1. Define your requirements and what needs to be done

Perform some research and select finishing materials before signing a contract or request from a potential contractor to provide them for your review and approval (color, size, model, material type and design)

• Establish a detailed plan

• Assure all the interfaces are covered 

• Depending on each project duration, schedule a weekly walk through

Building plans (schematics) include a floor plan and possibly imagined views of the exterior of the building project. These usually take several weeks for an architect to produce and depending upon the number of alterations, the process can take considerably longer. When setting your timetable, you should factor in the scale, and complexity of your project.

It also helps if you have a clear vision of what your project will look like before you start the process of creating the detailed plans. It can often help to work with a designer to help finalise your vision before you start the process of producing your schematics.

2. Make sure you are realistic with your budget

When it comes to buildings projects things rarely, if ever, go exactly to plan. Having a realistic margin of error built into your budget to cover unforeseen expenses can help stop your project from being delayed should problems occur. The precise margin will depend upon the size and complexity of the build, but having this safety net built in from day one can help prevent costly delays to your project.

3. Choose your contractor carefully

Common practice is to hire a contractor once the design of the property and the schematics have been finalized. As such, there is usually a good idea of what the final property will look like when it is finished, the dimensions of each room and what materials are likely to be used in the build. It is this information that your contractor will use to provide you with an estimate of costs.

It is also common for a potential contractor to be asked to provide an estimate from the schematics as part of the interview process, before he is hired to undertake the project. In addition to this, it is vital that you check a potential contractors references. You may also want to visit their previous job sites or do additional research before making a final decision on who to hire.

This process can take time and it is important that you factor this into your time estimate. Altogether you should factor in between 4 and 6 weeks to interview contractors and for them to provide their estimates.

4. Line up the necessary equipment for the project

One of the most important things to sort out before breaking ground on a new project is deciding upon exactly what equipment is required to complete the job. This includes working out where you will source each item of equipment from and how long you are likely to require it as this will be one of your main costs. One of the most common pieces of equipment is a mini excavator. It is also important to make sure that you hire your equipment from a reliable supplier, such as Rent 1 USA. If you are looking for mini excavator rentals in Seattle, you should check them out.