Home Builders Wear Many Hats
Today’s new homes reflect changing market preferences and integrate elaborate designs and consumer desires into the floor plans and construction of the homes. And successful home builders have the knowledge, organizational skills and drive to build them.
But what does it really take to build a house?
Like a CEO, a home builder relies on a number of workers to get the job done right. A home builder guides dozens of skilled artisans and professionals, including carpenters, architects, engineers, plumbers, electricians, painters and landscapers. The builder must understand all of the home’s complex systems and know enough about each contractor’s trade in order to coordinate this skilled team to build and sell a quality product.
Some home builders develop the land on which the homes are built. They look at a piece of land to determine whether it com-plies with zoning regulations, local planning laws and environmental restrictions, and whether it is suitable for development. The home builder studies the lot’s topography, searching for rock outcroppings, shallow depth bedrock, shallow groundwater, natural drainage sources and dense vegetation. Once a builder determines that a site is suitable for construction, he must navigate the permitting process.
Home builders serve as liaisons with their communities and local government officials. They research and study local building codes to determine what can be built in a given location. In most localities, building codes govern building, plumbing, heating and air conditioning, electrical systems and fire safety. After studying the building codes, the builder collects all the required permits from various authorities before proceeding with construction.
Once the permits are obtained, the builder will prepare the site and select how the home will be situated on it. The home builder then oversees the entire construction process, which includes — but is certainly not limited to — laying the foundation; erecting the framing, roofing and siding; building the walls; and installing the plumbing, heating and electrical work.
A home builder acts as an inspector. The local building department will inspect the construction site for code violations throughout the home’s construction. But a professional home builder will make certain the home meets both code and warranty guidelines long before and after the officials show up. Once the house is finished, the builder informs the appropriate municipal departments that it is ready for final inspection and the approval that the home is safe for its new owners to move in.
All in all, home builders must wear many hats in order to deliver a home where the owners can hang their own hats, raise a family and build lifelong memories.
To learn more about the home building process, contact BIA-Hawaii at info@biahawaii.org.
Karen Nakamura is the CEO of BIA-Hawaii.