While not always feasible, we recommend making all your selections before signing a construction contract. Paint colors, cabinets, plumbing fixtures, hardware, tile, light fixtures, etc., ALL the selections. When selections aren’t available when ready to sign a construction contract, we will include placeholder allowances for those items in the contract, but this is not ideal.
One issue is the cost of the selections themselves. While we try to give realistic allowances, there are so many products on the market with such a variance in price, it is impossible for us to know for sure that the allowance we give is adequate for what the client will ultimately choose- especially when products may not be ordered for several months to ensure just in time delivery and avoid warehousing for undetermined timeframes. If discrepancies in pricing are put on the backburner to be reconciled later, the client may wind up spending far more than originally budgeted. However, if we have the selections up front, they will be more accurately reflected in the contract allowance amounts. Even with product selections complete allowances remain in the contract as vendor pricing changes month to month- so having adequate allowances established reduces the variances in the final allowance reconciliation.
Another issue is delays. We all have busy lives, and it is not uncommon to have trouble receiving selection decisions in a timely manner. Deadlines slip by. It can be harder to find the envisioned product than anticipated. Sometimes there are too many options and option paralysis sets in. Sometimes clients simply don’t see the need for selections when we aren’t at that phase in construction yet. And products also get discontinued- so having backup selections may also become a necessity. Whatever the reason, 100% completion of selections in a timely manner is a common challenge. Indecision can stall the project, causing frustration to both the build team and the client. For example, a tile selection is finally made, but has a 5-week lead time, and we were ready to start next week. The project may come to a standstill while we wait on the tile. The build team is frustrated, because they are losing time and time is money. The design team is frustrated because after having moved on to another project they may have to revisit other decisions to ensure continuity of style and finish throughout the project. The project manager also must rework the entire schedule for the project and any other projects that were on the immediate horizon. The client is frustrated, because they see no work going on and the initial completion date is going to be missed. No one is happy.
Construction by its very nature is going to have surprises, missteps, and delays along the way. Why add more complexity to it by not making selections in a timely manner? Better yet, have all the selections made before getting started in the first place. This will make for a more enjoyable experience for all parties involved. Everyone is happy.
Since every project we do is custom, we don’t have pre-set selections for anything for any of our clients. However, we do help in making these selections. Some clients require a lot of assistance, and some don’t require our services at all. Either way is fine, we are here to help make the project run as smoothly as possible with the best possible outcome.