Wednesday, July 1, 2015

Pre Construction Meeting Checklist

We are about 24 hours from our pre-construction meeting and shortly after that will be the ground breaking.  It has been super busy since our last post.  I have been focusing on getting the old house ready for sale and getting ready for the pre-con meeting.  I even met with my realtor who is excited to list my current house.  My partner is focused on staging the old house and moving our wedding plans ahead.

I spent basically a week working on our items for the pre-con meeting.  I have looked up and consulted many Ryan Home blogs and learned a lot.  I also spent time reading Ryan Home regrets and what people would have changed.  This weekend I thought about my house and the things that irk me and how I want it different.  All things fed into my pre-con meeting questions.  I share this for others who will be building with Ryan Homes.

Enjoy,
M


Pre-Con Meeting
1)      Structural
a.       Bathroom towel racks, can we put in an extra 2x4 so they don’t just screw into the drywall but wood?
b.      Can we add an extra support for the TV mount on the wall? Plywood would be fine.
c.       Down spots & Gutters
                                                               i.      How many drops and where are they located?  (Look for a drop between the garage roof and front porch)
                                                             ii.      Where does the gutter drains go?  (Onto ground or drain pipes away from the house)
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?
e.      Dimensions for the refrigerator insert?
f.        Porch
                                                               i.      Does the porch have the same foundation as the house or is it not as deep?
                                                             ii.      Does the porch concrete poured on backfilled gravel or corrugated steel sheets?
                                                            iii.      Does the porch slope away from the house so water runs off of the porch?
                                                           iv.      Is the porch slab reinforced with rebar?
g.       How many I-beams are used in the basement?
h.      What sealant is used to coat the outside of the foundation to keep water out?
i.         Does the roof have a ridge cap vent or soffit vents?
j.        Is there any crawl spaces between floor 1 and 2?
k.       Is the subfloor tongue and grooved to fit together?
2)      Heating/Cooling Systems
a.       External AC Location? (Small yard side)
b.      Will there be two zones for the house?
c.       Does ductwork have baffles to control air flow?
d.      While the basement is unfinished, does it have any vents in it?
e.      Does the ventilation consist of ductwork or enclosed walls?
f.        Are there any rooms without a vent?
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?
b.      Is the garage door insulated?
c.       Can we add insulation to the empty wall in the garage?
                                                               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)
e.      What is the poured concrete depth of the garage floor?
4)      Electrical
a.       Are we able to remove standard switch outlets since we have ceiling lights?
b.      Do the recessed lighting have transformers in them?
c.       Will our breaker box have slots open to add additional 30 amp circuits?
d.      Is our breaker box marked which circuits control what?
e.      Are key systems on their own circuits?
                                                               i.      Heating/Cooling
                                                             ii.      Fridge
5)      Schedule
a.       Rough outline of the critical path schedule?
b.      What days are we not allowed to visit?
                                                               i.      Any OSHA rules we need to follow when on site?
6)      Basement
a.       Can we move the basement bathroom rough in?
b.      How high will the toilet flange be in the basement rough in?
c.       Can we have the drywall ceiling in the basement not finished? (Hung no mud)
d.      How tall is the basement ceiling?
e.      How deep(tall) are the basement ceiling joist?
f.        Will our breaker box be in the basement near the furnace/water heater?
g.       How thick is the poured concrete floor?
h.      There’s absolutely no way to have a basement door?
7)      2nd floor
a.       Does the Attic drop down in the laundry room?
b.      Can we make the walk in closets in the master bedroom the same size?
c.       Can we add sound proofing to the wall prior to the drywall hanging? (Laundry Room/Bathroom)
8)      Other
a.       Can we have a copy of our house prints?
b.      Can we get a breakdown of the items and warranties?
                                                               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?
d.      Can we get copies of key documents
                                                               i.      Land survey?
e.      Do all vents blow to the outside?
                                                               i.      Confirm 2nd floor vents don’t vent to the attic
f.        Are the ceilings smooth after drywall?
g.       What is the grade drop from one side of the house to the other?
h.      Can we have an empty conduit installed from basement to attic? (Potential Cable/cat5 to other bedrooms)
i.         What is done to protect the wood while framing if it rains?
j.        Can we have any stone left over?  (To be used on future patio)
k.       Kitchen counter top 4 inch lip?????
l.         Location of external garden hoses and where are the shut off values?
m.    Process for home inspection prior to drywall?
n.      Do you put sealant on the concrete/asphalt in garage, sidewalks, and driveway?
o.      Since we close in the fall, when will grass or sod be planted?
p.      Where does the 2nd floor washer drain to?
                                                               i.      (Utility sink or separate drain)
                                                             ii.      Backup floor drain if a leak occurs?
9)      Confirm Options per Room
a.       Basement-
                                                               i.      Bathroom rough in
b.      Garage-
                                                               i.      Garage door opener
                                                             ii.      Additional outlets
                                                            iii.      Utility sink
c.       Dining room- No Change
d.      Great room-
                                                               i.      Ceiling light rough in
                                                             ii.      4 recessed lights installed
                                                            iii.      Remove switch from outlet
                                                           iv.      Fireplace – Side
                                                             v.      Fireplace stone veneer
e.      Kitchen-
                                                               i.      Extra outlet on the island
                                                             ii.      Extra switched outlet on top of the cabinets
                                                            iii.      Upgraded cabinets
                                                           iv.      Crown Moulding
                                                             v.      Gas range hook up
                                                           vi.      Stainless Steel Appliance
f.        Morning room-
                                                               i.      Moved door to other side of the room
1.       Confirm which way the door swings open
2.       Confirm moved light switches
3.       Confirm basement window placement not near moved door
                                                             ii.      Ceiling fan rough in
                                                            iii.      Remove switch from outlet
g.       Study-
                                                               i.      Ceiling light rough in
                                                             ii.      Remove switch from outlet
h.      Mudroom-No Change
i.         Powder room- No Change
j.        Master bedroom-
                                                               i.      Added recess lighting and added extra switches to the side of the bed
                                                             ii.      Added ceiling fan rough in
                                                            iii.      Added extra outlets to closets
                                                           iv.      Bathroom upgrade for tub & shower
                                                             v.      Remove switch from outlet
k.       2nd bedroom-
                                                               i.      Ceiling light rough in
                                                             ii.      Remove switch from outlet
l.         3rd bedroom-
                                                               i.      Ceiling light rough in
                                                             ii.      Remove switch from outlet
m.    4th bedroom-
                                                               i.       Ceiling light rough in
                                                             ii.      Remove switch from outlet
n.      Laundry room-
                                                               i.      Attic access point
o.      2nd Floor bathroom-
p.      Attic-
                                                         i.      Extra outlet
q.      Other
                                                               i.      Elevation A – Full Front Porch
                                                             ii.      Elevation A – Stone to Grade

