The correct plumbing of your home is an important process during construction. Most of us have used a plunger to clear a blocked toilet or maybe we have replaced a worn out washer in a faucet. Unless you have lived in a home with plumbing problems, most people take their plumbing system for granted. The plumbing system performs the dual tasks of supplying water to the house and removing liquid waste. It is important to find a good plumber to handle the installation of your plumbing system. Mistakes or oversights can be costly down the road or during construction if leaks develop.

The plumbing that will be installed in your house is made up of the drain waste vent system and the water supply system. The drain waste vent system transports all of the used water from toilets, sinks, and showers to the septic system or sewer. Most new construction uses PVC or ABS plastic pipe that is sealed with glue. Older homes generally use iron pipe. Some newer homes will still use iron piping to avoid the noise of draining water that is present with plastic pipes. The main components used in the drain waste vent system are the soil stack, vent, and trap. The soil stack connects your home to the sewer system. It is a vertical set of pipes that connects to the piping in the home typically in the foundation floor or wall. The top of the stack is your vent. This will extend vertically out through the roof to allow gases to escape outside, plus this wil also aid in draining by allowing air inward. You should periodically make sure the vent is unobstructed. A plugged vent will trap dangerous gases, and without the inward flow of air, could cause sinks to fill while other fixtures drain. A trap should be installed on all drains in the house. This is a U-shaped pipe that is installed below each drain to trap a small amount of water that prevents sewer gases from seeping back up through the drains into your home.

Your home's water supply system can come from two different sources: a private well operated by you or from a public water system operated by your city or county. In a private well system, a pump fills a pressure tank where it is stored for your use. When the tank is depleted, the pump will activate to refill the water. Using a public water system requires a water supply line that is connected to the water main and a water meter. The meter is typically the dividing point between the city-owned line and your home's line. Both systems typically use a 1/2" copper pipe that enters through the foundation floor or wall. Water supply lines are made of copper, CPVC plastic or possibly galvanized steel. Cold water pipes branch out from the main water line, while hot water will originate from your water heater. There are typically several cutoff valves in the system: near the water meter that the city can use to shut service off to the home, before and after the water heater, near the feeds for any outside faucets, under most sinks and toilets, and near most of your water-based appliances like refrigerators, washers and dishwashers. Any of these valves can be shut off in case of an emergency or to conduct repairs in the portion of the system behind the cutoff valve. You'll need to be familiar with your plumbing system if you plan to attempt any repairs yourself.

A small leak in a pipefitting or incorrect holes in the joists or studs can to lead damaged materials and a delay in construction. That is why it is extremely important that the right plumber does the installation of the plumbing in your new home. When looking for a plumber, or talking to your contractor about the plumber they plan on using, you will want a licensed plumber who has experience with the installation of plumbing in a new home. You do not want a standard "family" plumber who specializes in fixing leaks. The plumber you use needs to understand the residential design system and know the current building codes for your area. If you plan on being your own builder, the best source for contacting this type of plumber is an experienced contractor. A contractor will try to use reliable subcontractors, especially when it comes to plumbing. Mistakes, such as a joint left unsoldered, can easily destroy thousands of dollars worth of walls or hardwood floors and complicate construction with insurance claims and lost time. If you plan on using a contractor to build your home, it does not hurt to make sure the plumber meets licensing, workers compensation and liability insurance requirements.

Thoughts about the plumbing system for your future home might not enter your mind while searching through our collection of plans to find your dream home. If they do, they will probably be thoughts of what this fixture or that whirlpool tub should look like. The basics of the system will be handled by your general contractor or by the plumbing subcontractor you hire. Since stock home plans do not show the exact schematic of the plumbing system, both because of local building code requirements and the layout of the lot you are building on, it is important to have a basic understanding of plumbing systems and even more important to find a quality plumber who can implement a trouble-free plumbing system.

