Where do you start when you want to build a new custom home, commercial space or perform some extensive renovations? Do you contact a building contractor or an architect first? What roles do the different engineers play in the overall project? When and why does a designer get involved? All of these professionals have important responsibilities in nearly every residential or commercial construction project. Let’s break it down.
Architect
The architect you choose will provide you and your builder with the plans to build your project. The blueprints give your builder, engineer, and designer the bones of your project to follow. This begins the process of bringing the home or commercial space to life. Architects have undergone extensive education and training to understand all the systems in a home or office and what is required by code in your municipality to be able to translate your dreams into a tangible design.
After meeting with you to discuss what you want and need in your new space, your architect will provide the drawings to get the project started. At this point, the drawings will focus on the design, dimensions and overall look of the project. These drawings will include the footprint of your home or commercial space and provide the basic position of new construction on your site.
Structural Engineers
Structural engineers may or may not be necessary, depending if you are affecting an existing structure. The engineers usually work behind the scenes with the architects, or they may work directly with you and your builder. It is the structural engineer’s job to specify the materials and review the architect’s plans to ensure your new or renovated home or commercial space will be structurally sound.
Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing Engineers
These engineers are specialists in creating mechanical layouts. They specify materials and equipment to assure your new space is properly heated and cooled. They also design lighting and electrical requirements to ensure your space has adequate power and lighting throughout. They design plumbing specifications and specify equipment and fixtures to meet your needs. Like the structural engineer, these engineers may work behind the scenes with the architects or may work directly with you and your builder.
Site Engineer
The site or civil engineer will be designing and drawing up the plan for placing your building or addition on your land. Site engineers design the required grading to ensure proper drainage, and identify the location of the driveway, sidewalks and parking areas on the project.
The site engineer is also responsible for specifying the utility hookups including the location of the city water and sewer hook-ups, or well and septic placement if your site does not have sewer and water. The plans drawn up by the site engineer are required to be submitted with permit applications.
Surveyors
They surveyors stake the property to show property lines and excavation locations. They may work for the site engineers or be a separate company. They also locate the foundation on your plat after it has been poured and produce a spot survey. They stake the site to specify the required final grades, and they do a final survey to be recorded with the governing municipality to show all the improvements that have been made to the land.
Soil Engineers
Soil engineers may or may not perform soil tests before and during the building process to ensure the soil conditions are adequate to support the new structure.
Designer
The interior designer can help you choose the building finishes that will create the overall look and style of your home or commercial space. The designer will work with your input to provide you with choices for all the interior and exterior finishes.
Most designers will provide as much or as little input as their clients require. Don’t discount a designer’s value to your project. A good designer will help you keep the overall project in mind, keep you from getting stuck on minute details, and thereby ensure your dream is translated into the reality of your new space.
Builder
Last, but certainly not least, your builder is the professional who puts all the pieces together for you, and the team member you should hire first for your home or commercial construction project. Often referred to as a General Contractor, a good builder will work with all the professionals involved in your project to be able to price out the cost of actually constructing your project, source the correct construction materials, create a construction timeline, schedule, and manage all the people to complete every aspect of the project.
More importantly, building contractors have experience and have developed strong working relationships with the architects, engineers and designers in your area. After meeting with you at the outset of your project to learn what you have in mind, your builder can provide you with recommendations of the professionals who are well suited to your project. For renovation projects, your builder can help you decide if the project you are dreaming about makes sense with regards to the cost and the return on investment in your location.
Bringing your building contractor into the project from the beginning will help to avoid sticker shock when the perfect plans that have been drawn up by your architect have translated your dreams into a project you can’t afford to build. Your builder has extensive knowledge about construction costs in your area and can help keep your project on track when the architect’s drawings or the designer’s finishes threaten your budget. When you consult with builder at the outset of your project, you can avoid wasting money on plans, land or buildings that will never be built.
Building a new home, creating the perfect commercial space for your business, or renovating your existing home or business is a big decision. It’s important to choose the right team of professionals to successfully turn your dreams into reality at a cost you can afford. You can trust Scholl Construction to help you right from the start. Call us at 815-479-0910, or contact us online to schedule a complimentary consultation.
