After 13 months of ripping pictures out of magazines, endless meetings with architects, engineers, builders and designers, we are ready to roll. The detailed budget has been prepared and revisited many times, as the design is refined and quotes obtained, then 10% added on top to be sure. We think we have thought of everything, but I am amazed at how much keeps coming out of the woodwork (so to speak). The planning is paying off now as we nod sagely when others advise of hidden costs... think we got most of 'em!
The building permit
Hooray... May 19, 2010 - building permit picked up at 8am this morning. We now understand the definition of the word 'bureaucracy' but also understand the importance of patience and working with the system! Certainly having a good architect is key to this process. Our architect was well known to the municipality (even having won a design award from them), so as we developed the plans and ideas, he would review the bylaws and visit with the municipality bylaws office to make sure they would agree with our ideas. Having him and his endless patience deal with this process was a blessing.
Once the permit process is underway, be prepared to hurry up and wait. I did find that the occasional (very polite) email seemed to generate an immediate response indicating the next milestone had been achieved and was waiting for our signatures at their main counter... very coincidental.
Our main hiccups related to documentation prepared by other parties (eg. structural engineer, geotech, etc). Sometimes it was just a signature needed, and at the other extreme, we ended up needing a report to be rewritten in line with their requirements. In all, the process was about 2-3 months, but some of that was our doing. Be prepared for the wait though! Also, be prepared for the fees and deposits... in all about $14,000 (of which $9,500 is security deposits on trees, environment and other refundable items as long as we meet their requirements before occupancy). Overall I did find the municipality well informed and helpful, although very constrained by the myriad of laws and regulations that appear to the casual user as bureaucracy. Their ability to serve and be efficient has been superceded by endless forms and disclaimers implemented by CYA lawyers.
Course of Construction insurance
As you move out into rental accomodation, don't forget to get tenant insurance for your contents. Dropping to contents-only is a refreshing reduction in the insurance premium. However, this elation is short-lived when you see the Couse of Construction insurance rates! Essentially Course of Construction is a contract where the premium is earned towards the end, according to Paul Gailbraith at Coast Capital Insurance. This means you will need to obtain a long-term contract for the duration of the construction (12 months in our case).
Paul shopped around the underwriters for us and found a range of quotes for this period, ranging from about $7,000 to $11,000 for the year. This is 5 times our regular homeowners insurance... but for good reason. If someone gets hurt or something is stolen from your house, its likely going to happen when its half-built and a bypasser wanders in for a look. Apparently 50% of arson also occurs during construction! Ironically the cheapest coverage seemed to be with the most well known underwriter (Lloyds of London) and had the fewest endorsements/warranties. Definitely shop around... the prices and coverage don't seem to be consistent. Getting evidence of the Builder's General Liability Insurance coverage doesn't hurt from a peace of mind perspective either. Last piece of advice... put a rental fence around your construction site... it lowers the premium and will go a long way to deter people from getting hurt or stealing your materials!
Hazardous materialsCourse of Construction insurance
As you move out into rental accomodation, don't forget to get tenant insurance for your contents. Dropping to contents-only is a refreshing reduction in the insurance premium. However, this elation is short-lived when you see the Couse of Construction insurance rates! Essentially Course of Construction is a contract where the premium is earned towards the end, according to Paul Gailbraith at Coast Capital Insurance. This means you will need to obtain a long-term contract for the duration of the construction (12 months in our case).
Paul shopped around the underwriters for us and found a range of quotes for this period, ranging from about $7,000 to $11,000 for the year. This is 5 times our regular homeowners insurance... but for good reason. If someone gets hurt or something is stolen from your house, its likely going to happen when its half-built and a bypasser wanders in for a look. Apparently 50% of arson also occurs during construction! Ironically the cheapest coverage seemed to be with the most well known underwriter (Lloyds of London) and had the fewest endorsements/warranties. Definitely shop around... the prices and coverage don't seem to be consistent. Getting evidence of the Builder's General Liability Insurance coverage doesn't hurt from a peace of mind perspective either. Last piece of advice... put a rental fence around your construction site... it lowers the premium and will go a long way to deter people from getting hurt or stealing your materials!
In today's world of risk management, it seemed overly annoying to have to get a hazardous materials test performed before we started demolition. But after reading the report (only $450) from the mobile laboratory, I'm glad we did it in one respect. There sure was a lot of scary stuff used in construction pre-1980. The main things to be aware of seemed to be asbestos in the drywall mud, potentially the drywall itself, but certainly any insulation, linoleum and popcorn/textured ceilings, as well as lead solder in the piping and lead paint. After reading that report, and some materials on WorkSafeBC's site... I'm very glad we are getting rid of it all. Did you know that 1500 people will die in the next 5 years in BC from mesothelioma and asbestos inhalation related cancer. The level of awareness of this issue does seem very low! Certainly a recent Vancouver Sun article tried to get the message out, but failed to identify the risk to the DIY home renovator. Certainly its the last time I'll be doing anything myself without get a hazmat survey first and wearing adequate protection. Get that stuff out of our house!!!
Now to demolish the place...
With building permit in hand, the demolition crew arrived on May 19. The first step is to remove all the drywall, lino and textured ceilings and bag them for shipping to the closest asbestos management landfill in Alberta! We are now paying for the sins of our previous generations... let's not repeat that again! Once the inside is stripped out (about 1 week), the exterior siding and windows can come off and the remainder of the demolition completed by an excavator. Everyone wants to come round and watch THAT!
Ground zero...
On Tuesday June 1, the excavator arrived and quickly set to demolishing the house. In 2 days, the house was demolished and stripped out completely. By Thursday all was exposed and the somewhat stunned 'homeowner' (as we would now be affectionately known as) was invited to the summit of experts. The contractor, builder, architect, and structural engineer gathered in the shell of the house to pore over the structural and architectural plans, occasionally retreating to a corner of the house to explore exposed beams and joists. This was an extremely valuable discussion, clearly highlighting the depth of experience and incredible eye for detail these individuals had. They quickly identified potential flaws and resolved them on the spot - sharing ideas and best practices. More importantly, they alo identified a number of new opportunities and value-added ideas, as well as a number of cost savings. For peace of mind, this early in the process meeting can't be beaten. However, we could see how problematic the ongoing process might be if there was anything short of mutual respect and trust between all of these experts. We can sleep well knowing we are clearly in the hands of an incredible team!
By Friday June 4, the house is now demolished and the foundations excavated back to the hard rock base... leaving a meteoric crater and a huge mountain of dirt and rocks. Its like someone picked up our house and threw it down on the surface of Mars!!
In came a load of crushed rock for the foundation base and we're now ready to build the new house!
