Page 58 - Green Builder Nov-Dec 2021 Issue

COMMON

CONSTRUCTION

CONCERNS OF

HOMEOWNERS

CREDIT: ISTOCK/PEOPLEIMAGES

Homeowners are usually thrilled at the PROJECT APPROVALS
prospect of having a new home built or a major Before the dream home can be built, there are approvals needed
remodeling made to their prized dwelling. from municipal administration, local utilities, and even prospective
neighbors. Anyone not well-versed in the approval process may spend
But they still have concerns that architects, a lot of time, money and energy trying to acquire the proper permits or
contractors and construction crews should authorizations.
keep in mind before and during a project. INEFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

Using inefficient tools to communicate and track the project leads to
IDENTIFICATION OF THE CONTRACTOR loss of information, and in turn, ineffective communication between
Choosing the right contractor or execution agency is the most important different stakeholders. Keep all channels open between the customer,
part of the project. The most common approach for customers is to go builder, and other stakeholders.
online to look up the city’s “best” contractors. But many contractors
have bogus claims on their websites, or are not tech-savvy and lack QUALITY ISSUES
a web presence. Customers also reach out to friends and family for Not having a quality assurance plan can hamper the overall quality
referrals. But this is not the best way to get the most optimum design of the project. Necessary rework will lead to cost and time overrun,
and best price to service value. The customer may agree for a “lower” and result in material waste that goes into the landfill and causes
price and end up with a 10 percent to 20 percent higher cost in the end. environmental pollution.

TIME DELAYS COST OVERRUN
Up to 90 percent of home construction and renovation projects take The major reason for cost overrun, and result in material waste is
more time than committed due to improper scheduling and project ineffective communication of the scope of work, leading to time
management. Planning ahead solves the problem: Schedule the project delays due to improper planning and execution. Quality issues also
before the start and wadd buffers at each stage. Also, run parallel tasks add to the time taken to rework any mistakes. Clear communication of
to reduce project expenses during construction, and raise and resolve the deliverables and expected quality, and sticking to the committed
red flags immediately. timelines, can prevent the problem.
SOURCE: AMPLIFY MART
56 GREEN BUILDER November/December 2021 www.greenbuildermedia.com/internet-of-things-smart-cities