How to Build a House
Step 8 – Structural Changes
Every new home is going to have changes, despite how hard you and the builder try to avoid them. The key is to identify changes as quickly as possible so the builder can do the required work as quickly and as cheaply as possible.
Many builders will insist that there will be no structural changes to the home once the contract is signed. Others will allow structural changes up until the time that construction starts. In the case of finishes, some builders will allow changes after the Design Gallery selections have been made. Others builders will not allow any changes to the finishes after the Home Design Gallery selections have been made.
With the current market, there is a bit of a trend for builders to be more flexible on changes, but the homeowner is going to pay for it in the price of the change as well as in additional days of construction. The price issue is pretty straight forward if a “mark up” of the subcontractor’s costs is agreed to during the contract negotiations. Time delays are tricky because the homeowner may lose their interest rate lock in a volatile market. In addition, they may need to pay for another month of transitional housing as well.