Room Addition Checklist
Every Successful Room Addition Project starts
off with a Room Addition Checklist
By: Mark J. Donovan
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Deciding to build a new room
addition, such as a family room, is both an exciting and frightening
undertaking. Without room addition plans and a room addition checklist in
place, the probability of getting the room addition you envision is highly
unlikely. For many homeowners going down a room addition construction path, it
is fraught with questions and uncertainty, however by creating a list of
questions and then a room addition checklist, a plan of attack can begin to take
shape. |
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To help you get started in
planning your new room addition project, I have summarized below a high
level room addition checklist. However keep in mind, there are many phases
in a room addition project. The summary room addition checklist I outline
below should get you started, but at some point you will need to go much
deeper in developing your own room addition plans and schedule.
Summary Room Addition Checklist
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1)
Visit Banks to
Understand your Room Addition Finance Options
Room addition projects can cost
upwards of tens of thousands of dollars, so unless you are paying cash for your
project you will need to obtain financing. Visit banks in your area to
understand loan options available to you, as well as to get some idea of the
amount of money you can borrow. With this information you can then begin to
establish a room addition budget. |
2) Room Addition Plans
You will need a complete set of room
addition plans that include the structural detail to obtain building permits.
You can create your own set of room addition plans utilizing a home design
software package, or enlist the services of an architect. If your room addition
is complex, I would highly recommend the services of an architect as they can
ensure that the room addition works both functionally and aesthetically into
your existing home.
3) Hiring a Room Addition Contractor
With a complete set of room addition
plans in hand meet with potential home building contractors to go over your
plans and to solicit contractor bids. Carefully review each contractor bid to
determine which home building contractor is right for your room addition
project.
4) Obtain Room Addition Construction Financing
Once you have selected a building
contractor and know your new room addition costs, obtain financing on the
project.
5) Pull Room Addition Building Permits
With a room addition contractor lined
up and financing secured, visit your local building inspector to pull the
building permits for your room addition. Most likely you will need framing and
electrical permits. If plumbing is involved in the project you will also need to
pull a separate permit for it.
6) Begin the Construction of your Room Addition
With building permits in place you’re
ready to break ground and begin construction of your room addition. With a room
addition, construction should start with excavation, and pouring footings and
foundation walls. The start and completion dates for the construction of your
room addition should have been included in the timeline provided by your home
building contractor. |
Photo by Mark Donovan |
7) Visit
Home Construction Site Regularly
With a room addition project it is
easy to regularly inspect the progress of it. Plan to meet up once a day with
your contractor to see how things are going and to make sure there are no
issues, such as delays in building materials. Also, if you see issues in the
construction, bring them up promptly with your contractor. Fixing problems right
away is always cheaper than fixing them later.
8)
Schedule Room Addition Inspections
Upon the completion of each phase of
your room addition project, either you or your contractor should contact the
local building inspector to come out to the site and inspect and sign off on the
work.
9) Obtain
Final Inspection
When the room addition is complete,
obtain a final inspection to permit you to formally and legally occupy your new
room addition.
With your final inspection sign off
complete, you are now ready to move into your new room addition.
It is important to remember that this
is a summary room addition checklist. There are many detailed steps along the
way, as well as possible other major steps that may need to be taken depending
upon your unique situation. For example, the movement of an electrical panel or
the application of a setback variance; are just a couple of possibilities that
may need to be addressed.
For a more comprehensive room addition
checklist, see my
Room Addition Bid Sheet. The Room Addition
Bid Sheet provides a request for quote checklist section that you can provide to
prospective building contractors. It also includes a comprehensive room addition
construction cost breakdown table, in Microsoft Excel format, that allows the
contractor to include his projected new room addition costs for every phase of
the project.
How to Finance your Home Remodeling Project -
can help provide funds for your new home improvement project if financing is
required.
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Additional Home and Room Addition Resources from Amazon.com
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