No one wants to deal with the stress and overwhelm of a remodeling project gone awry. Unfortunately, change orders are inevitable when it comes to renovation. You start with an excellent plan, but over the course of the project, things don’t go the way you’d hoped.
What Is a Change Order?
In the simplest terms, a change order is paperwork documenting something outside the original scope of your project. For example, change orders are necessary when additional work has to be done, or an initially quoted price no longer applies.
This change order can reflect a change in materials, labor, or even scheduling. And while this may seem like a minor inconvenience at worst, it can have a greater impact than you might think. Not only can change orders modify your renovation schedule and scope, but it can also affect your project’s liability and drive up your budget.
Every project has a contract that is signed off on before the work begins. All change orders have to be recorded on an additional form that modifies the initial contract. Any minor diversion from the original agreement must be signed off on by you, the property owner. Whichever way you look at it, a change order is a disruption!
Change is Inevitable
As they say, even the best-laid plans go awry. Regardless of how well-developed your plan is to begin with, your project may be hamstrung by outside factors that you simply can’t control.
Maybe it’s the weather, maybe it’s an unexpected global health crisis. But when something like that gets in the way of the work, the scope of your project is bound to change to some degree. When it comes to home renovations, expect the unexpected!
Bottom line – change orders are inevitable during a remodeling project. They simply can’t be avoided and are just part of the process.
However, they can be mitigated. A good design-build team can do all that and more. With an experienced team by your side, you’ll work together to establish a solid plan, which will most definitely help to minimize additional change orders.
The Design-Build Way
The design-build approach helps to anticipate potential problems and cushion the blow when unexpected things happen. With clear communication, when everyone is on the same page from the get-go, there are fewer errors and a greater understanding of both the project’s structural and aesthetic goals. We bring in all the players right from the start so they can contribute their opinions. Architects, plumbers, electricians, roofers, and kitchen designers all have a role to play, and when all the cards are on the table, we can talk through potential issues before they become costly surprises.
We keep you informed with regular meetings to ensure you are up-to-date with what’s going on, but no matter what happens, we always keep your vision, your timelines, and your budget top-of-mind.
Teamwork Makes the Dream Work: Why Design-Build Wins
Traditional building methods splinter resources and break the project down into pieces. The problem is, when individual branches are working on a collective project, sometimes the pieces don’t fit together perfectly. In this method, the project isn’t conceived as a perfect whole. Rather, it is built from multiple imprecise visions. Sometimes, this segmented approach leads to issues within the project, communication breakdowns, finger-pointing, wasted time, and ballooning costs.
The design-build approach is a coordinated and transparent effort from every angle, ensuring that your renovation is completed as you envisioned it with as few change orders as possible.
Winthorpe Design & Build
Winthorpe’s specialized design-build process is the right choice for your Maryland or Washington, DC, home renovation.
We believe that a beautiful, high-quality, and well-constructed home starts with a comprehensive plan. While change orders might be inevitable, we roll with them as they come, minimizing your stress and keeping the work on track from start to finish.
In fact, many of our customers initiate change orders themselves. It’s not unusual for a homeowner to love what we’ve done so much that they want to continue on and do further work, either extending what we’ve already done or making good on a brand-new idea.
Our process always begins with a meeting and room-to-room walk-through of your home. We want to ensure we fully understand your vision and goals, and we’ll always give you our honest opinion of what’s possible and where you might have to alter your expectations.
If you’re ready to dive intoin to a whole-house renovation, we are here to help with inspiration and expertise you will genuinely appreciate. Reach out today, and let’s get started.