The list below provides a list of materials used to build a home of 2085 square feet. This is not based on any particular home plan, it gives you an idea of the amount of materials needed to build a home of that size.
# 13,127 board-feet of framing lumber
# 6,212 square feet of sheathing
# 13.97 tons of concrete
# 2,325 square feet of exterior siding material
# 3,100 square feet of roofing material
# 3,061 square feet of insulation
# 6,144 square feet of interior wall material
# 120 linear feet of ducting
# 15 windows
# 13 kitchen cabinets; 2 other cabinets
# 1 kitchen sink
# 12 interior doors
# 7 closet doors
# 2 exterior doors
# 1 patio door
# 2 garage doors
# 1 fireplace
# 3 toilets; 2 bathtubs; 1 shower stall
# 3 bathroom sinks
# 2,085 square feet of flooring material such as carpeting, resilient sheet, resilient tile, ceramic
# tile or wood plank 1 range; 1 refrigerator; 1 dishwasher; 1 garbage disposer; 1 range hood
# 1 washer; 1 dryer

When getting ready to build it is important that you have thought out your entire home so that changes during the building process can be avoided. A change order is an agreement to modify an original contract with a builder at an added cost. The term applies generically to those changes in the course of your project that change your original plans and increase your cost.

You don't want change orders. You want to get it right the first time because change orders are costly for these reasons:

Do-Undo-Redo -

Many change orders result in three times the work. You do the design as planned. That's the first cost. You decide you don't like it. You undo what you did, destroying materials and running up labor. That's the second cost. You redo the work in a different way. That's the third cost. You've paid for the same item - family room, driveway, shower enclosure, whatever - three times.

Short notice -

The affected item must be changed right now. It stands in the way of other work. The interest clock is ticking. The schedules of the subs are on hold and beckoning. You've got to move now. You can't give the item adequate competitive bidding or shopping time. You have no recourse but to pay top dollar.

Tip of the iceberg -

Once an owner starts doing change orders, it's just the tip of the iceberg. If one thing needs to be changed now that the owner thinks about it, other things also need to be changed. The change orders are a sign that planning was weak on the project overall. There is dissatisfaction with many items. But the impatience of the subs and the unavailability of new and different materials or craftsmen to affect the change limits the process. The result is that many desired changes are foregone. And the owner is unhappy with the house, the greatest single investment of his or her lifetime.

Some changes are too late to be done right, as with the master bathroom in one house in the midwest. The owner decided belatedly to add marbled walls and mirrored ceilings to a sumptuous master bath. The weight of the room became tremendous, and out of proportion to the footings and foundations already in place. The house sagged, the walls cracked, and a legal fight over responsibility ensued.

For many general contractors, change orders are a way of life, and a steady source of income. This group gives short shrift to planning, and hurries to break ground for their customer. When the change orders arise, they are "the customer's fault". The contractor gets the business because he bid it lower than a competitor who included everything and who provided for some planning time. But he ends up at a higher cost than the up-front competitor. And the customer winds up stressed and dissatisfied.

In my survey, most of the contractors admitted that change orders arise on all of their projects. The average of all contractors surveyed was a five percent increase in original estimate.

When building your home, you will most likely need a construction loan. This type of loan gives you money, as payments are due on the construction of your home. You will need to make interest payments based on the amount you have currently borrowed. The lender pays your builder as needed to complete various stages of the building process.

Sometimes the loan amount is not enough to cover the entire building process. Ask your lender how cost overruns will be handled if the home's cost exceeds the initial building contract. In most cases you will need to refinance the loan and pay additional fees for refinancing. To avoid this potential problem it is a good idea to borrow more than the estimated amount.

Some people like to have their builder handle the financing of the construction loan. For the builder to do this they most often will need to own the land that the home is being built on. If you currently own the lot, you will need to sign a deed over to the builder in order for them to handle the financing.

When figuring out your budget to build the home it is important to figure in your interest rates. You will be paying interest on your home while it is being built.

When constructing a home there are several ways that one can cut back on costs. The lists below provide some insight on a number of ideas that may or may not work for your situation. Some of the items are directly related to the type of house plan you choose.

Savings in Construction Costs

1. Enable proper bidding. Work the quirks out on paper rather than in the field.

2. Keep walls simple and lined up.

3. Organize spaces. A good design can organize the floor plans of a house in a way that the maximum use can come from the minimum space.

4. Stay compatible with conventional construction techniques.

5. Use cost-effective and environmentally friendly materials. Use local materials and labor.

5. Keep floor heights consistent through choice of materials, tile thicknesses, and underlayments.

6. Take into consideration standard material dimensions. Plywood, sheetrock, framing, trims and components come in two foot increments.

