This is the list of quetions asked and the answers provided. Reponses are in red.
1. General Questions, Part 1
a. Communications procedures
i. Contact Information: business card provided
ii. Preferred method of contact? Don’t ever call the office; call or email. Working hours are M-F 8-4, leave a voicemail; email is the easiest
iii. Turnaround time for responses? Expect about a business day; will run into a significant amount of vacation time but the other project manager will cover while gone
iv. How often will we receive updates? Once per week, unless on vacation; will let you know if out “will not be getting an update next week” etc.
v. Responsible for handling everything that happens on the worksite, build as quickly as possible w/o sacrificing quality
vi. All paperwork goes through SR, all mortgage goes through NVR
b. Construction
i. Timeline/construction schedule: do not provide – if there is something specific want to know, ask; the schedule shifts daily
1. General guideline – can provide that
2. Put schedule together at the start, but “no plan makes it past first contact”; PM “just trying to keep things moving”
3. Weather is the number one thing that causes issues
ii. Approximate completion date: mid to late December
iii. Visiting the construction site: be with a RH rep; schedule via email; will have at least one or two trainees – may or may not be able to answer questions (most likely won’t be able to);
1. Will not take through the home while framing
2. Ask PM, and he will tell us if it makes sense to visit
3. During Access – hard sole shoes, when it’s snowy, stay off the sight, drag feet to avoid stepping anything
4. Liability issue
c. Inspections
i. Will the Ryan Homes provided inspection results be available for review? No, but can get everything from the building website
ii. County inspection reports? Available on county website; will not find plumbing inspections online; tied to the street address
1. Electric
2. Gas
3. Two building permits – foundation and the main building
iii. Bring own inspector: schedule on PM schedule, insurance information – his report is his report; finds building code violations, will address those, but will not address personal opinion; will not change what RH does
1. *When hiring an inspector, look at their experience – those who came up through building industry
d. Other
i. What do you do to protect the materials and structure from weather while being built? Not a lot you can do; the home is exposed to elements – no warranty; birds will find way into vents;
1. Best advice for bugs is to spray ortho home defense around in the spring
2. Don’t know if there’s another builder that moves through houses more quickly than RH
3. Bottom of basement walls treated 2x4 that can withstand more than a basic stud
4. Can get some mold growth this time of year due to humidity and heat
ii. What are the dimensions of the lot so we can get estimates on the cost to build a fence? Will provide a copy of plot plan 47x70’
1. Highly recommend paying an engineer to stake out
2. If it is over the property line, will need to move to do other construction
2. Outside
a. How deep will the foundation be? ~ 6.5 ft main part, basement take off 4 ft
b. Where are the hose bibs? Front and back
c. Where will the air conditioner compressor be placed? On plot plan – elevated on post
d. Where will the utilities enter the house/meters: plot plan
i. Gas:
ii. Water: front
1. Shutoff:
iii. Electric:
iv. Septic/sewer:
e. Standard outside lights and outlet locations? Garage sides, front back. 3 Outlets by the front and back door, one of a side of the house
f. Will landscaping and sod be completed prior to closing? signed a document stating final grade, exterior concrete, and exterior painting may be delayed until spring with the goal of completion by May 31.
