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Tag: Custom Home Builders Toronto

  • How to Pick the Right Custom Home Builder

    How to Pick the Right Custom Home Builder

    Custom Home Builders Toronto

    How to Properly Assess and Evaluate them

    Over the years we have seen many potential clients get tempted by or commit to custom home builders that we bid against who promise the world but under-deliver and end up creating a horrible home building experience for them. In many instances the execution of the residential construction project speaks for itself; projects that were supposed to be 6 months lasting a full year, projects that have shut-down because the builder added an extra $100 K to the budget out of nowhere that the client can’t afford, or even starting a project with another builder and then coming back to us to see if we would take over the project (this actually happened!). Good, Fast, and Cheap – you can pick two but can’t have the third! We decided a long time ago that being Good and Fast as a custom home builder in Toronto outweighs cutting corners and being cheap. Sure you pay more but the investment is too large to even consider cutting corners.

    In the coming paragraphs we run through the items and credentials that you need to consider and know before committing to a Custom Home Builder. We will also tell you about the expectations that you should have during the process of getting pricing for your budget/scope of work for your project! Finally, we will run through some of the major red flags that should have you running from any home building company that displays these certain characteristics.

    Below are the major topics that we will focus on:

    1. How to Find and Assess Custom Home Builders Before Outreach

    2. First meeting/phone call with short-listed home builder: What to expect and be prepared with

    3. Once you have working drawings or permit drawings: What to expect and look for

    4. Final Selection of your custom Home Builder: What to look for and ask

    5. General Assessment Credentials and Topics

    How to Pick Custom Home Builders to Reach Out To

    Below we have outlined some of the most common ways to quickly analyze and create a shortlist of reputable builders:

    Are they local to you? (this is important)

    It is important to engage with a builder that is local to you. You do not want to be put in a situation where you have a builder from Oakville working on your property in Scarborough, it almost always puts your project at the bottom of the priority list, since they likely have local projects that are tying up the rest of their time. Local home builders will also make sure that they go further for you which will add more value to the process of getting your project completed!

    Do You Know Anyone That Has Worked With this Builder (Word of Mouth)?

    It is very important to get real reviews of builders, instead of just relying on Google Reviews, which are almost always skewed towards positive if the builder has a decent marketing plan. Go the extra mile and find people that have worked with the Builder you are interested in working with and get their take on their experience! Better yet, your builder should have no issue giving you references of past clients to phone about their experience during the vetting process!

    Positive online presence (Google Reviews)

    Online reviews will help in your overall evaluation but shouldn’t be the only due diligence you complete. Remember, your renovation will cost you a lot of money, and will cost you even more if you don’t partner with the right company. The amount of research and due diligence should reflect the amount of money you are spending, so don’t skimp on it!

    Does the Builder have a informational website?

    Make sure that the company you decide to work with is investing in educating their consumer base about the industry. The worst thing that you can do is not ask questions, and if you can go through a builder’s website and understand the building process that is telling of their commitment to education and creating valuable content.

    Do they have Affiliations with home building organizations?

    For example, BVM Contracting is affiliated with BILD/Renomark and CHBA. These organizations only allow reputable members of the building community to join so that is a low activation energy method of evaluating a builder.

    Client interviews and feedback

    Has the builder impressed their previous client’s enough to be able to have them sit in front of a camera and talk about their experience? This is a very telling and informative way that we have been able to separate ourselves as being a reputable home building in Toronto, and we invite you to check out the videos on our home page!

    Do they Offer site visits for current Projects?

    One of the golden rules is to see a couple of your shortlisted builder’s job sites before you commit. You should be looking for cleanliness, expertise, safety, and most importantly an attention to detail/quality when you visit. Make sure that you come ready with a list of questions so they can answer on site. See if the builder has any information about offering site visits on their website and book a tour!

    Once you have your Short-list of Builders: Outreach and First Meeting

    Once you have created your short-list of builders to reach out to, now it is time to engage in first meetings to ask specific questions to the builder. Some of the more common questions/topics are shown below:

    • What is their timelines to complete the renovation or custom home build?

    • Can they give you a rough budget based on your wishlist? The answer should be yes.

