Top 10 Considerations When Starting Your Remodel Project
In my first blog, I would like to focus on the top 10 considerations when starting your remodel project. I am a practicing Structural Engineer in the State of Washington focusing on residential construction for new projects, remodeling, and forensic investigation. I would like to share my experience and lessons-learned for homeowners taking the first steps in creating and/or upgrading their dream home.
- Start your project by talking through and listing out your wants and needs for the new or renovated space.
- Select a proven team of experts to help you during the process of planning, designing, permitting and construction. Depending on the remodeling project you may want to have an interior designer, an architect, a structural engineer, a geotechnical engineer and a construction company. Make sure that you have solid referrals and reviews from the team that you select including the appropriate credentials: certifications, licenses, and licensing & bonding in your state.
- Always permit your work with the local jurisdiction. Local jurisdictions typically have a great deal of information on their websites and experts in their planning departments to answer questions. A building permit is a minimum requirement and structural, electrical and plumbing permits may be required depending on the project scope.
- Call a Structural Engineer if you have any questions about load-bearing structures. Structural permits are required for load-bearing structural design and alteration. Calling in a Structural Engineering after the work is partially or fully completed may be a painful process.
- Be particularly careful when hiring out-of-state architects for generic house plans. Often the purchased plans lack the specific codes and details required for architecture and structural permitting for your location. You may find that you will require significant additional work to meet the requirements.
- Expect the planning, design, and permit approval to take several months. Selecting your required team early will allow for optimal scheduling and workflow based on each participant’s availability.
- Request formal quotes from your team and fully understand the contract provisions for your project.
- Any residential project is going to have a degree of stress. Do not hesitate to make your wishes and desires known during the lifecycle of your project.
- The more specificity that you have about your functional requirements and esthetics upfront the more efficient and smoother will be the project execution. Late breaking changes/rework will drive change orders that cost you additional money and time
- I know this sounds crazy but enjoy the entire process of making your home one step closer to the home of your dreams.