At What Stage Do I Involve a Builder?
Some builders will only talk to you once you have drawn out the plans. At Certified Home Extensions, we prefer to become involved in discussions as soon as possible.
Why? By understanding all the costing, we could have saved one family $7,479 by assisting on design and materials if they had seen us before they went to the Draughtsman.
Will I Have to Lodge the Building Consent?
No. Our team is proficient and experienced with the consent process. We will help you lodge the consent or we will lodge the consent on your behalf. This will save you time and frustration. Sometimes the council may require a small detail or have a technical question, which we will be able to answer right there and then to help speed up the process.
Will You Charge Me to Prepare the Building Consent?
Generally no. As part of the design process most of the required components for the building consent will be collected. The building consent application follows naturally. On some larger industrial and commercial projects over 1 million where consents become very big, we will negotiate a small fee of approximately .5% of project value to prepare the consent.
Why is it Important to Select a Qualified Builder for My Re-modelling project?
A Main contractor is a qualified professional who serves as a single point of contact and manages all aspects of your remodeling project. This includes securing building permits, scheduling inspections, ordering building materials, and scheduling and supervising all trades required to complete your project. The main contractor assumes full responsibility for the integrity of workmanship at all stages to ensure your project satisfies all state and local building codes in all phases.
Will My Project Require a Permit?
As a general rule, a building permit is required whenever:
As a general rule, a building permit is required whenever:
- There is structural work involved (eg. removing load-bearing wall).
- The basic living area (square meters) of the home is to be changed.
- The home’s mechanical systems (eg. gas, electrical or plumbing) are to be reconfigured or otherwise modified.
Do I Get a Warranty?
All buildings that Certified Home Extensions do come with a comprehensive 10 year building and workmanship warranty. Roofing, cladding and steel structures come with a minimum of 15 years warranty (location and usage conditions apply).
Are The Warranties TRANSFERABLE If I sell The Property?
Yes. The balance of the warranty is transferable for workmanship and product warranties. The usage conditions still apply for product.
Yes. The balance of the warranty is transferable for workmanship and product warranties. The usage conditions still apply for product.
What Insurances Do You Recommend?
Any reputable builder will take out a “Public Liability” insurance and a “Contactors All Risk” insurance for a new build. If work is being done to an existing property, we will discuss the best insurance options with you to protect your existing property.
How Can I Keep The Building Project Within Our Budget?
The only way to guarantee your project will stay within your budget is to enter into a full contract, fixed price agreement with your builder. Discuss all the Prime Cost Sums and work out if you are likely to spend more on these items than what the builder has allowed. For example kitchens and carpets can vary hugely depending on what you want.
Some of the extra costs to the home owner that can be over looked and are generally not included in a quote are: landscaping and lawns, washing lines, letter boxes, curtains and blinds. These items can add up very quickly.
Isn’t One Building Company the Same As Another?
No. The old adage applies here; you get what you pay for. Many building companies and franchise companies are owned off shore, these buildings are not designed for NZ conditions. We are 100% NZ owned, designed and operated. We build throughout NZ with our own team no matter where the building is.
What Are The Different Contract Options Available?
Full Build Contract
We will provide you with a written “fixed price” Action Plan to complete the project from start to finish. With a full contract we will organise everything from subcontractors to building inspections through to obtaining your final code of compliance. This allows you to be involved without the pressure or stress of hiring and supervising subcontractors or organising the right people to be on site at the right time. You know exactly what the project will cost and we will take care of any overruns.
Cost Plus
The cost of materials plus a builder’s margin. It is like a “pay as you go”; there are no guarantees on costs.
Labour Only
This contract is to supply the builder’s/carpenter’s labour only for your project. For Cost Plus and Labour Only contract options, you will need to hire all the subcontractors yourself and also hire a separate Project Manager unless you have the time and experience to manage the entire project yourself. This type of contract can be extremely time consuming, expensive and very stressful.
Project Management
A project manager is paid a set fee to manage, organise and oversee the entire building project for you. Your project manager will arrange for all the materials to be delivered on site at the appropriate times and will also organise all the subcontractors when they are needed.
With a full build contract the complete project management is included in the price.
We will provide you with a written “fixed price” Action Plan to complete the project from start to finish. With a full contract we will organise everything from subcontractors to building inspections through to obtaining your final code of compliance. This allows you to be involved without the pressure or stress of hiring and supervising subcontractors or organising the right people to be on site at the right time. You know exactly what the project will cost and we will take care of any overruns.
Cost Plus
The cost of materials plus a builder’s margin. It is like a “pay as you go”; there are no guarantees on costs.
Labour Only
This contract is to supply the builder’s/carpenter’s labour only for your project. For Cost Plus and Labour Only contract options, you will need to hire all the subcontractors yourself and also hire a separate Project Manager unless you have the time and experience to manage the entire project yourself. This type of contract can be extremely time consuming, expensive and very stressful.
Project Management
A project manager is paid a set fee to manage, organise and oversee the entire building project for you. Your project manager will arrange for all the materials to be delivered on site at the appropriate times and will also organise all the subcontractors when they are needed.
With a full build contract the complete project management is included in the price.
Pay for the Building Project – How Does It Work?
Payment options depend on the type of contract you choose. With a full contract you only make payments to one company. Payments are usually made at specific stages of the project. When you receive a written contract quote from Certified Home Extensions, we will provide you with a payment schedule and a construction schedule so you know what to expect and when to expect it.
Why Extend onto your Existing home Over Building New?
With most Extensions, we are able to build in such a way as to cause minimal disturbance. You will be able to live in your home while building is in progress. If you need temporary accommodation we may be able to help with that too.