On Thursday we met one of our sale reps and our project manager. Both my partner and I thought our project manager would be older and more experienced. It sounds like he went through the Ryan Homes project manager training but is struggling with what flexibility he has to bend rules for things I want changed. Several times now I felt that Ryan Homes beats into their employees "the standard" and doesn't give much room for making the customer happy. Ultimately I am the one financing and paying for this and I can't comprehend telling an owner "no" for simple requests such as not installing light switches for outlets. I have heard several times that there is a survey at the end of this build and to let them know prior to the survey if something is going to be below a 10. At this point I can't consider giving them 10's when Ryan Homes wont ever consider simple requests.
Key Issues:
Switched Outlets - I purchased ceiling light rough ins for every room that doesn't have one. I have lived in places that have no ceiling light but a switched outlet for a lamp. I find nothing lights a room like a ceiling light. Removing the switch and the extra wire to the outlet reduces cost of both material and labor. I even tried to compromise asking Ryan Homes to put the outlet and ceiling light on the same switch so I could just change the outlet and not be left with a useless switch. Ryan Homes could have approved my request not to have switched outlets and pocketed the savings and I would be happy. This issue cost them a perfect score in the client satisfaction survey.
Wire Conduit - I asked for a pipe from the basement to the attic so I can run wire at a later time. I had an outlet put in the attic so I could put a router up there. I asked and offered to buy the pipe and the project manager said no. This is an example of why I suspect our house will be good and nice, but not awesome and great. They lost some points here on their survey.
Basement Ceiling - I asked for the ceiling not to be finished. Code requires drywall hung for the occupancy permit but nothing is mentioned on tape and finish. I made an effort to explain to the PM that mudding it and adding tape will make it messy to remove so I can add lights to the basement when I go to finish it. Not to mention it will be difficult to reuse the same drywall. Again I don't feel like the PM tried to understand the reason for the question and if he has any room to bend rules. Like many other things I hear from Ryan Homes is "no" without a good explanation such as the county requires it. I left this question not feeling like there is a good reason for them to say no to my request. A few more points dropped here on their survey due to lack of discussion and supporting their "no"
House Plan - I asked for a copy of the house plans. He said no he would loose his job. I know that their plans are trade secrets but I can even get a manual for my car showing all the wiring harness by color. Here is where Ryan Homes could excel and exceed customer service. Give a customer a copy of their prints to be more involved. I'd like to frame mine but now I can't. Ryan Homes should be relying on their trademark legality to protect their home designs and not stiff their customer for additional documentation for their home. Disappointing!!
Basement Door - Ryan Homes wont install a welled basement door. I am pretty sure I have enough drop at ground level that one could be installed on the side and only need three feet of excavation. Ryan Homes basically said they cause water issue from grass clippings clogging the drain. Odd as their sister company Heart Homes who uses nearly the same material, labor and designs will do it.
Basement Bathroom rough in - I have a completely unfinished basement. Moving the basement bathroom would not interfere with any other wall or room. The only place it can not go is where the furnace and water heater go. The plumbing in the floor could easily be moved but wont. Another missed opportunity to increase customer satisfaction with little extra cost.
I know that Ryan Homes is often described as "cookie cutter" homes and I know having consistency in the build process creates efficiency and effectiveness, but ignoring owner requests for simple changes that also saves them money is disheartening. I think Ryan Homes hires good people and they genuinely care and want to produce a good product, but they are confined by corporate policy.
Here is my pre-con list with responses from the Project Manager.
1) Structural
a.
Bathroom towel racks, can we put in an extra 2x4
so they don’t just screw into the drywall but wood? RH-No
b.
Can we add an extra support for the TV mount on
the wall? Plywood would be fine. RH-Initially
no…then ask me again closer to drywall
c.
Down spots & Gutters
i.
How many drops and where are they located? (Look for a drop between the garage roof and
front porch) RH-The garage drains onto
the roof and then uses the porch roof to carry water to the downspot.
ii.
Where does the gutter drains go? (Onto ground or drain pipes away from the
house) RH-City storm drains
d.
Are the valleys in the roof 2 ft roll roof or
aluminum?
i.
If not, do they put in extra tar paper in the
valley? RH-Extra ice and rain protection
on the edges and valley’s
e.
Dimensions for the refrigerator insert? RH-Standard
f.
Porch
i.
Does the porch have the same foundation as
the house or is it not as deep? RH-It
will be the same foundation and just as deep as the rest of the house.
ii.
Does the porch concrete poured on backfilled
gravel or corrugated steel sheets? RH-The
porch is poured on the fill dirt and gravel as it is safer.
iii.
Does the porch slope away from the house so
water runs off of the porch? RH-Yes
iv.
Is the porch slab reinforced with rebar? RH-Yes
v.
LATE ADDITION: (One thing I noticed after the
meeting, the porch foundation is not treated or covered with a leak barrier
like the rest of the foundation. I have
spoken to a another Ryan Homes owner who noted he only has one leak in his basement
and it is where his porch attaches to his house. I plan to ask if I can coat mine if they do
not do it.)
g.
How many I-beams are used in the basement? RH-2 I beams are used with 1 spanning the opening
of the morning room and the 2nd spanning the dining room and foyer
area.
i.
Any of the I-Beams need a house jack? RH-2 support posts are added to the I beam
between the dining room and great room.
One support is buried in the step wall and the other is in the furnace
area.
h.
What sealant is used to coat the outside of the
foundation to keep water out? RH-A panel
is nailed into the foundation. (LATE ADDITION: I went back on site and
looked at a house being built and noted that they DO NOT cover the foundation
of the front porch)
i.
Does the roof have a ridge cap vent or soffit
vents? RH-Yes to both
j.
