Change orders almost always lead to budget increases and schedule delays, especially now
With inflation showing up in the news and at the grocery store, some homeowners are asking what they can do to keep the cost of their remodeling project from escalating. Part of the answer is to choose the features and products you want before the work begins, and then keep changes to an absolute minimum.
This has always been sound advice, but supply issues and price trends make it especially important now.
There are good reasons that remodelers don’t like change orders. For one thing, a product or design that’s altered after work starts will nearly always cost more than one that’s chosen and planned for at the design stage. That extra cost doesn’t make the homeowner happy. Changes can also wreak havoc with the schedule.
Say you’re doing a gut remodel to the family room and, after the new drywall has been hung, decide you would really like a couple of decorative ceiling beams. The beams are nonstructural and won’t need to support the floor above, but they still need to be supported, so the carpenters will have to add blocking to the ceiling cavity above the drywall. The electrician may also have to move recessed lights or other fixtures so they’re centered between the new beams.
Or imagine that it’s a kitchen remodel. You decide after the plumbing and electrical have been roughed in (but before drywall has been hung) that you prefer a counter-mounted faucet to the originally specified wall mount. It seems like a simple change, but the plumber will need to be called back. Electrical wires and fixtures may need to be moved. If the building inspector has already signed off on the rough plumbing, another inspection has to be scheduled. All this can potentially take weeks, delaying the drywall and cabinet installation.
And the supply chain remains a source of frustration. Due to shipping and production uncertainties, some items can take a long time to arrive, especially if they’re imported.
Finally, in today’s market, making selections early is still one of the best ways to help keep a project on budget and on schedule.
Your remodeler puts a lot of effort into scheduling a project that uses labor and materials as efficiently as possible, so making product and design decisions before work starts is ultimately in your best interest.
Don’t get us wrong: we’re not against all changes. It’s your home, and if getting what you want requires a change, then make it. We’re just trying to help our clients understand the implications.
Ask your Remodeler:
Q: How long does it take for a job to get underway?
A: The answer depends on several areas such finishing final design elements, cabinet ordering/delivery, permit processing and material selections.
Our experience is that accomplishing these elements typically take 8+ weeks once a contract is signed.
For example, looking back at all of our projects currently in construction and selections, the average is 106 days! That’s calendar days. Within that average are projects completed in 36 days and one that is still over 400 days.
While this duration is longer than our plan, we don’t rush our customers through the selections process. We believe it is critical that all design elements come together in the proper way to meet our customer’s vision and our design!
