowner signs a new contract. The home owner will need to approve the costs and terms of the new contract, like the completion date, before signing the contract.

When building a home, there are times you might want to make changes to your home building plans. Make sure you talk to your contractor and builder, and get every thing in writing.