ARCHITECT’S GUIDE TO NEW YORK APARTMENT RENOVATION - DOING IT THE RIGHT WAY: PART 5 - CONSTRUCTION
Architect’s Guide to New York Apartment Renovation -
Doing It The Right Way:
Part 5 – The Construction Phase
Living On-site During Construction
Avoid living on-site if you can, despite the cost savings. There will be noise, lack of privacy, and no or limited access to the kitchen and bathrooms. Some dust always finds its way in, even if you can seal off the area you are occupying.
Construction Duration
The timeframe for construction is determined together with the contractor and is typically stated in the Owner-Contractor agreement. Some agreements include penalties for delays to the agreed completion date.
A shorter construction phase is in everyone’s interest. It minimizes your off-site living expenses and maximizes profit for the contractor, who can then move on to the next job sooner. Your neighbors will be happy too. On the other hand, construction duration should allow reasonable time to complete the work without compromising quality.
Typically, the contractor is responsible for the overall construction schedule, including coordinating the different trades and sub-contractors on the job. If you are hiring your own specialty contractors (for example, an IT systems contractor), they are responsible for synchronizing their schedule and work with the General Contractor.
Planning for Long-Lead Items
Your renovation will most likely include some items that involve a long lead time (the time between making an order and having it delivered). Items produced off-site can take considerable time to manufacture and/or deliver, such as custom cabinets, made-to-order tiles, specific pieces of furniture, etc.
The contractor will manage the delivery schedule of the long-lead items included in their scope of work. If you’re purchasing fixtures and/or materials independently, you’ll need to coordinate these items’ delivery dates and handling with the contractor.
Long-lead items have potential to affect the schedule substantially – as mentioned in Part 1, this is one of the areas you have less control over. For example, the delivery date of kitchen cabinets could be postponed due to a plywood shortage. To minimize potential delays, decisions about and orders for long-lead items should be made as earlier as possible (note that storage needs to be considered for items that arrive before they are scheduled to be installed). Ongoing communications with the manufacturers is advised, to ensure any change to the delivery date is immediately conveyed.
Site Meetings
Typically, for an apartment renovation, I recommend a weekly site meeting and walkthrough with the contractor, architect, and the owner or owner’s representative. The meetings give a snapshot of the work’s general quality, compliance with the drawings, and where the project is at in regard to schedule and expenses.
Direct communication during site meetings also helps to resolve issues effectively. I find that projects where meetings are not held in an organized way or on a regular basis tend to go over the planned timeframe and budget, and the quality of work is also affected.
The Architect’s Construction Administration Services
The construction administration services I provide for an apartment renovation usually include:
Attending weekly site meetings and walkthroughs to observe if the work is performed in accordance with the DOB-approved drawings and with the construction drawings and documents.
Answering any questions the contractor may have in regards to the work.
Reviewing the contractor’s requests for payment and recommending to the owner what to pay.
Reviewing shop drawings, which are typically issued by the sub-contractors. These relate to production of elements such as custom made cabinets and stair railings, and submittals (typically issued by the contractor) for the FF&E (furniture, fixtures, and equipment – i.e., plumbing and lighting fixtures).
At the completion of construction, reviewing punch lists (any final items that need to be completed or revised) and providing the owner with recommendations for final payments to contractor..
Note that during the weekly site visits, I evaluate the progress and quality of the work overall. If a more intensive involvement is desired, you can hire a project manager or an owner’s representative. Some architects also provide these services, so these responsibilities should be defined and agreed on prior to construction.
Conclusion
While a short construction phase is in everyone’s interest, the quality of the work should not be compromised with a rushed schedule.
The construction schedule itself is typically the responsibility of the general contractor. The owner’s specialty contractors need to coordinate their work and schedule with the general contractor. Delivery of items purchased by the owner also need to be coordinated with the general contractor.
The architect’s construction administration services are essential for ensuring overall quality of work, compliance with the construction drawings, and completion of the project within the planned budget and timeframe.