Contain Building Costs
Allowances
Allowances are for people who are in a rush. These common items in a bid, a set of plans or a contract have caused more misery for people who are building or remodeling than just about any other aspect of construction. Why? Allowances are often unrealistic. The allowance amount listed may not be enough money to purchase the item or level of quality you desire.
You can check the accuracy of allowance items fairly quickly by going to a product showroom. Make a quick list of all the plumbing fixtures you like. Add up the total cost and see where you stand. I think you will find - in most cases - that the allowance is a little stingy.
Take Your Time
A better way to develop accurate costs for a project is to pre-select everything you are going to use or need. This solves two problems: 1. You know the cost of the items. 2. The contractor and sub-contractors can calculate the exact amount of time it takes to install the item(s).
Why is this important? I'll give you a great example. About eight years ago I was awarded a contract for a room addition project. The plans for the job didn't spell out any special notes about door hardware. Well, the customers had lots of money and the wife had exquisite tastes. She went to the door hardware store and came back with a mortise lockset! Yikes! These things take 6 to 8 hours to install vs. the standard 20 minutes for a predrilled tubular lockset you install in most doors.
The bad thing is that the customers didn't feel the need to pay me extra for all the time spent to install the fancy lockset. You could argue both sides of the extra payment issue fairly easily - since the contract said I had to install a lock. I learned my lesson and they got a good deal.
To avoid situations like this in your project, just take the time to pre-select what your are going to buy. You have to do it sooner or later, so take your time up front and save hassles for all involved. You will be able to enjoy your project much, much more if you eliminate the stress of selecting items on a tight deadline schedule.