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The building shell
Once excavations and foundations are completed things can happen pretty quickly.
Most builders nowadays order framing in pre- built sections and put them together on site. Next, the roof goes on, windows are fitted and the exterior cladding is fixed. Plumbing, electrical, wiring, insulation and doors are installed. The building is now at "lock up" stage.
Substitution and Variations
During the building process, you or your builder may wish to change something or make a substitution because a certain brand of a product is not available. Talk to your designer or project manager or builder to help decide if the variation is really necesary and how much it will cost. Some changes will require that you apply for a new or amended building consent. This will delay and incur costs for your project.
Make sure any substituted product is equivalent in quality to what was orginally specified. Your contract with the builder should include a term that forbids making changes to the building without your writtin instruction.
Some changes are minor in nature, some may change the performance of the building relative to the building code - the golden rule is discuss any changes you are thinking about with your consent authority BEFORE any changes take place.
Step 11 Interior lining & fit out
