When it comes to estimating services in the residential construction sector – extensions are something we deal with a lot at Accent Estimating. It can be an exciting time, but there’s a lot of work that goes into such a project – and not just physical labour. This guide will be taking you through some important steps of residential extensions and how estimating factors into them.
Basic planning
Home extensions can be small or large-scale projects. Before you actually get architects to draw up plans, you need to choose what you want and how you’d like to do it. Remember to be practical. Are you doing this to add value to your home? Or are you doing this because you genuinely just want more space? Another thing to consider is some of the realities. Where will you live whilst the work is being done? Will you be able to sleep in your home – or will the extension work compromise your sleeping arrangements. If you have to live out of home, can you stay with relatives or will you have to rent a place? If so, for how long? This is where your budget will start to come into the mix.
Budget
Can you afford it? Will you have to take out a loan and is it a feasible amount? How much will you have to allocate to your living arrangements, if any? This is only a rough estimation based on early plans for your renovation so not everything will be perfect. That being said, once you’ve established a rough budget – you can start to look at getting rough quotes from builders and architects. This will help you have some sort of idea of what it’ll actually cost. Once you’ve organised all these elements, you can continue to the next phase – which involves council permits and selecting a construction company.
Gaining permission
But, no matter the size of your extension, you need to make sure you have the appropriate permits from your local council – some of them may actually require planning permits before you can even apply for a building permit. On top of this, the plans themselves must adhere to certain regulations and rules set out by your local council. The builders and architects you employ must also be registered and qualified to carry out structurally sound residential work.
You should also consider talking to your neighbours to let them know that there will be some work done over the next x number of months. If they have any objections then it may be an issue – so be sure to let them know in advance rather than springing it on them when work begins.
Working with professionals
Once everything has been authorised, then you can select builders and architects to work with. They’ll help to turn your vision into a reality – ensuring that everything integrates correctly with the rest of your house – as you’ll want to keep the styling uniform. This is where you’ll start to look more closely at the techniques and materials that will be used during the project and as well as a more specific time frame. It’s recommended that you get to know the designers or architects as you really need to be on the same page as them.
This is your project at the end of the day so you have to ensure that every facet of the plan meets your expectations. Look at past works that the designers and builders have done and make sure their quality is up to your standard.
Enter the estimator
You’ll want to make sure that what you’re paying for is worth it – and that’s where a qualified estimator can help. Before any construction commences, an estimator can look over all the plans and list of materials and ensure that everything is being done in the most efficient and affordable way possible. Residential construction estimating services are highly useful to not only you as a home-owner – but also architects and builders. They’ll ensure that you’re looking at cost management solutions to projects – regardless if they’re small or large-scale.
Looking for residential construction estimating services?
Accent Estimating are a professionally trained, experienced and qualified estimating firm. We specialise in residential construction estimating services as well as fitout costings, bills of quantities services and progress claims to name a few. We’ll work to deliver accurate and feasible cost estimations for your extension project.
If you’d like to get in touch with us to discuss our residential extension estimating services, then please do so by calling 0413 953 869. You may also contact us via the enquiry form on our website.