Before You Add-On, Get a Construction Consultant

constructorArticle written by Southern Reality

Before you make that next add on to your home, hire a construction consultant to help approve the work and look things over. It adds an extra cost to your project, but construction claims management pays for itself in helping you fight a case. You don’t want to be responsible for something outside your control going wrong, but you can be held liable if you’re not keeping and filing adequate paperwork.

Permits

If you don’t have all the necessary permits, you could run into trouble when you attempt to sell your home later in life. If an addition isn’t built to code, or there aren’t permits to document the addition, it may present problems with the sale and cost money to break down. You can try to use a construction expert witness to argue on your behalf, but it’s best to get help securing permits in the first place.

Personnel

One of the biggest sources of disputes is personnel, the other is contracts. Both require careful construction claims analysis to navigate without spending thousands to settle disputes. For personnel, talk with your contractor to make sure he is licensed and bonded. He should carry insurance as well. You can take out additional insurance on the project, which isn’t a bad idea depending on the scope of work you want to do.

Contracts

The best way to deal with disputes related to contracts is to outline the scope of work ahead of time and get plans approved by an independent consultant. This covers your bases and reduces the odds you’ll need to re-draw plans.


Lyle Charles Consulting is a firm that specializes in claim resolution for commercial construction projects. With more than 30 years of experience in commercial construction disputes, trust Lyle Charles Consulting.