7. Eliminate change orders and additional work. Provide detailed specs to reduce the unknowns, and assure quality control and craftsman-like workmanship.

8. Assure site position is best for lot, reduces excavation and fill.

9. Use trusses where possible to save labor over stick-built roof framing.

10. Take carpet widths into consideration so you don't have a lot of seaming.

11. Orient rooms and spaces to minimize hallways and maximize the borrowed spaces from room to room, as in an open plan. This could reduce the necessary size of your home.

12. Place stairways in two story homes to limit hallways and reduce wasted space.

13. Reduce insulation cost by wrapping the inside of the walls with plastic sheeting, instead of using insulation faced with a vapor barrier.

14. Uses cantilevering (suspended support for parts of floor area) versus having the foundation follow every jog to save on foundations and excavation.

15. Keep roof pitch below 7/12, (seven inches of drop for every running foot) to make for lower cost and faster roof work. The Essentail Guide to Roofing, can be a helpful tool in determining roof pitch.

Being more conscious of our natural resources has spawned the development of new materials, and the emergence of old building methods in a quest to build cheaper more environmentally aware homes. Wood has been the material of choice for the frame of the house for many years. The emergence of steel framing and the use of straw bales are becoming viable alternatives.

Building a home using straw bales is an old building method that is making a comeback. Settlers in the Great Plains area during the late 19th century built the majority of their homes using straw due to the lack of trees and the ready availability of straw. Individuals nationwide are using straw bales again to construct the walls of their home. The cost and the availability of materials are two of the main factors why people are starting to use straw bales. There is an overabundance of straw compared to wood, which makes it less costly and it is better for the environment. Straw replenishes itself very quickly when compared to tree growth.

Since construction of straw bale homes is re-emerging, there are not a lot of people who have a solid understanding of building a home using this method. Seminars and workshops are becoming more prevalent as interest grows. These workshops cover the basics of straw bale construction as well as details such as running wires and plumbing in straw walls. The straw bale walls are structurally sound. The walls are 2 feet thick, resistant to fire due to the density of the bales, and are also not prone to insect infestation because of lack of nutrients in the dry straw. Most straw bale homes employ a wooden post and beam frame that stands inside the bale walls after they are stacked. This allows the home to have an upper level due to the extra stability the frame provides. The bales are stacked like bricks and then covered with a plaster.

A few problems can arise when constructing a home out of straw, one being strict building codes. In areas where communities are not familiar with straw bale homes there can be opposition to this type of construction. Installing the post and beam frame is required in most areas where codes allow straw construction. Another problem that can occur in straw bale homes is the build up of moisture, which results in the rotting of the straw. If the straw becomes wet, it dries too slowly, stays wet through the seasons, and eventually rots in a few years. This is much more prevalent in damp areas of the country, but can be combated by keeping the moisture from above and below away. Having big roof overhangs, proper window sills with adequate drainage, minimal backsplash along the base of the home, and eliminating air leaks in the walls should all help keep moisture out of straw bale walls.

Using steel to frame a house has become more and more popular over the last few of years. Steel has been used for years in basement or foundation support, but is now being used more often to frame the entire house. There are many advantages to using steel framing over wood, but it is still not widely used by most contractors.

Most of the advantages of using steel stem from its added strength. It allows greater support to large uninterrupted space allowing larger, more open rooms. Wood can often settle, warp or sag causing cracks in drywall; most of the time with steel you can avoid these problems. The added strength of steel helps in the prevention of damage caused by natural disasters such as hurricanes or earthquakes and eliminates the problem of termites. Steel is also fire resistant, so if a fire breaks out in the home, damage will be considerably less. Other advantages of steel is that they come precut for the specific job and already have holes for wiring to run through. Having the steel precut reduces the waste at construction sites. Steel is more environmentally friendly because it is made from recycled materials and any waste you have left can be recycled. Steel framing contains a minimum of 25 percent recycled steel; a 2,000 square foot house uses the equivalent of six scrapped cars. In wood, that same house uses 16,000 board feet of framing lumber, or about 50 trees, according to the NAHB.