Is there any crawl spaces between floor 1 and 2? RH-No
k.
Is the subfloor tongue and grooved to fit
together? RH-Yes
l.
Subfloor ¾ inch playwood? RH-Yes
2) Heating/Cooling Systems
a.
External AC Location? (Small yard side) RH-Yes
b.
Will there be two zones for the house? RH-Yes
c.
Does ductwork have baffles to control air flow? RH-Yesvia electronic baffles
d.
While the basement is unfinished, does it have
any vents in it? RH-Yes
e.
Does the ventilation consist of ductwork or
enclosed walls? RH-All ductwork as
enclosed walls leak. A leak analysis is
performed prior to drywall and prior to closing.
f.
Are there any rooms without a vent? RH-No all rooms have vents
3) Garage
a.
Since we didn’t get the bonus room above the
garage, is there space that can be accessed from the garage for storage like
attic storage? RH-The space above the garage is not framed in to support anything like
a room as the trusses are not designed or engineered for that. There is an access panel in the garage to
that space and it could be used for light weight storage.
b.
Is the garage door insulated? RH-No
c.
Can we add insulation to the empty wall in the
garage? RH-I wont tear it down but you will need to have Phil with you.
i.
(We potentially may add baseboard heat so stored
items wont freeze)
d. How
deep is the foundation for the garage? (Same as house or less) RH-It depends on the slope of the lot. It may be the same as the house foundation or
4 foot.
e.
What is the poured concrete depth of the garage
floor? RH- 4 inch concrete floor
4) Electrical
a.
Are we able to remove standard switch outlets
since we have ceiling lights? RH-No they
come standard
b.
Do the recessed lighting have transformers in them?
RH-No
c.
Will our breaker box have slots open to add
additional 30 amp circuits? RH-Yes
d.
Is our breaker box marked which circuits control
what? RH-Yes
e.
Are key systems on their own circuits?
i.
Heating/Cooling
RH-Yes
ii.
Fridge RH-Yes
5) Schedule
a.
Rough outline of the critical path schedule? RH-He can’t print off the schedule from the
new system but roughly every sub gets at least one full day in the house. He projects our closing to be mid October.
b.
What days are we not allowed to visit? RH-Make sure you get approval from the sales
rep
i.
Any OSHA rules we need to follow when on site? RH-hard hat when on site
6) Basement
a.
Can we move the basement bathroom rough in? RH-No
b. How
high will the toilet flange be in the basement rough in? RH-The pipe will stick out and you can cut it to the height you’d like.
c.
Can we have the drywall ceiling in the basement
not finished? (Hung no mud) RH-Originally he said no but then when I
explained it will make the reuse of that plaster board unusable and a bigger
mess when I finished the basement he said he would check.
d.
How tall is the basement ceiling? (Does it include the I-Beam?) RH-8 foot ceiling and does not include the
Ibeam height
e.
How deep(tall) are the basement ceiling joist? RH-standard 12 inch
f.
Will our breaker box be in the basement near the
furnace/water heater? RH-Yes
g.
How thick is the poured concrete floor? RH-4 inch thick
h.
There’s absolutely no way to have a basement
door? RH-Absolutely not
7) 2nd floor
a.
Does the Attic drop down in the laundry room? RH-It drop downs in one of the bedrooms but
we can check to see if we can move it.
b.
Can we make the walk in closets in the master
bedroom the same size? RH-Yes, the sales person should have already
documented it.
c.
Can we add sound proofing to the wall prior to
the drywall hanging? (Laundry Room/Bathroom)
RH-Basically he said no they wont
do it, but that when they go to hang drywall there they wont tear anything down.
8) Other
a.
Can we have a copy of our house prints? RH-No, I’d lose my job
b. Can
we get a breakdown of the items and warranties?
RH-All of this will be covered in
your new home binder at closing
i.
Dishwasher
ii.
Oven
iii.
Microwave
iv.
Kitchen Cabinet make and model (For hardware)
v.
Shingle
vi.
Windows
vii.
Furnace/AC
viii.
Water Heater
c.
Can we have some paint left over in a can for move
in bumps? RH-you will get a patch kit
d.
Can we get copies of key documents
i.
Land survey? RH-At
closing
ii.
Plot Plan? RH-Given
at the meeting
iii.
Circuit Schematic? RH-Nothing to give
e.
Do all vents blow to the outside? RH-yes, and nothing vents to the attic
i.
Confirm 2nd floor vents don’t vent to
the attic
f.
Are the ceilings smooth after drywall? RH-the ceiling is textured and a smooth coat
is not an option
g.
What is the grade drop from one side of the
house to the other? RH-Not sure, will know once the grader
finishes the plotting
h.
Can we have an empty conduit installed from
basement to attic? (Potential Cable/cat5 to other bedrooms) RH-No
i.
What is done to protect the wood while framing
if it rains? RH-Nothing as it promotes
mold
j.
Can we have any stone left over? (To be used on future patio) RH-It gets sent back as it’s the property of
the supplier
k.
Kitchen counter top 4 inch lip????? RH-Yes
l.
Location of external garden hoses and where are
the shut off values? RH-one at the back
of the house and one on the front opposite corner
m.
Process for home inspection prior to drywall? RH-Email
him
n.
Do you put sealant on the concrete/asphalt in
garage, sidewalks, and driveway? RH-No
o.
Since we close in the fall, when will grass or
sod be planted? RH-We’ll seed it in Oct and it’s a good time to seed
p.
Where does the 2nd floor washer drain
to? RH-Washer
drains into it’s separate drain
i.
(Utility sink or separate drain)
ii.
Backup floor drain if a leak occurs? RH-The
washer will sit in a pan attached to a drain as well