    • Test them on their general knowledge in construction, make sure that they have confidence answering questions surrounding their industry expertise. Make sure you challenge them!

    • Ask them if they offer site tours of their current projects. If the builder is unable to do so it is definitely a warning sign!

    • Appearance – Do they look trustworthy?

    • Are they willing to work with you and your wish list to try and fit within your budget?

    • Do they have an in-house team of skilled labourers? This is very important as it allows the projects to move along as efficiently as possible by allowing for all of the in-between-trades work to be done.

    • Ask for their home building contract upfront and ask how payments work during the project (the answer should be milestone-based billing)

    • Ask them how far out they are booked (3 months? 6 months? 1 year?). Usually a reputable builder will be booked out anywhere from 6-12 months in advance, so keep that in mind. This means that if you want to work with a good builder you will have to likely wait in line, unless you start the process over a year in advance or get lucky with timing.

    Once you have completed all of your meetings, this would be a good time to shortlist your builders to 2-3 and get them to put a rough budget together for the project. Depending on the size and complexity you may need to progress to the design stage to get accurate numbers, but if you are okay with rough numbers you can ask for some based on a preliminary wish list/scope at this stage. After-all, you will want to know if you can afford the work before you engage a designer or architect!

    Once you have a good grip on the rough order of magnitude cost for the project, you can move on to the next step!

    Once you have Working Drawings or Permit Drawings: What to Look For

    Once you have drawings of your proposed work, any reputable builder will be able to work off of them to create a scope of work and budget for you. Keep in mind that if the drawings are preliminary the structural and HVAC scopes can only be estimated since the structural/HVAC drawings are not created until later. If you have permit drawings you can disregard the above point and send to your shortlisted builders for quote. Some items to consider:

    • Be sure that your home builder is asking you a lot of questions about the project. If they just take your drawings and give you a number it is likely not very accurate to what you want the scope to look like! The more questions that are answered, the more accurate the scope, which means that the budget will be way more detailed and accurate.

    • Make sure that your home builder offers itemized pricing, which means that they breakdown the cost by activity. If any of the builders do not do this then get rid of them.

    • Make sure that your custom home builder is accounting for any costs that you have to incur directly during the project. This will give you the full picture of cost for the project and will allow you to budget better.

    • Your home builder should be making recommendations to save money for you without cutting corners. Challenge them to find ways to re-engineer the budget!

    Making the Final Decision: Things to Look For

    Make sure the custom home builder you select does the following once they have put together the scope of work and budget for you:

    • Budget meeting: you will want your builder to go over each line item to make sure you understand what everything means. It also gives you an opportunity to ask questions and make sure the builder has accounted for everything.

    • Make sure that you give the builder feedback about the budget/scope of work. If they are receptive to the feedback and make adjustments that is a good sign.

    • Make sure they outline next steps for the decision-making process. If you haven’t already, make sure you ask for a copy of their contract to review as well!

    General Assessment Credentials and Ideas

    Make sure that the builder has all of the following main credentials:

    • WSIB Clearance Certificate

    • Certificate of Insurance

    • Renovation License

    Other items to evaluate and look into:

    • Make sure they have in-house team of employees (this is important and we cannot stress this enough)

    • Ensure that they pay their sub-contractors. You can do a check on this by seeing if any of their previously-completed properties have liens on them. Click here to read more and complete a search of any property to see if there are any registered liens from sub-contractors. You do not want to be put in the position where you are liable to pay for the outstanding money that is owed to any of the builder’s sub-contractors, so this would be a great way to ensure the builder pays everyone!

    About BVM COntracting

    BVM Contracting is a full-service General Contractor or Home Builder located in Toronto. We provide home renovation and building services for major home renovations and custom home builds (full interior renovations, home additions, lot severances, new home construction, and laneway suites). Our goal is to help guide our clients through the process of building their home, from concept to completion.

    Further than providing General Contracting and Project Management for major home renovations, we also offer value-added services such as renovation financing, renovation rebate consultations and services, building permit and design services, smart home installation services, and real estate investor services.

    To learn more about our offering by visiting our services page.

