Managing the Landed Build Process
1. Partnering With Your Builder
From approvals to actual construction, you'll likely be working with your build partner for over a year. Learn how the process looks like and how to get the most out of it.
2. Complexities of Build Process
Rebuilding a house is a complex yet rewarding endeavour. From the appointment of architects and build partners, to getting approvals from URA and BCA, and the actual construction process, we are looking at a time frame that exceeds 2 years on average. Across this process, there are nuanced considerations to account for at each phase of the project, in order to ensure that the build follows your intended design, cost and timeline brief. To pull this off in isolation can seem daunting, but that is why you have your build partners with you along the journey.
To start on the right foot, we believe that it is useful for homeowners to have an understanding on the key phases of a project, what types of decisions are needed along the way, and how to establish effective ways of working with your build partner.
3. Three Phases of Home Building
a. Design phase
This is the starting point for any project. By consulting with an architect, you will work with the team to develop a home design that is reflective of your needs and aesthetic. This typically leads to two key outputs at a preliminary stage: a floorplan, and a 3D render of the design concept. This will form the basis for subsequent refinements, detailed drawings and forming a cost basis for your project.
Now, the design phase can end at different points, depending on whether you are utilising an architect (Traditional design-bid-build process) or a D&B builder. The traditional process will have the design phase continue till all drawings and schedules necessary for the project are completed. Examples include the Doors & Windows schedule, Electrical plans, Built-up Furniture drawings. These are all completed alongside the Approvals phase before issuing out a tender for contractors to bid for the project. The D&B process on the other hand, runs the design phase across the entire build process to minimise upfront time needed. It is worth noting that established D&B firms typically have in-house registered architects to support clients.
b. Approval Phase
Amidst the myriad of regulatory requirements to have a new house rebuilt, the critical path in the Approval phase is to obtain a Permit to Start Work. To that end, homeowners must work with their builders to submit either a formal submission or lodgement with URA for the proposed development. This can take between 2-3.5 months depending on the complexity of the project, and will require sufficient regulatory familiarity in order to prepare the submission drawings and navigate with URA's written directions.
With the planning submission drawings largely locked, the next stage of the Approval phase can commence. Using those drawings as a basis, engineers prepare the structural drawings for submission to BCA. In addition, there will need to be additional surveys to be cleared which your build partner will be familiar with. Upon obtaining approvals for the Structural plans and the Demolition plans, homeowners can then apply for the Permit to Start Work which takes ~2 weeks upon application.
Aside from the critical path mentioned above, there are a multitude of other items that may be required before work can start. This can range from submissions to NParks, LTA for external works, and to other relevant authorities depending on your build. This process continues through the construction stages till its completion, which can get complicated without a reliable build partner.
c. Construction Phase
The construction phase begins after the necessary approvals are obtained. Your house will be built across several stages, starting from demolition, to structural works, laying brickworks, plastering and finishing works. Across this process, it is helpful for homeowners to be involved in the process to understand the progress, take note of any changes due to site situations, and make decisions alongside the builder. This phase ends when we obtain a Temporary Occupational Permit (TOP) from BCA, where an inspection is needed to ensure that the house is good and ready for accommodations.
4. Benefits of a D&B Process
Project phases aren't 100% linear, which is where design & build shines:
One of the complexities to note is that these phases need not necessarily follow a 'waterfall' model. I.e., the process may not be fully linear and sequential. As an example, a full design of the house (e.g. interior concept, detailed shop drawings) is not needed before commencing with the Approval phase. A compliant floor plan design is needed for URA approval, and using that as a basis, structural plans can be developed and submitted for BCA approval.
With this in mind, it's possible to push for shorter projects by shortening the initial design phase to what's only necessary for approvals, and continuing to design the more detailed elements in parallel with the approval and construction phases. This 'Just-in-time-design' helps homeowners short-circuit the construction process and avoid what could potentially be a year long-period of design & approvals.
This approach is privy mostly to design and build contractors, as the traditional-bid-build approach run by most architecture firms would require full designs and approvals to be finalised before issuing a bidding process for contractors to quote effectively. As an indicative example, the rebuild for a semi-detached house from design to approvals completion could vary as much as 6 months between a design & build and traditional-bid-build process.
