SO WHAT IS A PRE-CONSTRUCTION SERVICES AGREEMENT?

MAYBE YOU’VE NEVER HEARD THE TERM “PRE-CONSTRUCTION SERVICES AGREEMENT.” IF YOU’RE BUILDING A CUSTOM HOME, YOU SHOULD CHANGE THAT.

SO WHAT IS A PRE-CONSTRUCTION SERVICES AGREEMENT?

Many residential builders offer a free estimate upon the homeowner’s request at the very start of the custom-building process. In fact, Accent Homes did this initially. It’s basically putting a total sticker price on a new home and letting a homeowner say yay or nay. Like anything else fast and furious, it’s not very effective. For one thing, builders don’t price apples-to-apples. For another, builders are never of equal caliber. 

Building a home is one of the largest investments, in terms of both time and resources, that you’ll ever make in your lifetime. You’ll have to live with the decisions you make today for years to come. When you go with a free estimate rather than a Pre-Construction Agreement, you’re setting yourself up for failure. 

Or rather, you’re setting yourself up for budget problems down the road. 

Pre-Construction Agreements are less commonly used, but at Accent Homes, we truly believe it’s the right way to select a builder. When a homeowner selects a contractor based on an early estimate, they are shortchanging the hiring and overall construction process. Our agreement encompasses: Drawings, Specifications, Allowances, Budget, Architecture and Design 

It works by providing avenues for:

1. Developing a relationship with  you, the homeowner. And anyone else already involved in the project, such as an architect.
2. Assembling a team of experts. This may include: Architect, Subcontractors, Structural engineer, Interior designer, Landscape architect to name a few. 
3. Providing our professional insight. Constructability. Material choices. Preferred vendors. Design details.  
4. Helping with selections for your new home. Our goal here is to define as many building materials and details as possible. 
5. Creating an initial budget. We use starting cost inputs. Then we revise the budget through conversations with homeowners and project leads, to arrive at a final budget we can all adhere to. 
6. Drafting a custom home project schedule. This way the homeowners and the building and design professionals understand what to expect and can commit accordingly. 
7. Working up plans and specifications. Drafting a set of construction plans. Meeting cost goals. Detailing expectations for various inputs and labor.  

Sound like a process? That’s because it is! But we think it’s worth it.

Our Pre-Construction Services Agreement is drawn up for a fee, which covers the costs of soils testing and reports, architectural work, foundation engineering, and our time and resources. In effect, your earnest money starts the ball rolling and allows us to start working for you and all goes towards the costs associated with your build. Your detailed budget can take up to 8-10 weeks to complete after the architectural process is complete. 

A Pre-Construction Service Agreement is useful for cost management. A free estimate or a construction bid will ballpark costs. 

This agreement allows for more exact cost estimation, better decision-making, and a detailed budget to follow. It also provides more transparency into the actual costs of building your new house. With detailed insight into labor and material costs, a homeowner can make good decisions with their builder and team.

 If you are building a five-million-dollar home, you want to know what you’re paying for, right? The Pre- Construction Agreement provides this in spades. 

This process pulls a team together and acts as a filter. Building a house is not like a commercial project. A homeowner and builder need to have rapport. It’s a year-long process, and we’re going to be talking multiple times each week. Compatibility is incredibly important. And values should align. Accent Homes priorities are quality, schedule, and price, in that order. If this doesn’t suit a homeowner’s style, they may want to choose a different builder. With a Pre-Construction Agreement, we are able to discover irreconcilable differences early on and avoid wasting time and resources. As we complete the Pre-Construction Services Agreement with you, we provide cost, value, and schedule expertise, to help you make sound design decisions and meet your goals. We also use it as a cost-effective way to begin our relationship with you and ensure we make a good fit. If you have questions about the Pre-Construction Service Agreement or about how we work, please contact us directly. 

AT ACCENT HOMES, WE TAKE PRIDE IN OFFERING FANTASTIC SERVICE  BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER YOUR CUSTOM HOME BUILD.