Quantum Construction Home Planning Guide

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Quantum Construction Home Planning Guide

Welcome to the

______

Residence!

Affix Quantum Project
Manager’s Card Here / Affix Your Architect’s
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Welcome!

We’re so glad that you’ve contact Quantum Construction about building your home! It’s our goal to make this process extremely enjoyable for you, culminating in the final product, your new home! The best (and easiest) way to make this process enjoyable is to plan ahead and streamline your design and construction. You can start this guide before or after meeting with your architect, as it will provide benefit regardless of where you are in the designing and building process. Don’t worry- while there are many pages in this document, much of it is “white space” to allow you take lots of notes!

There are several reasons why planning far ahead is beneficial to the process. First, it allows you to control your budget, balancing what you plan to spend on everything from roofing and flooring to appliances and faucets. Second, it will allow us to build your home more quickly, as the decision making will be (mostly) finished, allowing us to simply order items. Finally, it will enable you to stand back and enjoy the process!

And to make the planning ahead process easier, Quantum has put together this Home Planning Guide to lead you through each of the potential decisions you might make. We’ve based this on CSI’s construction divisions (the streamlined 16 division version), which allows us to pair up your decisions easily with our estimating programs. When you see a reference to a division or a number in parenthesis before a heading, we’re referring to the CSI. Of course, we’ve cheated a little bit to make this guide a little bit more user friendly, moving some items from where they would otherwise go to where they make sense.

This planning guide is divided into two Phases: Exploration and Choices. Exploration is a brainstorming guide. There are no right or wrong answers, only ideas. Once this is completed to your satisfaction, you can begin choosing your favorites under Choices.

If you have any questions as you use this guide, on anything from ideas to pricing, please contact your Quantum Construction Project Manager, using the card you’ve affixed on the previous page, or at (360) 293-0656. And don’t forget to have fun- this is your new home!

Sincerely,

Your team at Quantum Construction

Exploration

Division 1 – General Requirements

In this section, we’d like to identify any overall goals you have for your home. Let’s start with a paragraph or two of how you’d like to describe your home to your friends and family after it is completed. We’ll start you off with a short example to get the creative juices flowing:

Our home is a bright yellow cottage set back among some fruit trees we planted. It has three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a cute little pocket kitchen that opens up into a family living area. We kept the footprint small so we could spend a little bit more on finishes, including a dark hand scraped hardwood floor that runs throughout the house and a large walk-in tiles shower. The environment is important to us, so the home is 5-Star Built Green certified and includes solar panels on the roof.

Now you try. If it’s easier, make a list so you can add to it later.

Now let’s identify any broad goals, features or design themes that you have for your home, especially any that you came up with in your paragraph or list above. We’ve listed a few to get you started. Feel free to circle our ideas and take them as your own (we’ll take it as a compliment!). Remember, there are no right or wrong answers!

  • General theme of home: Craftsman, Contemporary/Modern, Farmhouse, Cabin, Northwest, Mediterranean, Victorian. Cape Cod, Country French, Colonial, Tudor, Cottage, Ranch, or…?
  • Chef’s Kitchen
  • Wine Cellar
  • Built Green
  • Large Deck or Patio
  • Open Floor Plan
  • Expansive Windows
  • Indoor/Outdoor Living

Finally, let’s talk budget. The best way to end up with your dream home at a budget you can afford is to determine how much you can comfortably spend (your total project cost). Determine how much of this is construction cost, and how much is reserved for ancillary costs such as design and permitting. Now, take the portion you’ve identified as construction cost and subtract ten to fifteen percent. This will be your contingency and/or cushion. This leaves you with your desired budget. Make sure that both your architect and Quantum are familiar with your desired construction budget. If they are, they can provide instant advice regarding general pricing associated with design and construction decisions you make, steering you away from potential budget busters.

Let’s do this now. We’ve included some place holders for fees. These may vary significantly, so make sure that you research these before finalizing your budget.

My/Our Total Project Cost is:$______

We want to spend this much on land:$______

This leaves us with this for construction:$______

Subtract land from Total Project Costs

Our Design Fees will be:$___10,000______

Our Permit Fees will be: $___12,000______

Our Utilities Fees will be:$___4,000______

Our construction budget, less the $_26,000_ in fees above is:

$______

Multiply this number by 0.15 to determine your contingency fund:

$______

Multiply it by 0.85 to determine your desired construction budget:

$______

This last number is the number to tell your architect and Quantum Project Manager. Be sure to tell them that it includes sales tax. Note: typically all discussions about costs in construction exclude sales tax.

