What Are The Activities Involved in Building Construction?

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Becoming well-versed in construction means that you need to learn the basics. Whether you're siting a portable garden shed, building a pergola or adding onto your home, you'll want to both hire well and track the project to protect yourself in the event that something goes wrong.

Collect Bids

Unless you're planning to handle the entire project on your own, you'll need to collect bids from contractors to get the project rolling. One of the nice things about working with a qualified contractor is that they know the ins and outs of

• pulling permits

• checking the regulations for easements and allowances

• getting good prices on the materials

Get the Site Inspected for Safety

The "call before you dig" information may seem excessive, but depending on the age of your neighborhood, you may be at risk of cutting through water lines, hitting a gas line, taking out someone else's cable, or wiping out the neighborhood phone line. Inspections can save your life, your budget and your relationships with the neighborhood. Other hazards may be lurking under the surface as well. For example, if your house was built in the country and the city has come out to meet you, your lawn may contain a septic tank. If you don't know where this is, or where the lines that feed it are, you probably don't want to move large earth-moving equipment anywhere but along known easements.

Lay Out Your Project

Once you know you're clear to start building, lay out the site. Will you be running electricity underground to the building? You'll need to trench, and you may need to hire an electrician to make sure that your plan is up to code. Poor electrical decisions now, if you're lucky, will just mean failure later. Fires and dangerous shocks are also a possibility. Working with a contractor puts an expert at your shoulder. If you want to try to do part of the project yourself, consider working on the interior finish on your own. Water and waste lines will also need to be figured out before you can start your dig for the foundation. Depending on the site and the building codes in your area, you may be able to split off of your main hose water line, or you might need a new line.

Define the Purpose

What will you be doing in your new space or your new building? If you're planning an art studio, you may need a kiln, so power is a concern. You may need to plan to fill wall gaps with or use a silicone sheet as insulation around the kiln. A glass fusing oven will have the same requirements. If your studio will include a painter, you'll need plenty of windows or perhaps a skylight. Make sure to take a good hard look at your square footage before you finalize your plans. Building your building gives you the chance to create exactly what you want and need. It's much easier to add square footage, to up the power and to add a water line now. As you define your project's purpose, dream big. Not everything can go into your final project, but make sure that the structure encompasses the majority of your intentions before you finalize your project plans.

Gather All the Paperwork

Whether you're doing the work yourself or have hired someone else, SAVE YOUR PAPERWORK! Keep copies of all the permits. Save every approved inspection record. Contact your insurance agent to make sure your new space is fully covered. If your contractor has put in a final invoice, make sure you have lien releases for all of the materials purchased for your project. If your contractor has bought building materials for your project and hasn't paid suppliers, you could be on the hook for your materials twice. Make sure that you have lien releases in your files for every product on your detailed invoice. Do not release final payment until you have these.

Conclusion

Many of us have spent a lot of time at home in 2020, and we may know exactly what isn't working in our homes. Having another space where you can lay out ideas, dream a bit, make a mess and easily air the space out can make your home much more livable.