Construction is the process of constructing a building or infrastructure. Construction differs from manufacturing in that manufacturing typically involves mass production of similar items without a designated purchaser, while construction typically takes place on location for a known client. There are stages that must be considered or followed before and during the construction for it to be successful, these include planning, building plan approval, build according to the law and completion.
Planning -Get your ideas together, separating out what you must achieve and would like to achieve, so that you can think about priorities, budget and timing. You can get some idea of cost from designers or builders, so that you know whether it’s a realistic project. Evaluate the location of your land, and the position of your building site on it, can have a big impact on your project. When you are planning you have to make sure that you get the right design that you want and that design it will be the one that will be submitted to council. Look for the right people to do the project for you and also plan safety and health of the people that are going to work in the construction.
building plan approval- Make sure the person completing the application knows what to do and how to make a good application. It has to include all of the requested information, including detailed drawings and evidence of compliance with the council. Think about your timing. Your building consent will lapse if you don’t start the building work within 24 months, unless you have arranged an extension with your council. So give yourself and your building team enough time to complete the project.
Build according to the rules and regulations– Once the building plans are approved you must know the expiry date of the approved plans. This date is important as you need to start your project within 24 months of receiving your building consent and finish it whenever you able to this applies to low density areas. It might seem a long way off, but the date will be used in the council’s final project sign-off, and is part of the information you need to gather throughout the project. You or your project manager, builder or architect need to monitor progress and keep the council informed. The contractors must build as it is on the plan no additions or subtractions because this will delay the success of the project and it will be a waste of resources since you will be forced to demolish the part that is not on the plan. Organise inspections and ensure they happen.
Completion – this is the last stage whereby the building has been finished and ready for occupation. You also need to make all final payments, as agreed in your contracts. Ensure all council fees have been paid as well, so that you can get council sign-off in the form of a certificate of occupation.
This piece of work provides an overview of the construction process and should help everyone who wants to start the construction process for their first time. One can also note that there are four major stages in the construction process.