Health & Fitness
Architext #1304: Ask the Architect!
So you're planning to build a new house and your contractor doesn't want to make your detailed drawings and specs part of the contract. Architect Dom Narducci provides some direction.
I received this recently:
Dear Dom,
We plan to build a new house in the spring and finally found a contractor that we like and have arrived at an agreeable price. When it was time to sign the contract, he refused to make our house plans and specs part of the contract. He wanted to refer to the drawings in general terms but not include them in the actual contract. What should we do? Kevin and Linda, Litchfield, CT
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You’ve heard the old saying “buyer beware”. I think it applies here. A set of drawings and specs contains specific information, which details the materials, dimensions and other features of the house. By making these documents part of the actual construction contract, the contractor is obligated to provide you with exactly the house that is shown on the drawing and specs. The fact that he doesn’t want to commit to that seems to tell me that he wants the flexibility (“wiggle room”) to change some of the requirements as shown on the drawings and specs. His changes might be of a lesser quality (and probably cheaper!) than what is called for on the drawings.
I think you have good reason to be concerned. You might want to question the contractor on exactly what his concerns are about the drawings. Does he prefer different materials or details? If that’s the case, why not discuss them up front and document any changes.
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You should know exactly what you’re getting in your new house. If you have already bought plans, they should be made part of the construction contract. I suggest you engage an attorney to assist you. The biggest problem with new house construction is quality control. Buying a set of quality drawings is the first step to insuring a good end product.
Good Luck. DN
Dom Narducci is a practicing architect in Southbury, CT. He provides complete architectural design and construction management services (Freestone-inc.com) and offers a line of stock house plans (FreestonePlans.com). Additionally, Narducci teaches and writes on design and construction issues. Comments are welcome. If you have a question for Ask the Architect!, contact Dom at: dnarducci@freestone-inc.com.
