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PRE-CONSTRUCTION CHECKLIST FOR OWNER-BUILDERS
Author: John Stubstad, a construction consultant with 20 years experience
helping owner-builders. John’s firm is Owner Build Homes, www.owner-build.com.
Purpose of the checklist: This will guide an owner-builder through the
pre-construction stage. It may also help someone decide whether to be an
owner-builder. By reading the list one can get an idea of a project’s size and a
feel for whether he/she is up to the task.
Who should be an owner-builder? If you have some time and a strong desire to
build, you should be able to handle it. If you are short on experience or
financing you can probably still do it but you may need a consultant or a
package supplier to help you.
Limitations of the checklist: (attorney required disclosures) (1) This checklist
is not guaranteed to be complete or free of errors. If you suffer from reliance
on it, you agree not to sue the author or his firm. After all, you are not
paying for it. (2) Some steps will not apply to your situation. If you are not
using an owner-builder consultant, for example, you can ignore references to
one.
PRE-CONSTRUCTION CHECKLIST
# CRITICAL STEPS
NON-CRITICAL STEPS
1 Select building lot and put it in escrow
2 Select a home plan or sketch one yourself
3
Give a copy of plan to your owner-builder consultant if you have one
4 Your consultant gauges construction cost and
availability of financing
5
Ask Building Dept if lot is buildable
6
Ask Building Dept if soil report is needed for footings
7
Ask Building Dept if soil compaction test is needed for slab
8 Sign agreement with your consultant if you plan to use
one
9
Buy Building Dept’s owner/builder book if they have one
10
Ask Health Dept if the lot needs a perc test
11
If lot is on septic, buy Health Dept's septic guidelines manual
12
Ask friends and neighbors for names of good subcontractors
13 Consultant secures preliminary, non-binding approval from
lender
14
If a soils report is needed, find a soils engineer
15
Ask soils engineer for soil test letter if required
16
Stake house corners on lot
17
Sketch site plan and give to drafter or ask drafter to draw one
18
Obtain perc test if needed
19
Request sewer hookup if lot is on sewer
20
If not, draw leach line layout and give to drafter or ask drafter to draw one
21 Drafter prepares preliminary design
22
Consultant provides pre-construction schedule and list of needed trades
23 Review preliminary design
# CRITICAL STEPS NON-CRITICAL STEPS
24 Ask consultant to review preliminary design also
25
Ask excavator if you need a grading permit and grading plan
26
Ask Building Dept if you need a civil engineer for grading plan
27
Ask Building Dept for cost of permits
28 Ask drafter to revise preliminary design
29
Take perc test and leach line layout and apply for septic permit if needed
30 Obtain preliminary design from drafter, review and approve
it
31
Ask drafter to print two sets of preliminary design
32
Give one set to consultant for review
33
Ask drafter or civil engineer to draw grading plan if needed
34 Drafter prepares floor plans and elevations
35 Review floor plans and elevations
36
Pick up grading plan if needed
37
Take grading plan to Building Dept and apply for grading permit if needed
38 Ask drafter to revise floor plans and elevations
39 Approve floor plans and elevations
40
Ask drafter to print two sets of floor plans and elevations
41
Give one set to consultant for review
42
Ask drafter or consultant for energy usage compliance reviewer if required
43
Ask drafter if structural engineer is needed
44
If one is needed, locate structural engineer
45
Call utilities and ask for their lead times
46
Order power, water, phone and cable
47
Ask Postal Service for address
48 Drafter prepares architectural drawings
49 Review architectural drawings
50
Ask drafter to print 4 sets of preliminary architectural drawings
51
Give out two of the sets to subs, one set per sub
52
Commit subs on when they will return drawings
53
Give one set to consultant for review
54
Check on progress of grading permit if an application was filed
55 Drafter revises architectural drawings
56 Approve architectural drawings
57
Check on progress of septic permit if an application was filed
58 Ask drafter to print 4 sets of owner-approved architectural
drawings
59 Slack time
60
Give a set to energy compliance reviewer if needed
61
Give a set to structural engineer if engineering needed
62
Give a set to consultant
63
Give grading plan corrections to whoever drew the grading plan
64
Give septic corrections to drafter
65
Ask foundation sub to look at lot and foundation plan
66
Give out any extra sets of plans to subs for bids
67
Drafter or civil engineer corrects grading plan
# CRITICAL STEPS NON-CRITICAL STEPS
68 Drafter corrects septic plan
69 Structural engineer prepares structural calcs if one was
hired
70
Energy compliance reviewer does energy calcs if one was hired
71
Consultant obtains truss calcs if plans call for trusses
72 Give structural engineer’s calcs to drafter
73
Give energy compliance reviewer’s calcs to drafter
74
Ask excavator to review grading plan
75
Ask consultant for budget form
76
Enter cost of permits, drafting, engineering and land on budget
77
Shop for construction insurance
78 Drafter uses structural calcs to finish structural drawings
79
Consultant gives truss calcs to owner to pass on to drafter
80 Ask drafter to print 6 sets of working drawings including
structural pages
81
Check on progress of grading and septic permits if they were requested
82 Submit 3 complete sets of plans including engineering and
truss calcs to Bldg Dept
83
Building Dept accepts plans for plan check
84 Give complete sets of drawings to subs who need complete
sets to bid
85
Collect bids and earlier sets of plans from subs
86
Recycle plans to more subs for more bids
87
Find out amount of school, park and fire fees
88
Enter fees and misc costs on construction budget
89
Health Dept approves septic permit if application was filed
90
Building Dept approves grading permit if application was filed
91
Building Dept does plan check and lists corrections
92
Call Building Dept to see if corrections are ready
93
Pick up plan check corrections when they are ready
94
Pick up approved leach line layout when it is ready
95
Pick up approved grading plan when it is ready
96 Collect enough bids for a budget
97
Give plan corrections and approved grading and leach plans to drafter
98 Fill in construction budget
99
Drafter corrects working drawings
100
Ask drafter to print corrected plans for Building Dept
101
Obtain bids on grading work
102 Send budget to consultant for review
103
Ask consultant for a construction schedule for after ground breaking
104
Pick up corrected plans from drafter
105
Do not start grading before loan closes
106
Give corrected plans to Building Dept
107
Consultant advises which jobs need more or better bids
108 Complete the application for construction loan – give to
consultant
109
Consultant provides part 2 of construction schedule
110
Collect 3 bids for each major job
111
Ask suppliers to recommend additional installers for jobs without 3 bids
# CRITICAL STEPS NON-CRITICAL STEPS
112
Select subs for first half of job – through locking of house
113
Schedule a start date for each of these subs
114
Tell subs of their selection and scheduled start date
115
Confirm they will be available to start on that date
116
Ask subs how long they will need to finish job
117
Building Dept clears all corrections and approves house plans
118
Pick up final, approved plans from Building Dept
119
Ask drafter to print 4 sets of copies of final plans
120
Pick up 4 copies - keep original and one copy
121
Sign one copy to signify final customer approval
122
Give 3 sets to consultant including signed copy
123
Inform lender of Building Dept approval
124 Lender gives final approval of construction loan
125
Ask consultant for first load lumber list
126
Put subs' time estimates on part 2 of construction schedule
127
Add something like 20% to their estimates
128
Revise schedule based on latest time estimates from subs
129
Advise subs of their revised start dates
130 Lender closes construction loan
131 Start grading