Thursday, June 14, 2012

Pre-Construction Points

We have a date for our pre-construction meeting with the builder and have compiled a list of questions and discussion points, some of which were gleaned from other RH bloggers.  (THANKS for the tips!)  Is there anything else we should address?


Plumbing
- Determine location of utility sink (garage)
- Add garage drain
- Determine location of hose bibs (2)
- Determine location of sump pump
- Determine location of water heater
- Is there enough water pressure for a dual-headed shower? Do we need a booster?
- What is the general water pressure?

Electrical
- Determine location of floodlights
- Will you install owner-purchased ceiling fans? Has anyone had any problems asking for this?
- Will switch control light/fan rough-ins vice wall socket?
- Can you align attic lights? One potlight will be off center. I. just. can't. live. with. it.
- Add exterior outlets
- Add garage outlets Something tells me one is just not enough
- Add garage light switch to the mud room
- Add island outlets
- Is it possible to add whole-house surge protection at the circuit breaker?
- Is it possible to upgrade to a 300 amp circuit from the standard 200 amp?
- Can we run a Smurf tube (ENT conduit) from the basement to the attic?
- Disposition of foyer chandelier? We lose the two-story foyer with the addition of the attic.

Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning, Insulation
- Is the microwave vent internal circulating or external?
- Where are the bath/dryer exhaust vents located (rear or roof)?
- Are there any vents on the façade? If so, can we relocate them? We saw a house with at least four vents and it just detracted from the beautiful brick front. :(
- Determine location of 3-piece bathroom rough-in in basement
- Determine location of HVAC unit
- How many HVAC zones with four floors? Any floors combined?
- What kind of garage insulation, if at all?
- Add additional exhaust fan in owner's bathroom. There's only one vent and it's in the toilet enclosure.

Structural
- Do you seal the concrete interior in basement? If no, what options for vapor barrier?
- Can we get a wider driveway?
- What is the issue with the garage access door? Why are you removing that option? I'm truly disappointed on not having the access door. At least the model has one.
- Relocation of the basement walkout door
- Relocation of basement windows
- What is the boxed-off area next to closet in attic and mud room? Can we open them up to make it useable space?
- What kind of seat is in the mud room? If just boxed, can we remove it? Seating with storage is highly desired, even if I have to purchase something separately
- Can we reinforce flooring in second-floor laundry room?
- Please confirm no ceiling access doors in bedrooms with finished attic.

Accessories/Finishes
- Are the wire closet organizers single or double rows?
- Do the windows come with screens?
- Is the cabinet hardware included?
- Are towel bars included in the bathrooms?
- What color is the shower frame? Does it match the other plumbing fixtures?
- What is the ceiling texture? Smooth, swirled, knife, popcorn (gasp), etc.?
- Is the cushion-close option included with the kitchen cabinets?
- Deadbolt on interior garage door?
- What is the manufacturer's recommended number of days to allow the grout to cure before sealing it?
- Verify cabinets in second floor laundry (both uppers and lowers?)
- Verify faucets match lighting fixtures and hardware in bathrooms.

Other
- Can we get a copy of blueprints? .
- What is the ceiling height in the basement?

Stay tuned for updates with the builder's responses!

6 comments:

  1. Microwaves are vented to the outside. Towel bars are included. There is no deadbolt on the interior garage door. Good luck getting your own ceiling fans installed. I can't even get them to install toilet paper holders that I purchased. My PM told me they don't install any product that they can't stand behind.

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    1. Thanks. That's mostly good news. I'm hoping they'll allow the fans but perhaps I will have to bake some cookies just in case.

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  2. Here is the compiled list that I was keeping:
    http://ravennaspeed.blogspot.com/p/compiled-items-to-review.html

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    1. Thanks! I'll definitely need to go through your list and finalize mine this weekend.

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  3. Thanks for commenting on my blog and sharing this. I'm glad I read it before our meeting today. I just thought about the window screens last night too... you'd think they would have them, but I've learned not to assume anything with this. They told me they couldn't give me the blueprints for copyright reasons, which I think is crap. I would just like to have the complete dimensions of the house so I don't have to measure every little thing... plus I wouldn't mind double checking some of their work :). I'm interested to see the responses you get. It's interesting to me that their policies seem to vary a lot in different areas. Good luck!

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    1. Maybe if we constantly ask them for measurements they'll just give us a copy so we'll leave them alone. ;)

      How did today go? I'll be checking your blog for updates from today's pre-construction meeting.

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