  • Prevent Delays for your Custom Home Building Project in Toronto

    Prevent Delays for your Custom Home Building Project in Toronto

    Learn More Preventing Potential Delays with your Custom Home Builder in Toronto

    One of the most common topics that is discussed during the budgeting process is about the timing of getting a project completed. Our answer is the same to everyone asking the question, it depends on how much effort is put in during the planning process. A lot of the time people underestimate how much planning is involved with a custom home build, there are many selections and items that need to be decided upon even before the project starts to prevent any delays during the home build. As a General Contractor that specializes in custom home building, we have narrowed down some of the key items that allow our projects to come in on time all of the time.

    Items and Activities to Prevent Custom Home Building Delays

    Below we have outlined the key activities that need to be focused on in order to start a project and keep it moving.

    1. Utility Disconnections (specifically with Enbridge Gas Disconnections)

      This is by far the most important item that needs to be completed as soon as you know you are completing a new home build or custom home build in Toronto. Enbridge will need to provide a quote to remove the gas meter and lines from your property, as well as schedule a date to lock out the meter and do the disconnection work. From first contact to getting the disconnection can take up to 3 months so make sure you get this started ASAP!

    2. Working with a Good Surveyor for Construction Surveying Work

      Usually the surveyor that has provided you your topographic survey will provide the services required for your custom home building project. They will be needed during the foundation and framing stage to ensure that the elevations of the house are correct. Having a team that can get this work done in a timely manner will ensure no delays at the start of the project when closing in the house is so important.

    3. Having an Engineer on retainer to complete site visits/stamped reports whenever The City Inspectors are busy

      We have found this to be a very powerful tool to avoid being at the will of City Inspectors. We usually have our Engineer to a formal review of our new home building projects at the framing stage so they can review the foundation, steel, and structural framing all at the same time and complete a report with a stamp passing the work. 100% of the time we show this to a City inspector and they give us a pass on the framing stage. Saves a lot of time and stress in our experience!

    4. Finalized Window and Door Orders BEFORE project starts

      Due to the consistent 12-16 week lead times for windows and doors (especially with large orders that custom homes in Toronto usually have) it is important to have a finalized windows and door schedule that is put in for order BEFORE the project starts. It takes about 12-16 weeks to get to the point where the windows are needed (sometimes sooner if your General Contractor has a good team and a lot of experience) so getting the order in before the project starts is highly beneficial to preventing delays with the project. The windows need to be installed before any exterior work is completed so preventing this delay mean that the project can avoid any delays in finishing the exterior.

    5. Finalized truss design and ordering BEFORE project starts

      Since more complex truss packages take anywhere from 6-8 weeks to produce it is important to get them into production as soon as they are approved. We like to get them into production 2-4 weeks before the project starts so there is plenty of buffer for having them ready to ship come time to frame.

    6. Appliance Package Ordering

      It is not out of the question to have an appliance package that takes 6-12 months to complete, some of our clients can give you some examples! Best to have this sorted out before the project starts so you are stuck without appliances when it comes time to move in. The added bonus to getting this sorted out is you will need it to finalize your kitchen layout with your preferred kitchen installer, so it will be needed sooner rather than later!

    7. Plumbing Fixture Selections (specifically with shower hardware and Bathtubs)

      We send our clients to a local plumbing vendor for all of the proposed fixtures outline in their custom home building design. It is important to understand exactly what you are planning to install and the quantity so that our plumber can properly quote the project. It is even more important to have the shower fixtures and bathtubs ordered BEFORE plumbing rough-ins start so our plumber can install the rough-in valves and bathtubs as they complete their rough-in work.

    8. General Tip: Source finishes with smaller lead time

      Almost all of our vendors are local to Toronto and have good stock and lead times for their finishes. Whether you are picking out lighting, tile, flooring, or anything else it is always important to ask about lead time along with pricing. Make a list of items and their lead times so you can ensure that the finishes are on site when they need to be. Your General Contractor or Home Builder in Toronto will give you tentative dates that finishes will be needed to help guide your decision making and ordering.

    This list is specific to Toronto and may change depending on the municipality, so always check with your Home Builder, vendors, and utility providers to see if there are any additional tasks required.