As we close our discussion on budget, let’s do one final check. Ask yourself what level of home you’re trying to build. Is it an entry level custom home, in which most of the finishes are nice yet standard? Is it a mid-level custom home, with many upgrades? Is it a luxury home, estate, or non-standard/highly customized or specialized home? Discuss your answer with your Quantum project manager to make sure that your budget and your desired end goal are in line with each other.

Division 2 – Site Work

2025 – Do you require any special utilities at your home? Examples may include larger natural gas service for a home workshop. (Not Typical)

2028 –Building Demolition

If there are existing structures on your site, or if this is a remodel, are there any special precautions you would like us to take during demolition? Examples include building deconstruction (piece by piece removal for salvageable items), recycling materials, and selective deconstruction (removing certain items for reuse by you).

2100 – Site Clearing

If you have a site that needs to be cleared, such as one that is heavily wooded, are there any special instructions for us?

2300 – Earthwork

Are there any non-building related earthwork items which you would like us to address during our construction phase? Examples may include large berms for view or noise barriers or large ponds.

2510 – Pavement

Would you like your driveway and parking areas to be asphalt, concrete, California, pavers, gravel, something else, or a combination? Are there any special requirements, such as extra parking for a boat or RV?

2712 – Fencing

Would you like any fencing to be completed as part of the construction process? Some potential fencing options include wood (in a variety of designs), chain link, metal panel, brick, concrete, or block and plaster.

2900 – Landscaping

Would you like Quantum to include landscaping as part of the construction process? If so, would you like to prepare a design or would you like us to pair you with a professional landscape for a design/build process?

Please list any desired landscaping elements that you would like to include, such as specific plants or types of plants, native vegetation, hardscapes, patios, water features, vegetable gardens, trellises, gazebos, fire features, sprinklers, or outdoor living spaces. You can also indicate the general style of the landscaping, such as hardscape only, grass free, lawn and flower beds, etc. You should do this regardless of your answer above (after all, you’ll need to landscape at some point!).

Division 3 – Concrete

3300 – Concrete (Site)

If you’ve indicated in Division 2 that you would like to have concrete outside of your home, you’ll need to decide where you want it and how it should look. Your options include brushed finish (similar to sidewalks), exposed aggregate, stained (colored), or stamped (which comes in a variety of patterns, including marbled, brick, and stone). You can also mix and match, such as a brushed driveway with exposed aggregate bordering.

There are also other locations for concrete not listed in pavement above, such as patios, walk-ways, and the like.

How would you like your site concrete to look?

3300 – Do you have any other desired special concrete finishes, structures, or other placements, either inside or outside your home? This could include structural components, such as an exposed concrete architectural wall.

Division 4 – Masonry

Do you have any desired masonry or rock components in your home? These may include stone fireplaces, stone or brick veneers, or brick construction.

Division 5 – Metals

Do you have any desired specialty metal finishes in your home? These could include railings, screens, gates, stairs, shelving, and more.

Division 6 – Woodwork and General Construction

6100 – Framing

Do you have any special preferences on how we frame your home? The most common framing is wood framed with studs (boards) spaced 16” apart.

There are several other ways to frame a home which are less common. Note that this is a decision best made prior to design, as it can significantly affect your building practices. The alternatives to standard framing include:

  • Intermediate and Advanced Framing- wood framing with more spacing, which allow more insulation
  • Double Wall Framing- framing walls adjacent to increase insulation values and decrease thermal breaks
  • Steel Framing- Using metal studs
  • Block or Brick Construction
  • Insulated Concrete Forms (ICFs)- blocks made of insulation on either side and filled with concrete. Extremely strong and with high insulation values.
  • Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs)- two layers of wood sheathing manufactured with structural foam insulation between. Also very strong and with high insulation values.

6192 – Roof Framing

Do you have any timber framing requirements or other roof framing desires?

6200 – Interior Trim

Interior trim is one of the main ways to create a sense of character in your home. By using options ranging from minimal drywall window wraps to elaborate built up systems, you can slant a style from streamlined contemporary to elaborate arts and crafts. Common materials include wood (painted or stained), MDF (painted), and drywall (which creates a low-attention transition in windows and door-less openings). What types of trim do you prefer for the following?

Windows?

Doors? Door-less openings?

Base Trim?

Crown Moulding?

Wainscot and Wall Paneling?

Ceiling Paneling?

Details for Half Walls and Bannisters?

Stair Railing? Other Railings?

Fireplace Mantels?

Are there any other finish carpentry additions you would like to include? Some options include built-ins (such as book cases and day beds), shelving, and accent walls using wood.

