In this case, I deemed it necessary for at least 6 inches of foundation to be exposed before the top of the new 5-inch-thick concrete slab. Below the slab 4 inches of washed pea gravel was to be placed on the compacted earth. Doing the math, the ground needed to be 15 inches below the corner post.
What's more, as you went to the right, the
ground needed to SLOPE down 2.5 inches to get 1/8 of an inch of fall per horizontal foot of run. This would allow water to flow over the concrete and around the far corner of the house. From there, it would flow down the driveway and end up in Lake Saratoga.
Was it Necessary?
You may wonder if it was necessary for me to make this trip. Based on the information given to
me by the homeowners, I feel the contractor didn't explain how water was going to handled on the job.
I never saw a set of plans that showed what I suggested. I was told by the project manager that some other people had proposed to use field drains to capture the water.
In my past experience, field drains are future flood problems. When you most need them in a storm, the drains can
clog with leaves/twigs/mud/etc. If the drain doesn't clog, then the buried pipe becomes the problem.
I feel it's best to just let Mother Nature do what she does best. Let the water flow overland and ensure there's enough pitch so the water doesn't get into the house.
Extra Expense
After I left, the contractor
dropped a surprise change order on the homeowners. It was just south of $20,000.00. GULP!!!!!
These kinds of surprises can be avoided with fantastic plans and specifications up front.
The issue is it requires you to get involved in the beginning. You have to engage your God-given critical-thinking skills. You must create simple drawings of your own if you're a visual learner in the
event you don't see them in your plans. You do whatever is necessary to be able to not only visualize what is going to happen but also determine that IT WILL WORK.
There is NO SHAME admitting to the contractor that you don't understand the plans. Make her/him do whatever is necessary to convey what's going to happen so you understand.
Granularity
The story has an extra twist. Just days ago the contractor called me trying to get me to help him plead his change order cause with the homeowners. Surely he knew my fealty was with the homeowners, right?????
I explained that it wasn't my job and that it should be very easy to explain a change order if the ORIGINAL quote/contract had
a breakdown of all the costs associated with the job. I've sold one of these spreadsheets for years.
With granularity like this from the beginning, it's easy for a homeowner to understand what any extra charges might be with a change
order.
For example, in this case the retaining wall in the back of the house had to be raised from 5 feet to 7 feet. If you can see the exact cost of the wall instead of it being buried in a huge number, you can then see how much the wall cost per square foot. If you're adding X square feet, then the change order should show X times the cost per square foot. Nothing about this is hard.
Reach Out in the Planning Phase
If you want to avoid financial distress, you should get me involved early in the process, not after you get a surprise or two or three. I'm happy to come to your home. At the very least, do a video or phone call with me so I can guide you through the complex process of building or remodeling.
If you recently won
the lottery, none of this matters. You have gobs of money.
If you're on a tight budget, you need me in your back pocket.
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