g. Where will the gutters be and where/how will they drain? Front and back
h. Mailbox location: left, house side of driveway
i. Height of backdoor to ground: ~2 ft
j. Will any of the basement walls be exposed? Minimum of 8”
k. – 3 outdoor outlets
3. Garage
a. Is the garage partially finished? Drywall hung on all, rough mud
i. Steps to complete: sand, mud, sand, mud, then paint
b. Is there a step from the mudroom to the garage? 2 steps, possibly 3
c. What type of garage door opener will be installed? Genie
d. Will the garage floor have a pitch or drain? Will be pitched 3” front to back
e. Driveway, 10 % (plot plan indicates 7.4% with max of 10%
4. Basement
a. Where will the sump pump discharge? Into storm drain system
b. Will there be an additional floor drain anywhere? Ties into sewage
c. Location of water softener rough-in: around water heater
d. Will there be any exposed frame in the unfinished portion of the basement? Yes interior wall
e. **Roman shower includes a ceramic pan/tiles on floor
5. Bathrooms
a. Where will ventilation fans be installed? General location, won’t be over the shower
i. Vent to: outside
b. Where are the bathroom towel racks, etc. placed? On blueprints
6. Kitchen
a. Can kitchen countertop piece against the wall (upper edge) not be installed: - cannot remove, counter is one piece
b. Refrigerator space size and depth: no wider than 36 no higher than 71; counter 25.5 to 26”
c. **50/50 sink with laminate counters
d. ***standard stainless steel package for kitchen appliances
7. Laundry
a. Laundry space size and depth: 2’ 10 deep
b. 3 or 4 prong dryer plug? 4 prong
c. Dryer vent location: low on the right (washer will be on left)
8. Attic
a. Where will the attic access be located? One in mudroom, one in garage
b. How much flooring in the attic? No flooring – not structurally designed to hold any storage
c. How many vents? 5 ft over the garage, 15 ft over the house
9. Electrical
a. Electrical service panel location: unfinished
i. – 150 amp
b. Will the electrical panel be labeled? yes
i. How (1breaker/room)? (by fixture, ex. outlet, ceiling light, etc)
c. Placement of electrical outlets
i. Voltage: 110-120
ii. Kitchen island: 2, one on each end
d. Placement of ceiling fan rough-ins: roughly in the center of each room depending on ceiling beams
i. Connection to switches: 2 switches, one for the fan, one for the light (plus one for a switched outlet)
e. Placement of light switches: within reach of door ways
f. Placement of recessed/LED lights (traditional light package +basement): on blueprint
g. Placement of light fixture: on blueprint
10. HVAC
a. Type of heating and cooling: central forces, 92.5 efficient gas furnace
b. How many zones/thermostat(s)? one
c. Type of thermostat? Programmable - Honeywell
d. Where is the inside air handler located? intake
e. How many and where are the intake – return locations? One first floor, one basement
f. How many and where are the output vents?
i. Basement, bedroom, 2 in unfinished, 1 walking (?), side furnace
ii. Greatroom will have 1 or 2, all other rooms will have one along the outer walls
11. Floors
a. How is the subfloor attached? Originally glue and nail, come back and screw
b. Will there be extra floor supports for high-traffic areas? no
c. Flooring breaks/carpet-vinyl transition: run a board, but up against hard wood. Vinyl carpet – metal strip
12. General Part 2
a. Drywall tacked, screwed, or both? Nailed on the perimeter, then screwed
b. Walls smooth or textured/brush stroked? smooth
c. Paint finish: flat
d. Will the windows have screens installed? Operable windows will
e. Will the backdoor have a screen? yes
f. Where will there be smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detector be in each room? Bedroom, right enter by the door, two combo detectors
g. Leave floor covers so we can use while moving in? no – will not pass inspection if any construction materials are on the premises
h. When can we receive info and model #s for: all on units; On provided USB drive; Ply Gem Windows
i. What type of roof? 30 year dimensional shingle
j. What is the type of siding? vinyl
k. Do any of the options we choose give you cause for concern? no
l. How long have you been with Ryan Homes? 19 year, started as an intern while pursuing a degree in construction management from Purdue; Built 148 homes in local development but no idea how many total
m. How long have you been doing project management? Only with RH, 19 years
Other Questions/Comments
Groundbreaking has been pushed back a week due to not being able to get permits (originally week of Sept. 10, now the week of Sept. 17)
After completion of the house (settlement), 30 days after, PM is responsible for anything. After 30 days, contact Ryan Homes Warranty department for any issues – will be added to a list and the database; until it's clicked off, the reported order remains there
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