6211 – Exterior Siding

What type or combination of types of siding would you prefer? Some common options include horizontal plank, vertical plank, shake/shingle, board and batt, stucco, and metal.

What type of trim detail would you like to see on the exterior? This mostly applies to how you would like windows and doors to be trimmed.

Do you have any special requests for the house wrap under your siding? Examples include “drain wrap” to allow any water which gets in to drain (like an extra insurance policy), air tight house wraps, or OSB sheathing which has the house wrap built into it for an airtight installation.

6215 – Decking

Do you plan to have any decks? If so, what type of decking would you prefer? Options include wood (including cedar or treated), wood composites, non-wood/plastic, and exotic woods.

What type of railing would you like? Some options are wood, metal, glass, or cable.

6402 – Cabinets

Cabinets vary greatly in method of construction, price, durability, and aesthetics. Quantum typically groups cabinets into three categories:

  1. Budget cabinets come from big box stores such as Ikea or Home Depot. Typically the cheapest cabinets, with corresponding durability and options.
  2. Semi-Custom cabinets are manufactured in a local warehouse in accordance with your plans and shipped to your site. There are quite a few finishes and styles to choose from, but they are limited. Quantum typically uses Canyon Creek brand cabinets.
  3. Fully-Custom cabinets are locally built by artisan craftsman and are the highest quality. You can build virtually any size, type, and style of cabinets that your budget and physics will allow. You also have access to significantly more specialty options, such as swing up doors and small appliance storage. While custom cabinets are at the upper end of the pricing spectrum, they are the most common choice in mid to upper end custom homes for the level of finish they afford.

First, what level of finish would you prefer for your cabinets, using the three options above?

Second, what type and color of finish would you like on the exterior of your cabinets? Options include painted (such as a solid color or an antique look), stained wood, or plastic laminate (a commercial or contemporary look that affords a number of different options from wood grains to bright high gloss colors). You can also mix and match finishes, such as different finishes in bathrooms or different upper and lower cabinets in a kitchen.

Third, what type of pulls/handles would you like?

Finally, are there any special cabinet features you would like? Take some time to list them. We’ve started you off with a few to get you started. Feel free to circle our ideas for your list.

  • Glass Cabinet Fronts
  • Under Counter Lighting
  • Full-Height Pantry Cabinet
  • Lazy Susan Corner Cabinet
  • Pull out shelving, such as for pots and pans or garbage cans
  • Soft close hinges and drawer glides
  • Hidden work spaces for items such as stand mixers or coffee pots

6411 – Countertops

Pretty much every base level cabinet needs a countertop on top of it, as do some built-ins, desks, and other similar locations. Some of the most common countertop materials, loosely arranged by price, are listed below. Note that some materials can range from extremely cheap to extremely expensive.

  • Plastic Laminate (PLAM)
  • Butcher Block or other wood
  • Granite
  • Quartz
  • Concrete
  • Stainless
  • Other solid surface materials, including recycled glass and paperstone
  • Other metals, such as copper

Division 7 – Thermal and Moisture Protection

7200 – Insulation

Most buildings are built with fiberglass “batt” insulation in the walls and blown-in insulation in the ceiling. There are several ways to upgrade the thermal performance of your home when using standard framing, including blown-in insulation in the walls, spray foam (open or closed cell), a combination of spray foam and another type, and the addition of rigid foam insulation to the exterior of the home underneath the siding. If you are interested in lower your heating and cooling costs and making the inside temperature less prone to fluctuation, upgrading insulation is the most cost effective way to do so. Two other insulation practices to explore are “insulated headers” above windows and doors, and insulation under concrete slabs above code.

7310 – Roofing

Along with siding, roofing is one of the key ways to determine the style of your home. There are several common options, including composite shingle, metal, cedar shake, tile (clay, concrete, rubber, or stone), and membrane (primarily on flat roofs or rooftop decks).

7630 – Gutters

The most common gutters installed are continuous aluminum gutters with matching rectangular downspouts. Some options to change or upgrade gutters include rounded downspouts and rain chains (when allowed by code). Also, some roofing styles, notably certain metals and membranes, include gutter systems. What would you like for your gutters?

7816 – Skylights

Would you like to include any skylights in your home? Would you like to include any solar tubes?

Division 8 – Doors and Windows

8200 – Doors

Doors come in all materials, sizes, operations, and finishes. Often your doors will match the trim that you picked out in Division 6. For example, if you have painted MDF trim, it would be common to have painted fiberglass exterior doors and paint grade interior doors. As you work with an architect, you should be thinking about the following options.