When premier builder Magleby and seasoned architect JSA collaborate during pre-construction planning, clients can count on Utah’s best building experience.
After years of thought, preparation and planning a couple is finally ready to build their custom dream home. They have all the resources needed to turn vision into reality. Filled with excitement they begin the process fully expecting a few bumps along the way. Before they know it their builder is 25 percent over budget and far behind schedule. As a result, the couple is forced into awkward situations, unwanted conversations and annoying compromises. What happened?
Most likely things started off on the wrong foot, say Chad Magleby of Magleby Companies and John Shirley of JSA Architects. “If you identify the source of 95 percent of the problems people have during home building, it boils down to poor pre-construction planning,” says Magleby.
During this important stage of the process, plans are drawn, bids are obtained and expectations are set. “And inevitably the loaded question is asked,” says Shirley. “‘What’s this going to cost me?’”
REALISTIC COST Such a question is complicated for a variety of reasons: the cost of a home is determined by its architecture, site conditions, finishes and landscaping, all of which vary from project to project. Because each situation is unique the actual cost of a home can be somewhat of a moving target.
Together, Magleby and JSA are arguably the best in the state at accurately hitting that target, giving clients the most realistic view of what a project will actually cost and how long it will actually take. “Ultimately, we both want to design and build the best home in the most efficient way,” says Shirley. “That’s going to cost the client the least in the sense they’ll get what they’re paying for and do so in a hassle-free manner.”
Often, a person will try to cut costs by picking the contractor that offers the lowest bid. “This almost always ends up costing clients more in the long run because the bid isn’t based in reality,” says Shirley. “The bid was low because it was an attempt to get the business, not to inform the customer of the realistic cost of their new home.”
BUCKING THE STATUS QUO As strange as it may sound, Magleby says it’s not unusual for people to begin building a home without an itemized, detailed budget in hand. “It’s like handing someone a multi-million dollar checkbook and hoping he doesn’t spend too much,” says Magleby, who says he’s seen entire “budgets” from competitors on as little as a single sheet of paper.
Often builders don’t take enough time with the owner and architect up-front to nail down important decisions. The scope of work is too ambiguous for them to provide an accurate budget and schedule, says Shirley.
Adds Magleby: “One of the mottoes we live by is the ‘6 Ps’: Prior Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance. In sum, providing a proper budget and timeline are vital to making a project run smoothly and keeping a client happy.” Magleby would know. Named the first National Custom Homebuilder of the Year by the National Association of Home Builders, the company is known for keeping clients’ projects on schedule and within budget.
“Because we set budgets based on well defined expectations and accurate plans, we often manage to come in on or under budget,” says Magleby. “Few builders can say that.”
Magleby does so, in part, thanks to its unique ClearBuild™ process (see sidebar), which allows the company to produce highly accurate budgets and to ensure total transparency in budgeting, scheduling, and decision making. Additionally, Magleby’s close working relationship with JSA makes for clear communication and insightful decisions. “With JSA, you have an architect who’s going to expertly guide their clients through the planning process. They also understand how critical it is to involve the builder from the beginning to produce a realistic timeline and budget.”
SMOOTH SAILING It’s after Magleby has started executing a detailed set of JSA plans that the importance of the pre-construction stage becomes obvious, says Magleby.
“The farther you can see, the faster you can run,” says Magleby. “Yes, JSA and Magleby spend more time than others planning in the pre-construction period. But because of that, now there are fewer changes. We’re in a rhythm. Best of all, the owner is confident we’re delivering exactly what they want – on schedule and on budget.”
For more information call Magleby Companies at 801.785.9998, or visit MaglebyCompanies.com