Currently there are some disadvantages to using steel. The biggest being that it is not widely used. Most builders and subcontractors are reluctant to change, they are comfortable using wood. Training framers to work with steel takes time and money and those who are trained in its use can demand higher wages. Lack of familiarity will also increase the amount of time needed to construct the frame. According to the North American Steel Alliance, steel construction will typically add 50 cents to $1 per square foot to the cost of the home. Mainly due to the reasons previously stated, steel right now only has a 3 to 5% market share for wall systems. Some other concerns with steel are that it is less forgiving than wood. It is not as easy to fit, or shave off some of the post to fit into odd spaces. Also steel construction requires at least an inch of exterior foam insulation to have the same energy efficiency as wood. This is due to warm and cold air pass through steel much easier than wood.

As you are deciding on the home you are building you can also start to consider how you would like to construct it. The two different wall systems that have been discussed might have given you a new perspective. Both methods are more environmentally conscious than wood and are gaining popularity. Steel especially will becoming more popular as builders become more skilled in using the material. The advantages of using steel will help it get more exposure and ultimately, more people will be requesting steel be used in the framing of their home. When talking to builders, you can inquire about building the home you find on Dream Home Source using steel, straw or any other material.

Adequate Wiring

You're probably not even thinking about putting in lights or a stereo system in that huge unfinished attic space right now. But if someday that space will become a media center with all the latest technology (computer, big-screen TV, sound system-the works), then including wiring runs for these and other electronic components will be much easier and less costly at the building stage than waiting until you're ready to make the move. You may not know exactly what you want in this space, but installing the best rough-in electrical wiring before walls are finished will allow you to make final decisions later with more confidence. If you can afford it and think you'll need it, consider fiber-optic systems. And don't forget about phone cabling and coax for media equipment. Your electrician can help you make the right choices-and will appreciate the foresight you exhibited at the building stage.

Rough-in Plumbing

A future wet bar, mini-kitchen, or bath in your finished bonus space demand that you include appropriate rough-in plumbing for the unfinished space when it is installed for the rest of the home. Sure, doing it when you build will add a bit to the cost, but trying to rig together something later will only create headaches and add significant dollars. The best plan is to coordinate your plumbing runs for bonus spaces with those in the finished part of your house-clustering bathrooms together, for instance. The plumbing subcontractor for your building project can help you decide what and how much you need to install.

Natural Light:

If your basement or attic will only be used for storage space, you probably won't mind if it has ambient light from natural sources. However, if you are planning to use the space for future livability, including some operable windows in the attic, bonus spaces, and basement when you build will eliminate the need to rework some of the structural components in these areas. If your future space is an attic, consider skylights, which are easily incorporated into the roof's construction. Doors accessing the outside are a similar consideration. You might like to have a patio outside the den you're planning for the bonus room. Mitigate the need for cutting into siding and studs later by installing that patio door now. At the very least, insist on appropriate bracing for windows and doors where you will want them in the future.

HVAC

Heating and cooling ducts are going to be installed throughout your home before the interior finishes are completed. This is the opportune time to plan duct runs to future spaces as well. While you may not want to actually heat and cool a bonus space until it is developed, you will want all the necessary duct work in place when you build so you don't have to contend with new duct runs later on. The duct work can be capped off to the bonus area until it is actually needed.

Waterproofing

If your bonus space happens to be a basement or part of a basement that will be made into livable space someday, be sure that adequate waterproofing is part of the plan when the foundation is laid. While it can be applied after the home is built, it will require digging trenches in your lawn around the house and will destroy any landscaping that you've cultivated. Remember, waterproofing protects your basement and is a good idea even if you're not planning livable space there.

Design Elements

You may not be sure how you would like to use your bonus space or even how you want to decorate the space when it is finished. But if you think you'll want to use some of the same elements you're using in the finished areas of your home, you'd be wise to purchase enough for the bonus room at the same time. By the time you are ready to develop your bonus space, those same elements may not be available-or at least not in the same dye lots as those you have already acquired. Carpeting and window coverings are prime examples.

Go for the extra expense and get what you need now-you don't have to install it right away and can temporarily store it in that unfinished space until you're ready to use it.

Remember that even if you never take advantage of the planning you have done to render a bonus space usable in the future, installing these extra elements at the building stage adds little to the overall building cost and, yet, greatly increases your home's resale value.