Anyone who has done any type of new home construction or home improvement project knows how tricky it can be, to say the least! For those of you that have never undertaken a construction project, it can be and will be, the most overwhelming and stressful experience you will ever go through! There are all kinds of processes and obstacles, such as securing the bank loan, dealing with the architect, securing the building permit from your local building department, and finally dealing with your local subcontractors and suppliers.
Without the industry knowledge and experience, there is no way for you to prevent any home building project; even building a tiny house, cabin, or retreat home from becoming a money pit! The ultimate goal for any owner-builder is to save money! So why would you ever attempt to undertake a major endeavor such as this, with all these pitfalls and potential budget overruns by starting off on the wrong track?
The only way to prevent all these challenges and problems from occurring is to hire a professional estimator to first estimate the construction costs for you, before you even begin. One of the other benefits of leaning on the expertise and materials management skills of an expert will allow you to purchase materials direct. Hiring a construction estimator can save you tens of thousands of dollars, even on a smaller residential project.
Even if you pride yourself on being budget-conscious, frugal, and getting great deals, all that means nothing without construction knowledge and value engineering skills that a seasoned construction estimator has. By contracting with a professional estimator to prepare your budgets and material takeoff reports, you can avoid the 25% markup that your local subcontractors will add on top of their bid!
Hiring a professional construction estimator empowers you to order all the materials direct from your local material brokers and thus receive huge savings! That savings can be put back into your pocket and can be used for things such as upgraded finishes and appliances!
One of the other major pitfalls we hear from owner-builders like yourself from all around the country, is that their local home improvement stores are taking months to get certain materials and cater to the professional contractor.
You will be placed at the back of the line when it comes to allocation of materials and scheduling deliveries. That is why it so important and critical to have all this done early and with great accuracy, so you can get your material orders in ahead of the professional builder who you are indirectly competing with for those materials. The only way you can accomplish this is by hiring an experienced estimator.
If you attempt to estimate the quantity of materials yourself, and it runs short, you run the risk of stalling and delaying your project. That shortage leads to your subcontractor leaving without completing the work and then you having to beg him to come back once the remaining material arrives months later. This also leads to additional trip charges, more delivery fees, and paying more in construction loan interest. Do you see how this can quickly become your worst nightmare!