                                                            iii.      Metal Balusters

16 comments:

  1. depending on which orientation your laundry is you may or may not be able to have attic access there. since we added 2nd bathroom upstairs there is no room for attic access since it has to run with the above ceiling joists.

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  2. It's interesting what I learned about the drop down attic steps. First I heard they can't put it there because the old Landon model had the furnace and AC unit in the attic and it sits there. I had a sales rep tell me they can place it maybe in the master closet.

    Well, our Landon is the modified new model and we have 1 zone furnace and AC, so we dont have the 2nd unit in the attic. Our Sales rep noted that she thinks it could fit there. I know it might not fit there because when pulled down it would be tight with the door. I also know it depends on the direction of joists. Hopefully we don't have it in the middle of a bedroom.

    My current house has a drop down attic steps and they are in the hallway and such an eye sore.

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  4. Interesting you will only have 1 furnace and ac. On our selection sheet it says 2.

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    1. And our PM says the steps have to be near where the location of the unit in the attic is.

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    2. Apparently there was a change in the design like a week before we signed our agreement. The change was to go to 1 unit instead of 2. I will find out tomorrow when I ask.

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    3. Hmm. I guess they would just go with an electronic baffle to control the zones. Although I think I like the idea of two furnaces. They are set to break ground on ours next week.

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    4. I like the idea of two furnaces also. I had the ignition switch go out on mine one time and it was during winter and I had to heat the house with a wood burner for a few days. I am hoping today they tell us they start next Friday. we were one of the first to sign in this phase so we think we are at the head of the pack to get started.

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  6. How did the pre-construction meeting go?

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    1. It was ok for a meeting. I heard "no" a little too much for my liking. I'm the owner and I think Ryan Homes has their staff trained to much to just follow rules and not consider client satisfaction.

      Here is the post for the meeting:
      http://thelovelyladieslandon.blogspot.com/2015/07/post-construction-meeting.html

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  7. Thank you for this extremely thorough list! We're building ourselves (and blogging http://avalonon13.blogspot.com/). And of all the the lists of pre-con. meeting questions, this is one of the most thorough.

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    1. You are welcome Walter. I understand alot about construction from my family and working in the business side of construction.

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  8. I love this blog!! The flash up the top is awesome!! vibro stone columns

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