Designing a custom home is an experience that most people find positive. It can also be challenging too. Most of the problems come after we start to build. That is when many people want to change the plan. Even little changes can lead to huge expenses. Below we list five of the more common change requests.

At Design Custom Homes, we sit down with each client and design their custom home. The blue print is drawn and clients are allowed to change five things on print before we have to start over.

The time to make changes is before we approve the blue print. Once that occurs, the supplies are ordered, labor is scheduled, and work begins. Changes add big costs to the final total for the home.

1. Changes to the Roof Structure or Material.

It might seem like a simple thing to change the roofing material from siding to shingles, but even that small change impacts the build. The blue print is not just a plan of the house. It also includes safety features and takes into account the weight of materials, etc. Changes of this nature impact the ability of the house to support its weight.

2. Changes to Window Size and Style

Changes to the window size, placement, and style is very common. It is also a nightmare because these changes affect wall integrity, energy efficiency, labor costs, and supply costs.

3. Changes to Fireplaces

When a request to change the fireplace comes in, it is a major structural change to the house. It is not just the fireplace that must change, in some instances there must be venting created and additional support if changed to a double sided fireplace. Even small cosmetic changes can come with a large price tag.

4. Adding a Kitchenette or Wet Bar in a Lower Level of the House

That type of request sounds small, but in the bigger picture it isn’t. In many cases, the plumbing must be changed, venting put in, and sometimes even the ductwork for the HVAC must also move. Little ideas can cost a lot in labor, supplies, and time.

5. Adding an Additional Bathroom

Sometimes changes are not a huge ordeal. Adding a bathroom is a big change, especially if the location is in a spot where making the addition is difficult. It can mean running new plumbing, venting, and changing the existing placement of other features, such as electrical lines and ducting.

How to Prevent Additional Expenses to Custom Home Design and Builds

Almost always the cause of changes is that people get into a rush to get the house built. Another common issue is that people are unsure of funding or their budget is too small, and they realize that mid-build.

The Design Custom Home team is open to communication and changes but in some instances it is difficult to accommodate major changes to a structure. One of the reasons for that is the labor resources. People move from one job to the next, and we schedule workflow so that each project has the perfect amount of labor. When changes happen, it can cause the entire process to slow down until the proper professionals are free to move to the next job. Many times there are trip charges for excessive amounts of time a subcontractor has to come back to a project. We try to prevent that as much as possible.

The big takeaway from this blog is to go slow, really consider what you want, and be ready to talk about it. We are happy to sit down with you and lay out the plans to make the perfect custom home. If you are ready to start, just give us call. We try to make the process as easy as possible.