Constructing a building is no easy feat, with an endless list of things to consider. It’s vital that each stage of the process is completed correctly, otherwise it could result in disaster. Not only could the building become unsafe, but these mistakes can delay the project. This is not ideal and can cause tensions between you and your client. Falling behind schedule results in higher costs to cover labor, and any additional equipment hire or materials that need to be ordered.
Going over budget is something that most clients will want to avoid, or simply cannot afford. Although some circumstances can’t be foreseen, as the contractor you must pay close attention to every detail.
Here are five of the most essential parts of creating a building that could easily go wrong.

Foundation

First and foremost, comes the foundations of the structure. It is of the utmost importance that this stage of construction is done correctly and to the highest standards. If the foundations are weak or insufficiently built, this will immediately result in the building being unsafe. You can’t possibly continue with construction on poorly made foundations, therefore ensuring your whole team is working together effectively to finish them properly is paramount.
Triple check that the foundations of a structure have been finished to the highest possible standard.

Materials

Getting the right materials for your construction project is another thing that could easily go awry. As a contractor, you should be able to advise your clients what is best for the specific project. However, your clients might want to create a building that is different from others. For example, more and more people are looking to create eco-friendly homes and office blocks these days. With this in mind, you will be expected to construct the building out of materials that fit those specific criteria.
However, it’s also essential that you are ensuring that the materials used for the project are safe. This means thinking about fire hazards and the overall strength of the materials. All of this needs to be thought carefully about, while still keeping within the projects budget.

Insulation

Once the basic structure of the building has been completed, you will need to move on to insulating it. A building that hasn’t been properly insulated can result in high energy usage and expenses, something which your client is likely to be unhappy about. Again, think carefully about the materials you are using for insulation and make sure they are safe to use. It’s not just about protecting your home from the cold outside, either. Insulation is also helpful in the prevention of damp and mould spreading throughout a building – both problems that could negatively affect the health of those inside.

Electrics

You must make sure that the electrics have been properly installed throughout the building. It’s a power source that we simply can’t live without today, and will be essential to those who are living or working in the building. However, bad wiring or other issues with the electrics can lead to severe injury or fires breaking out.
This, of course, is a huge safety hazard. Therefore, hiring a top-quality electrician to carry out the work is a necessity. Think carefully about where you position the circuit breaker, too. If this is difficult to access then it could cause further problems. Finally, make sure that there is a backup generator in place using generac generators, for example.
If the power does fail, the generator will help provide an alternative power source.

Plumbing

Another thing that is integral to any building is decent plumbing. Without it, simple tasks like making a cup of coffee, washing dishes or clothes, even flushing the toilet, would be impossible. There is a lot that could go wrong with plumbing in a building. Some mistakes are less serious than others and can be easily fixed.
The bigger errors in plumbing can lead to big leaks that can potentially cause structural damage to the building. It can also have an impact on the sanitation of the building if there are problems with the drainage etc. To find out that there are issues like this after the project is completed could result in having to tear down walls or ripping up flooring. To avoid this, keep testing and checking the quality of the plumbing throughout the building.
There are many more things that a contractor must think about during a construction project. Listed above are some of the easiest things that could go wrong, use them as a starting point when carrying out check-lists for your construction.