Guide to Residential Preconstruction Services for Custom Homes on Cape Cod
What Are Residential Preconstruction Services?
The foundation of any successful custom home project on Cape Cod begins with a thorough planning process.
Our residential preconstruction services are designed to set up your construction project for success by addressing all critical aspects upfront.
Why preconstruction?
“Proper preparation prevents poor performance.”
This common phrase, or variations of it, can be heard everywhere, from executive boardrooms to construction job sites. (The job site version uses a bit more "colorful" language.)
If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.
A residential new home construction project is a huge undertaking. There are countless logistics and potential issues to consider and manage at every step of the process.
Engineering challenges such as flood zone mitigation
Permitting issues such as lot coverage or easements
Material procurement and delays in product deliveries
Construction documents vs actual construction requirements
Managing project team, design team, and contractors
Resource and risk management of contractors and subcontractors
As a homeowner, how do you manage all these potential risks and get an overall evaluation (and a clear picture) of the entire lifecycle, from budget for construction costs to project scheduling?
Preconstruction lays the foundation for a successful home construction project through overall planning and proactive design development.
Our Residential Preconstruction Services for Custom Homes on Cape Cod
Site Analysis & Land Acquisition
Whether you're considering buying land–or property with an existing structure–a comprehensive site evaluation will help prevent big surprises or unexpected issues. We assess the site's topography, access points, existing conditions, and any other physical or regulatory characteristics that will affect construction, permitting, or approvals.
Feasibility Analysis
Our preconstruction team conducts detailed feasibility studies to ensure that your vision for a custom home is viable on the chosen site. This includes analyzing zoning laws, environmental restrictions, and local building codes.
Some common concerns when building a custom home on Cape Cod are flood zones for beach or waterfront properties, wetlands, historic districts, and ancient right-of-ways or easements.
Other important considerations are setbacks from property lines and maximum lot coverage, both of which can require securing a special zoning variance.
Cost Estimation and Budget Projections
Get a clear understanding of potential costs upfront. Our cost estimation process uses historical data and current market analysis to provide you with a realistic budget for your custom home project so you can allocate and plan accordingly to avoid cost overruns.
Project Scheduling, Buyouts, and Procurement
Effective scheduling is key to timely project completion. We map out every phase of your project from site work to final inspections, ensuring that each step progresses smoothly.
The two main factors in a building project schedule are materials and contractors.
We secure both of these as part of the overall planning process, a process called a "buyout," to ensure we have the right materials on the construction site at the right time and the right construction team to do the work.
We leverage our strong relationships with local suppliers and contractors to ensure high-quality materials and services are procured efficiently and economically.
Construction Phase Logistics
We address potential risks proactively before they become big problems.
For example:
Does the property have a staging area where the materials can be delivered?
Where will contractors park their trucks so they are not in the way?
Does the owner or client need access to the property during construction?
Is the design team and client aligned on design selections?
Do construction documents (such as architectural plans) match the project scope for the actual construction phase?
Issues like these can be overlooked and seem insignificant until they cause project delays and cost overruns.
Design/Build Process
Preconstruction is the first step in our comprehensive design/build process. We can serve as your design partner throughout the project or partner with an outside architect to bring your vision to life. We will work with whatever method works best for you.
Benefits of Residential Preconstruction Services
for Homeowners on Cape Cod
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Reduce Your Risk
Identifying and mitigating risks early in the project lifecycle prevents costly errors and delays.
Our expertise allows us to anticipate and plan for potential issues, from permitting delays to construction challenges.
We implement strategies to address issues before they impact the project, ensuring a smoother construction phase. -
Streamline Your Schedule
By finalizing all plans and permits upfront, we streamline the entire construction schedule, reducing the likelihood of delays.
Many of our clients are building a vacation home on Cape Cod and want to use it in the prime summer months.
Preconstruction allows us to plan the project around your schedule and lifestyle.
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Control Your Costs
Planning resources during preconstruction leads to better efficiency and cost management throughout the project.
Planning ahead of time allows us to allocate materials, contractors, and other logistics in order to work smarter, not harder, and budget appropriately.
You’ll also have a clear payment schedule so you know what your costs will be and when you will incur them.
Frequently Asked Questions About Residential Preconstruction
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Investing in preconstruction services can actually reduce your overall project cost.
This is because the preconstruction planning process helps you uncover and address potential issues and ensures your project runs smoothly, on time, and on budget.
We offer a free planning call to discuss your project and can provide cost estimates for the preconstruction phase as well as the design process and total construction project. -
The duration of the preconstruction phase can vary significantly based on the project size and complexity but typically ranges from a few weeks to several months. Our goal is to be as efficient as possible while not rushing or overlooking any important factors that would impact your custom home project.
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Smaller projects like kitchen or bathroom remodels typically don't require a preconstruction process.
However, a preconstruction phase is definitely beneficial for the new construction of a custom home or for a complete home renovation.
Why wouldn't you want a clear picture of the overall building project before ever breaking ground?