DIY Network

Your Role in the Construction Process

PDF Click for chart of homebuilder's responsibilities during the construction process.

Your role in the homebuilding process is an important one. You have decisions to make, meetings to attend and financial obligations to fulfill. But don't be intimidated. Knowledge of the construction process and your role in it will help you stay involved and informed. To learn more about the construction process see The Construction Process. With an understanding of your responsibilities, you'll be ahead of the game and ready to act.

Following through on your responsibilities at the appropriate time is essential to keeping construction on track. Raising your home IQ can help you know what to expect and what is expected of you. The following knowledge is designed to help you do just that by explaining why you need to act when you do. These explanations clarify your role and answer questions most homeowners ask regarding the timing of structural selections, interior and exterior design selections, providing deposits and finalizing the mortgage.

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Your responsibilities are important for four main reasons:

1. Enabling construction to begin as soon as possible and continue on schedule depends on securing a mortgage, paying deposit money and finalizing the mortgage. You'll need to complete these tasks during the first few weeks of the homebuilding process.

2. Enabling plans to be drawn and materials to be ordered is related to the types of product selections you make. Structural selections, such as whether to add a bonus room, must be made early in the process. In municipalities that require a specific set of plans for each home, the plans can be drawn and approved only after you make structural selections. Likewise, design selections, such as color of cabinets and style of bathtub, must be made early. Although these materials won't be installed for weeks, they need to be ordered as soon as possible because it takes several weeks to receive them. Finally, all selections you make impact the cost of the home, since some optional choices are not included in the base price.

3. Enabling double-checking at critical points of construction is the reason for you to attend construction meetings with the site supervisor. The pre-construction meeting, the pre-drywall meeting, and the pre-closing meeting are your opportunities to review and confirm your decisions, see the progress being made on the home, and ask questions of the person most knowledgeable about construction, the site supervisor. In addition to double-checking progress during construction, you will also take legal possession of the home at closing.

4. Finally, ensuring that warranty remains valid is your ongoing responsibility. To keep the warranty valid, you need to perform the routine maintenance as spelled out in the warranty document. The warranty also spells out what types of work the homebuyer cannot do after closing—things that would invalidate the home warranty. Some examples are cutting through the roof to install a skylight or running your own electrical wire.

Your job is a big one, but don't worry -- you're not alone. You have a team of people to assist you and answer your questions. To help keep everyone on track and on the same page, you'll be attending construction meetings.