    Conclusion

    As much as the list above looks like a daunting set of tasks, if you are working with the right custom home builder in Toronto they will guide you fluently through the process. Having a good pre-construction planning process is the key indicator of success for a project so do not skip this step and listen to your home builder, you will not regret it!

    About BVM COntracting

    BVM Contracting is a full-service General Contractor or Home Builder located in Toronto. We provide home renovation and building services for major home renovations (kitchen renovations, bathroom renovations, basement renovations, full interior renovations, home additions, lot severances, and new home construction). Our goal is to help guide our clients through the process of renovating their home, from concept to completion.

    Further than providing General Contracting and Project Management for major home renovations, we also offer value-added services such as renovation financing, renovation rebate consultations and services, building permit and design services, smart home installation services, and real estate investor services.

    To learn more about our offering by visiting our services page.

  • Procurement-Based Renovation and Home Building Budgets

    Procurement-Based Renovation and Home Building Budgets

    Learn More About Our Procurement-Based Budgeting Process

    At BVM Contracting we understand that home renovation, custom home building, and home addition projects are expensive and require a lot of capital to complete. Many times when you are working with General Contractors in Toronto, they will help you estimate the cost of your project but won’t go so far as to finalize everything with their preferred list of vendors and subcontractors before a contract is signed. This leads to underestimations and unmet expectations about total project costs.

    As a Family-run General Contractor in Toronto, the last thing we want is to start a project that cannot be finished. This does not benefit our clients and does not lead to a good reputation in the industry. In the sections below we outline our budgeting process and how we take the extra steps needed BEFORE any contracts are signed to give our clients the peace of mind to work with us and complete their project on time and on budget.

    What is procurement-based budgeting?

    Procurement-based budgeting is a term that we use to describe how we finalize our renovation or custom home building budgets. It is a multi-step process that includes:

    1. Developing a detailed scope of work from working drawings that describes the construction work that will be completed. This is an itemized description of our activities to complete a project from beginning to end (or beginning to whenever a client takes over). This requires the client to have a set of designs/drawings that outline the work to be completed.

    2. Coordinating a site visit to the project site (mostly for renovation and home addition projects, new home construction projects don’t need site visits most times unless there are environmental factors (ravine protection, tree protection, shoring) that may be needed)

    3. Working with our subcontractors and vendors to finalize selections within the scope of work to get our clients the most accurate budget with finalized quotes from all of our subcontractors and vendors. This requires some legwork from our clients to decide on certain selections for a project (i.e. plumbing fixtures, doors selections, flooring, etc.) but pays off in the end with a finalized budget with a representative cost. Even if the selections are changed as the project moves along, at least the pricing is based on something instead of nothing.

    Our goal with every project we budget is to have as many of the line items with what we call “confirmed pricing” before signing any contract. We do this so we can show you our capabilities as a General Contractor and to also ensure that we can reduce the amount of extras and change orders needed throughout the course of the residential construction project. Whether it is a $200 000 renovation or a 1.6 million dollar custom home build, the same process applies and leads to a lot of happy clients.

    Conclusion

    Although our final budgets will take longer to put together and will likely cost more than other General Contractors in Toronto, at least you will know that it is representative to the total cost of the project, and will know exactly what you are getting. We take a lot of pride in our reputation as a Custom Home Builder and Home Renovation company in Toronto, so we would rather lose out on work because it is accurate than win work because the pricing is not finalized.

    About BVM COntracting

    BVM Contracting is a full-service General Contractor or Home Builder located in Toronto. We provide home renovation and building services for major home renovations (kitchen renovations, bathroom renovations, basement renovations, full interior renovations, home additions, lot severances, and new home construction). Our goal is to help guide our clients through the process of renovating their home, from concept to completion.

    Further than providing General Contracting and Project Management for major home renovations, we also offer value-added services such as renovation financing, renovation rebate consultations and services, building permit and design services, smart home installation services, and real estate investor services.

    To learn more about our offering by visiting our services page.

