PETALUMA — In anticipation of an upcoming building or remodeling project, home and property owners tend to get excited about seeing the work begin. However, any construction project entails a number of preliminary hurdles that must be cleared before the actual work begins, including the architectural design and permitting process.
The process begins with a meeting between the contractor and the client, in which the project’s parameters are discussed, as well as what kinds of plans or permits will be required. This is typically followed by a meeting with one or more architects to talk about the plans and establish pricing. Once an architect is chosen, he or she will draw the plans, which can take anywhere from two weeks to two months depending on the project&#8217;s size.
Once the plans are completed, they’re submitted to the local building department. The wait time for approval depends on the size and scope of the project—a simple bathroom or kitchen remodel will take two to three weeks, while a whole house build will take four to five weeks. If revisions are needed, it’s typically a quick turnaround for the architect, and following resubmission, the plans should be approved and the permits granted within a couple of weeks.
All in all, from the initial meeting to the procurement of permits, you’re looking at six weeks to three months for an addition or remodel, or six months to a year for a whole house build (depending on the location). For this reason, it’s important to have realistic expectations about your project’s timeframe and plan accordingly.

Preliminary Steps in the Construction Process

Learn about preliminary steps in the construction process, including planning, budgeting, and site evaluation to ensure a smooth project from start to finish.

Preliminary Steps in the Construction Process by Ron Evenich

by Ron Evenich, a Diamond Certified Expert Contributor

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Video: Preliminary Steps in Construction

In anticipation of an upcoming building project, homeowners sometimes forget about the preliminary hurdles that must be cleared before construction begins. Today, we're in Petaluma with Diamond Certified expert contributor Ron Evanich of Evanich Construction to learn more.

In anticipation of upcoming building and remodeling projects, home and property owners tend to get a little excited to see the work begin. However, any construction project entails a number of preliminary hurdles that must be cleared before actual work begins, including the architectural design and permitting process.

There are certain times where, if you don't get a permit, what happens is, you go to sell your house 5 years down the road and all of a sudden there's this big addition on the side of the house. And your realtor for the buyers comes out and says, "Did this addition get a permit?" And you have to disclose, "No, it was not built with a permit." Well, that becomes a negotiating factor for the buyers to get the price down from the sellers. And all that money you put into the addition or the remodel at the time is not a benefit to you.

To learn more from local top-rated companies, visit our Diamond Certified expert reports at experts.DiamondCertified.com.

Video: Vetting Contractors in Sonoma County



Following the recent wildfires and floods in Sonoma County, the resulting shortage of construction labor has made it challenging for locals to find quality contractors. Today, we're in Petaluma with Diamond Certified expert contributor Ron Evan H of Evident Construction to learn some helpful tips.

As many of you know, the recent wildfires and last winter's floodings have created a shortage in general contractors. There's also a huge shortage of qualified skilled labor. The first thing is to make sure that your general contractor that you are requesting bids from is currently licensed and insured, with no complaints on file with the California State License Board.

The second thing is to make sure that they have current and up-to-date liability insurance and workman's comp insurance, and can provide you with a certificate and an additional insured endorsement. Next, you should require that these contractors, through the bid process, provide you with an itemized breakdown of construction costs and a written scope of work that defines the work to be completed per your drawings.

You should also always ask for a list of current projects and past projects so you can call and verify that these contractors are good to work with. And lastly, always require a signed contract and give no more than a 10 percent deposit of the total amount of the job.

To learn more from local top-rated companies, visit our Diamond Certified expert reports at experts.diamondcertified.org. 

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