Well, what are the tradeoffs? With certain design elements defined later on, there could be instances where the level of finishings end up different from what homeowners were envisioning. You'll want to work with a trusted and experienced D&B builder in this instance, where they clearly communicate to you key contractual terms such as the PC rates (for material selection) and provisional sums, as well as actively engage with you across the process to lock in designs that are feasible and satisfactory to the homeowner.
5. Communicating With Your Builder
You'll need to communicate with your builder across this process, for at least 4 reasons:
a. Understanding progress and making payments
By far the most important, you'll want to stay close to the builder to understand the on-site progress for your home, as this is typically linked to payment tranches for the builder. This is usually communicated either via ad-hoc updates on Whatsapp or through more structured updates during meetings. You'll also want to visit the site several times across the lifecycle of the project, to appreciate actual terrain and building constraints. This is usually done together with aligning outstanding design decisions. If you go by a traditional design-bid-build process, the architect will also serve as an independent entity to assess work progress but this naturally comes in higher fees that are paid to the architecture firm.
b. Coordinating with 3rd parties and regulatory bodies
While appointing a good architect or builder should reduce most of the 3rd party liaison needed, this is oftentimes unavoidable across a project. Homeowners may elect to choose their own interior designers or furniture vendors as an example, and it is important especially for the builder to be looped in so as to coordinate on-site execution. Certain approvals or applications to regulatory bodies (beyond URA and BCA, there's also NParks, PUB, etc.) require the homeowner's sign-off for things to move.
c. Aligning on outstanding design decisions
In most instances, there will be outstanding design decisions for homeowners to make. This can involve finalising the height of a bay window or even choosing the tiles to go in your bathroom. Depending on your preference, this can either be done on-site or via online communications, and most competent builders should be able to accommodate. It is also key to take in your build partners perspectives on the cost, timing (procurement, installation), and design coherence here.
d. Handling any variation order (VO) items
Unavoidably, there will be the dreaded instance of variation orders (VOs). For the avoidance of doubt, variation orders pertain to any work that deviates from the agreed contract. The more straightforward instances are when homeowners request for a new feature to be built not originally in the contract. The instances which cause more disputes are post execution changes, when an agreed design has already been built on-site. The build partner will incur costs for these changes due to rework needed. That is why it is critical to stay in close contact with your builder to apprise yourself of the progress and understand when certain design items are invariably locked.
6. General Tips to Start With
This can be a lot for a first-time landed homeowner, and we recommend these TLDR steps to get off the right foot for managing your project:
a. Define upfront on how communications will work between yourself and your build partner
Good contractors will suggest these themselves, but it is also helpful for homeowners to clarify upfront how they would like to be updated along the project (frequency, format), who are the key POCs on each side, and how involved you would like to be.
b. Request for a clear project timeline and milestones that both sides are comfortable with
With multiple design and build aspects, there are often unavoidable delays in any project. That said, it is still useful for all parties to have several key milestones to keep in mind and for the builder to work towards. Work with your builder using that as a basis.
c. Clarify early any uncertain terms in the contract and align incentives
We are looking at a long-term partnership between all individuals. It is important to make sure that incentives are aligned across all parties. If there are any points that are uncertain in a contract, it is worth spending a little time upfront to avoid grief down the road. Asking is important, as what may be obvious to industry professionals may not apply for homeowners.
d. Find a good builder and trust in their professional advice
The easiest hedge is to find a trustworthy and experienced builder that you can work with. A good design & build contractor has in-house architects, engineers, quantity surveyors (cost), and construction professionals to provide you with good advice. Trust that they have your interests at heart too; as most builders would prefer to build well (for recommendations) and fast (so they can have higher turnover annually).
e. Most importantly, enjoy the process!
This is usually a one-off item for most families, and should be the reward for most homeowners looking to establish their estate. It can be stressful at times, but enjoy the process and thinking through with your architects and builders on how to build the ideal home for you and your loved ones.