  • The Secret Ingredient for a Successful Renovation or Custom Home Build

    The Secret Ingredient for a Successful Renovation or Custom Home Build

    The Best General Contractors in Toronto Have A Great Team Backing Them Up

    Learn more about why having an in-house team as a general contractor is the secret sauce for delivering on time and on budget every time

    delivering a better renovation or custom home building experience with in-house expertise

    General Contractors in Toronto have proven that the concept of specialization can lead to the boom of an entire industry. Being able to have specialist carry out work instead of one person doing multiple jobs is how the concept of General Contracting became such a popular way complete complex custom home builds and home renovation projects. With this concept you are able to complete projects faster, with more quality, and at a reasonable price if you are dealing with the right General Contractor.

    Specialization doesn’t just apply to sub-contractors carrying out work for a General Contractor, it also applies to the employees working for the General Contractor. In this article you will learn about the value of specialization within a General Contracting company in Toronto and how it will help you ultimately make the right decision on which General Contractor to hire for your next residential construction project.

    Specialization within a General Contracting Company

    At BVM Contracting, there are 4 distinct specializations that you will find within our company. Now we aren’t saying that it is the only way to run a General Contracting Company in Toronto, but we have seen a lot of success and have received a lot of good feedback from prospective, current, and past clients about our capabilities from beginning to end as a General Contractor. Below the specializations are highlighted and the benefits explained:

    1. Dedicated Sales and Estimating Team – To separate sales from service is a pretty rudimentary concept that leads to a lot of benefits. What you get with this is a dedicated touch point to start your journey with your prospective General Contractor, active/regular communication, and a detailed scope of work and budget that is easy to follow and is explained from beginning to end. At BVM Contracting this “team” comprises of one person, but allows us to actively take care of people in the discovery, estimating, or budget finalization phase of their project.

    2. Dedicated Project Administration Staff – To ask questions during a project and get answers back the same day is something that should be expected but is often not delivered upon. Most times the project manager running your renovation or custom home building project is too busy during the day to answer emails and keep all of the project logistics on track. This is where the project administration staff comes in, they keep clients updated on the project and make sure that there is an electronic link between your inquiries and the project manager’s inquiries. At BVM Contracting, everything has a paper trail and with good reason – Home Building and Home Renovation projects are dynamic and can change as you move along, so you need someone who can actively explain those changes via email and provide solutions via email to allow the project to keep moving forward with minimal delays.

    3. Dedicated Skilled Labour Team – Other General Contractors might find the cheapest, most untrained labourers, but at BVM Contracting we call them the minutemen, and for good reason. One of the key reasons we can get projects done faster than the many other General Contractors in Toronto is because we have a team of SKILLED labour (emphasis on skilled) that can do the myriad of tasks in between all of the sub-contractors we hire from beginning to end to make sure that the project is delivered on time and on budget. We cannot stress enough how important having a SKILLED team of labourers is for a General Contractor to deliver on every project, so if any of the General Contractors that you are talking to don’t have one then they are not going to deliver on your renovation or custom home build.

    4. Dedicated Project Management Staff – Having a project manager seems to be a minimum requirement nowadays to call yourself a General Contractor in Toronto, but the fact of the matter is it takes more than just a good Project Manager to deliver a project to the standards of a true General Contracting company. It is so valuable to have a dedicated touch point for the in-house team, subcontractors, and vendors to call to, but it is equally important to relay all project information in a timely manner and with accuracy to ensure the project nears perfection. Having a team alongside a project manager brings everything together and creates a successful General Contractor.

    It also doesn’t hurt if your General Contractor is Family-owned, brownie points for that!

    Conclusion

    The next time you are evaluating General Contractors in Toronto, make sure you understand how their internal processes work in order to make sure that they will be able to deliver for your renovation or custom home building project!

    About BVM COntracting

    BVM Contracting is a full-service General Contractor or Home Builder located in Toronto. We provide home renovation and building services for major home renovations (kitchen renovations, bathroom renovations, basement renovations, full interior renovations, home additions, lot severances, and new home construction). Our goal is to help guide our clients through the process of renovating their home, from concept to completion.

    Further than providing General Contracting and Project Management for major home renovations, we also offer value-added services such as renovation financing, renovation rebate consultations and services, building permit and design services, smart home installation services, and real estate investor services.

    To learn more about our offering by visiting our services page.