Here’s What to Expect Once Construction Starts
Things might not always go smoothly, but we work to keep your build on track and in budget
There are countless decisions to be made during the process of designing and building a custom home. While the level of customization for your home is entirely up to you, it can be overwhelming to balance budget, timeline, and your personal preferences for each aspect of your home.
What happens when external incidents change available supplies or costs, and what if you simply change your mind? We spoke with Brandon Kinnaird, Head of Homebuilding at Atmos, to learn about change orders.
Supply Chain Challenges
In the last few years, it’s become increasingly clear that supply chains are unpredictable and that even the best laid plans can run into hiccups. If selected materials for a home become unexpectedly unavailable and will not be back in stock anytime soon, a change order may be necessary in order to keep the home build moving along at the desired pace. The buyer will work with their project manager (PM) to make new selections, and PMs will walk through every step to ensure buyers understand cost implications and the pros and cons of each new material option.
Pricing Changes
One factor that may trigger the need for a change order is pricing changes brought on by supply chain challenges. In some situations, contracts with a builder will include the stipulation that if the cost of a material increases or decreases by less than a set percentage (often five percent), then the builder will eat that cost with no change to the contract or to the buyer’s costs.
However, if the cost of a material increases by more than that percentage threshold during the building process, the buyer is left with two options. They can either stick to their decision to use that material and pay the price difference, or they can pivot and choose a material that better fits their budget. The buyer’s dedicated PM will help facilitate the change order process to keep the build moving smoothly and ensure that buyers understand all price changes and final implications.
Design Revisions
Sometimes, as walkthroughs and Matterport tours reveal the way a home is coming together, buyers simply change their minds about the design decisions they’d made at the start of the process. Perhaps they thought they’d be happy with blue tile in the kitchen, but they’ve since decided they want black tile. In some situations, buyers decide after the design phase that they’d like to add on an amenity, such as an outdoor kitchen. Design revisions necessitate a change order, which the PM will help coordinate.
No matter the reason behind the change order, both buyers and builders can rest assured that Atmos will handle the specifics of this contract shift. Buyers can expect a change order fee, which PMs will go over in detail at the onset of the project and during any discussions of change orders.
With Atmos, PMs smooth the way for a stress-free building experience. No matter what changes — supply chain details, the cost of materials, or your mind — Atmos is at your side to make pivoting simple.
Ready to build the custom home of your dreams? Get started today!
