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The time to review your contractor’s warranty is not when the project has been completed. Many home owners will not even ask about the warranty until the job is done. It is wise to ask your contractor to allow you to review his warranty before signing any contract. Many contractors include it as part of their original contractor’s agreement.

If you are like most people, you have little or no idea what should be included in the warranty. You just know that if it’s broke, you do not want to pay to have it fixed. The warranty should tell you exactly what “it” is and under what conditions you will have to pay to have it fixed.

Contents of the Contractor Warranty

Every warranty is different, which is why you must carefully review each one. They will differ for renovations versus building a new home. Obviously, a simple renovation will not require as complex a warranty as a newly built home. Any warranty should specifically express the work that has been done and the quality grade, if not the brand, of material that was used, or that the materials were provided by the homeowner in such cases.

The warranty should indicate:

• Workmanship that is covered
• Materials that are covered.
• Time period over coverage (although there is no set time period, many contractors warranty a two year period, however that may be much higher for a brand new home)
• The date the warranty begins
• Which party is responsible for permits
• That the homeowner will be held harmless from any and all liens that may arise from the project

What will the Warranty NOT Cover?

A large portion of the warranty will consist of what the warranty will NOT cover. Some of the items that you can expect not to be covered are:

• Loss or damage not reported by the homeowner within six month of discovery
• Damage because of defective design
• Damage caused by installation or materials provided by the homeowner
• Secondary loss or damage such as personal injury or damaged property
• Normal wear and tear
• Damage from normal shrinkage within building standards
• Damage from poor ventilation within the existing structure
• Damage caused by alterations performed by parties other than the contractor
• Damage caused or increased by a homeowner’s negligence or ignorance
• Damage caused by acts of God
• Anything that homeowner’s insurance would otherwise cover
• Anything caused by the soil conditions, assuming the land was obtained through a third party

Again, much of the warranty will indicate what will not be covered by the contractor. If you take the time to review the warranty along with the contract before you sign it, this will give you an opportunity to discuss and negotiate with the contractor. It will also give you an opportunity to seek the council of an attorney if you feel it is beyond your ability to decipher it. However, once you have signed you no longer have the ability to amend any portion of the contract or warranty.

Australia, while being one of the drier regions on the planet, has coastal wet areas as well. Either of these climate types can do its damage to the construction of a home. Dry climates can reduce the soil’s ability to bear a load and cause shrinkage which will damage a home’s structure. The moist areas have their own downfalls including mold and termites. It is very important that the builder that you hire is very familiar with the area that you will be building your home.

How Familiar Is Your Builder With Your Build Site?

It is important to find out whether your builder has experience building in your area. While many builders are very good at what they do, the soil conditions can create very diverse conditions that a builder from out of the area will be unfamiliar with. Knowing how to build and understanding the existing site conditions can be very different. Find out how many homes the builder you are using has actually constructed in the vicinity that you are considering.

Assuming that the builder that you are using has built homes in your area, get a list of addresses and references and find out from his previous customers if they are satisfied with the work and any necessary follow up support that was needed. Contact home owners that have been in their homes for over five years, as well as ones that have been recent builds. This will give you a feel for whether or not any problems showed up down the road.

Steel Construction or Chemically Treated Timber?

These days, both steel and treated timber construction tends are receiving due consideration because of the specific characteristics of each. Steel because of its stability under most conditions. It has one of the highest ratios of weight to strength of all materials. It is much lighter than wood and it does not contract and expand like wood does. Steel will not warp and can not be eaten by termites. Steel also allows for more precision cuts than wood and is therefore squared and this provides additional stability. However, wood that is properly chemically treated to resist termites can provide high quality construction in dry areas as well. Wood is lower cost than steel and special stabilizing construction methods should be used. There are no visible differences that would make one method more visually appealing than another.

While this information is all important to know, it is imperative that you choose a builder that you have the utmost confidence in and rely on his expertise. If you choose an experienced builder, he will be able to guide you in the right direction and help you make wise decisions to be sure that your home will be sound for many years to come. He will be able to adequately convey the pros and cons of each type of building material. That’s why making an informed decision when you select your builder is one of the most important decisions you will make. It will affect every other aspect of the building process.

Besides possibly pre-qualification procedures for financing your project, site selection is the first step toward building your new home. It is one of the most important steps and one that you should not take lightly. It requires considerable time and research to make an educated choice that will not create many regrets later. Site selection is one of those steps that can not be changed later and will affect every step of the building process.

Steps to Site Selection

Although site selection is one of the more challenging chores associated with home building, it must be tackled. There are several steps to the site selection process:

• The most obvious and fun aspect is finding a lot that suits your needs.
• Soil testing
• Identifying environmental concerns
• Determining how utilities will be accessed from the site

Finding a Lot that Suits your Needs

You must find an available site that is in a location that you like and in which you will enjoy living for a considerable amount of time. It’s a good idea to talk to your potential neighbors, and ask around to find out if there are any problems to speak of in the vicinity. It must be appealing to your eyes and large enough to meet your needs. Investigate to find out if it has the potential for any future upgrades or amenities that you may desire.

Soil Testing

Soil testing is incredibly important for many reasons. First of all, you must determine its composition and ability to support the structure. You must establish the absorption and drainage rate of the soil. The absorption rate will indicate how well the soil will handle septic and water. One such test is the perc test and it will help determine where a septic field would have to be placed on the property. This is another reason that these steps should be performed before a site if purchased if at all possible.

It is important to identify the water table to determine where foundational footings and basement slabs should be placed. The water table includes the surface separating the upper layer of non-saturated soil and the lower layer of saturated soil. Engineers or site planners must test the mottling or color of the soil in the pit for this purpose. It is also pertinent to determine the soil type as sand and gravel drain much better than clay or silts.

Identifying Environmental Concerns

This is one area that many potential home builders really don’t see as vital, but overlooking it could be disastrous. With all the pollution around today, it pays to take a little time to be sure that your potential site isn’t on or near any kind of contamination site or other environmental hazard. Finding out after purchase can mean either a ton of money to rectify or a complete inability to build on the site.

Determining How Utilities will be accessed from the Site

Because accessing utilities from your site can prove very costly, it is necessary to check into how close the nearest utility connections are. Generally speaking, the further you have to run lines to tie into existing utilities, the more money it will cost you.

Site selection is not as simple as finding a nice looking lot for sale. Take your time and do your research. It is not a good place to find error later as it can be costly and devastating to the project overall.