Builder’s Advice to Homeowners on Post-Pandemic Construction
Like the rest of the world, Austin’s residential construction industry saw significant changes once COVID hit. The real estate market boomed with unprecedented demand for new homes and remodels, while supply chains were squeezed from decreased production and labor shortages across the globe. And it’s been crazy ever since.
You’d think we’d be out of the woods by now, but raw materials prices continue to rise and impact construction costs. According to a PBS article published on September 29, 2021, the price of epoxy resins, used for coatings, adhesives and paints, has soared 170%. Ethylene — arguably the world’s most important chemical, used in everything from food packaging to antifreeze to polyester — has surged 43%, according to ICIS figures.”
The challenges don’t end there but I’ve made my point. Residential construction is a different animal than it was two years ago.
So what does this mean for your project? What should you expect? How should you plan? For Austinites considering remodeling or building a custom home, I wanted to help answer these questions, so I reached out to construction experts Alexa Christine of Messer Design + Construction and Tony Villarreal of Build 512 . These are pros that I would trust with any project, any day of the week. They weighed in on how a typical project in Austin is being affected by the supply challenges, and provided excellent advice. Key takeaways from my conversations are as follows.
Supply chain challenges aren’t improving
“At some point, every trade and aspect of the industry has seen impacts,” Tony began. “When it comes to the types of items that are in short supply, it’s a mixed bag. These days we’re seeing more and more issues getting tile, but it’s been cabinets, lumber, appliances, windows and doors, the list goes on. ”
Both Alexa and Tony called out appliances, windows, and doors as items with particularly long lead times.
“Custom windows used to be 4-12 weeks, now they’re averaging 6-8 months up to 10 months. Builders have to have a plan for what to do when items aren’t on schedule,” Tony said.
Alexa notably called out that prices are going up across the board and homeowners should anticipate that factor.
Order materials before you start construction
Don’t expect to be able to order materials a week before you need them - order way ahead.
“Before demo, we want everything ordered,” Alexa said. “We used to just order plumbing valves and drains early but now we order everything early – right down to the bathroom towel hooks.”
Tony echoed that sentiment.
“Make sure you have all your materials in hand before starting a project. We try not to swing hammers unless we have everything we need to put the space back together.”
Give yourself extra planning time pre-construction
Factor in more time for design, re-design, and coming up with backup solutions.
It only makes sense that ordering materials prior to construction requires knowledge of which materials to order. Your designer will need time to conduct a design phase and pull together all the specifications. In a non-COVID world, good design takes time. In a COVID world, good design takes even more time to find products that are in stock, within budget, and then make alternative selections when original picks suddenly go out of stock. Expect to go back to the drawing board multiple times or to wait months for specialty items you can’t live without.
“It takes more time, but I encourage interior designers to have a backup plan if they’re going with all rose gold (or specialty finish) light fixtures or faucets. What are the second, third, fourth substitutes? Have backups for backups,” Tony advises.
During my conversation with Tony, he referenced a project we are currently working on where we placed an order for a bathtub, received a confirmation email, and then one week later got a notification that the tub was backordered 16 weeks. Obviously, we weren’t going to wait 16 weeks so I selected a different tub. Prior to the tub, when I was picking out sink faucets I kept running into the issue of certain models not being available in a polished nickel finish when usually they would have been. So I had to spend a little more time choosing a different model. Should you expect every item in every room to be a headache? No. I would say it’s more like 1 to 2 things per room, but it all depends on the project.
Anticipate permitting delays
“Right now we’re seeing a backlog with the city of Austin, where permits are delayed 2-3 months for approval because there is so much demand and a limited staff. We had a couple projects this year scheduled to start in spring/early summer but we ended up waiting the entire summer for permits,” Tony said.
Hopefully you won’t have to wait months for permits. But if you do, I recommend taking advantage of the extra time to source product and conduct a thorough design phase so your project moves fast once construction starts.
Hire a good designer
“Designers who can hand us a detailed packet of specifications and drawings at the very beginning of the project are amazing – we can take all the information and immediately run with it. We can make sure we have all the materials prior to starting construction, and having a designer involved from the beginning reduces the number of change orders down the road,” Alexa said.
“It doesn’t make sense for a homeowner to spend a large amount of money, try to design everything themselves, and then have a house with finishes that don’t look good together. We see such a difference in the end result when a designer is involved. I always recommend hiring a designer.”
I could not agree more. Alexa exquisitely describes the pain of not hiring an interior designer.
“Not having a designer on a project is like going into surgery without anesthesia.”
Your team is critical
With prices and supply all over the map, you need people you can trust to work efficiently, resourcefully, and keep you informed. Problems will arise. They always do. It’s a matter of trusting the right people to navigate them.
Tony advises, “Find a builder who has the core values and sense of excellence that matter in the construction field and then show them grace and understand that there is so much happening outside of their control and the designer’s control.”
For custom home builds Alexa pointed out, “It takes three professions to build a custom home, and you need all three from the very beginning. Bringing the builder or designer in late is a recipe for underestimating project costs and going over-budget. Build your team first, and the budget second.”
I repeat. Team first, budget second.
Closing Remarks
HUGE THANK YOU to Tony Villarreal and Alexa Christine for taking the time to speak with me. My design skills far surpass my interviewing skills, yet they still did an amazing job providing insight. If you are looking for a builder to trust with your project, I highly recommend Build 512 and Messer Design + Construction.
Cheers!