How to Obtain Consistent and Accurate Home Construction Bids
By Mark J. Donovan
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One of the key phases of any new home construction or home addition project is soliciting home construction bids from home building contractors. Obtaining home construction bids can be a difficult and confusing process however there are some steps you can take to make your life easier when it comes to evaluating construction bids.
Use Blueprints or Drawings when Soliciting Home Construction Bids One of the best ways to get consistent and accurate home construction bids is to present each potential home building contractor with a complete set of blueprints or drawings to bid on. |
This way there should be nothing left to chance and the use of contractor allowances prevented. Home building contractors frequently use contractor allowances for items that are TBD. The use of contractor allowances never seem to work to the homeowners advantage, so do not accept home construction bids that include contractor allowances.
| Make sure Home Building Plans Include Detailed Finished Features
Again, in an effort to avoid the use of contractor allowances, make sure you specify all of the finished items you want to see in your new home construction or home addition project. For example, make sure your plans and drawings include the specification of specific light fixtures, flooring material, bathroom fixtures, kitchen cabinets, etc. |
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Make Sure Home Construction Bids are Itemized for Each Phase of the Project
For large and complex home improvement projects such as new home construction, home construction bids should be itemized for each phase of the project. This way you can make apple-to-apple comparisons for each phase of the project. You can also see if anything has been left out in the construction bid.
| Make Sure a Detailed Timeline is Included
When obtaining home construction bids, make sure there is a detailed timeline with start and completion dates for each phase of the project. General statements of two months should be viewed as unacceptable. If they are truly going to complete the project in two months they should be able to document how. Confirm Liability Insurance and Workman’s Compensation Every home construction bid should include copies of the home builder’s liability insurance policy and workman’s compensation papers. Avoid contractors who cannot provide these materials. |
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For more help on building a home addition, see HomeAdditionPlus.com’s Home Addition Bid Sheets. Our Home Addition Bid Sheets provide you with the knowledge and information on how to plan a home building project, and what to look for when hiring contractors. They also include detailed cost breakdown tables and spreadsheets for estimating your own new home construction building costs.
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