How to Avoid Change Orders When Building a Custom Home

One typical challenge homeowners face during the custom home design process is change orders. Change orders are any modifications or alterations to the original design/build plan or contract. This can include anything from minor improvements to significant alterations, but even the smallest change orders can add up significantly to the final cost of your project. To help you avoid these costly surprises, here are a few tips on avoiding change orders for your custom home.

Select Your Construction Team Carefully

One of the most important ways to prevent change orders on your custom home is to partner with a highly effective team of professionals. Everyone’s decisions, from your architect to your interior designer to your custom builder, impact your home’s budget.

Your architect ensures design and construction details are spelled out by including cross-sections, detail drawings, interior elevations, and notes. This will give your builder thorough information to create a comprehensive construction budget. It should also prevent costly changes resulting from certain architectural elements being re-designed or re-built after construction.

Your custom builder should review your architectural plans to ensure potential issues have been discussed with the architect and are included correctly in your budget. They should also include a realistic allowance for finish selection categories like plumbing, flooring, countertops, tile, and light fixtures.

Have a Comprehensive Budget

Once you have selected your custom home builders, you must ensure their budget proposal is detailed and comprehensive. It’s common for change orders to arise when there are unclear or vague cost estimates. Ensure all the necessary expenses and labor costs are included in the budget proposal. This will help avoid any unexpected expenses and prevent the need for change orders. 

It’s also essential to have a contingency budget in place for unexpected costs or changes. This will provide a safety net and help prevent excessive expenses that may arise due to change orders. Communication is key during this stage, so regularly discuss the budget with your custom home contractors and ask for updates to ensure transparency and avoid unpleasant surprises.

Make Design Selections on Time

Your custom builder should provide a detailed selection schedule during the architectural design phase, so you and your interior designer know when selections will be needed throughout construction. Adhering to this schedule ensures materials and finishes are ordered in time to keep construction moving smoothly. Falling behind on selections could delay various trades or force the builder to proceed with construction out of sequence, leading to slower mobilization of subcontractors and costly and unnecessary damages and touch-ups later on.

Among the selections needed before breaking ground on your home are:

• Windows and exterior doors
• Exterior materials/colors/details
• Roof
• Appliances
• Plumbing fixtures
• Interior beams
• Interior flooring material

All of these selections must be made early because they impact the architectural design, plumbing groundwork, and foundation of the home, which happens very early on in the construction process. For example, interior flooring material impacts foundation height variations, so it’s essential to determine which areas will have carpet/wood/tile to get the foundation right. In addition, these selections need to be made early because many of them have long lead times. 

Stick to Your Original Choices

One of the most effective ways to avoid change orders is to stick to your original selections and scope. As tempting as it may be to make changes or upgrades as the construction progresses, remember that any deviation from the original plan can result in change orders and additional expenses. 

Of course, it’s common to see a design element or feature somewhere else and want to incorporate it into your own. However, it’s essential to consider the impact on the budget and timeline before making any changes. If changes are necessary, discuss them with your custom home builders to find a solution.

Contact Accessible Home Builders Today

Here at Accessible Home Builders, we’re proud to say we’ve been building and remodeling homes since 1994. We’ve serviced Rehoboth Beach, Lewes, Selbyville, Millsboro, Georgetown, Laurel, and more communities within Delaware in that time. We work to guarantee a high level of professionalism, dedication, and the use of quality materials to ensure our customers have the homes they deserve.

To get in touch with us, give us a call at our office at 302-663-0464, send us an email at info@accessiblehomebuilders.com or visit us in person at 28412 DuPont Blvd, #103 Millsboro, DE 19966. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Linked In, and YouTube to stay updated on what we’re up to next!