Cost is one of the critical components that any project manager needs to keep an eye on. This is because the commercial viability of any project hinges on whether costs can be kept under control. Nowhere is this as important as a framing project where costs per square foot have the potential to go out of control. For this reason, framing costs per square foot tends to be a good control point where a project manager can ensure that the overall costs of the framing project are within the required parameters. However, how does one go about managing these costs? Read on to learn about how to keep your costs under control.
Use Standard Measurements
When managing a framing project, one needs to understand that framing lumber comes in certain standard lengths. These lengths are designed to be utilized in common ceiling heights and if these heights are adhered to, then there is a good chance that the overall project will be more efficient. To explain further, if the framing plan is using different framing heights than the standard lumber heights, it will mean that the lumber will have to be trimmed to fit the required dimensions. What this means is that the construction process will probably be slower as the process of cutting and fitting the frames will take time. It will also be more expensive as additional resources and equipment will have to be brought in for the trimming process. Finally, there is a good chance that the framing project will utilize a lot more lumber than would have been the case otherwise.
Use Open Plans
Not having to build walls obviously means that you use less lumber, which saves you money. However, this comes with a rider in that you cannot let costs drive the design of the house. For this reason, the best way to go about this is to incorporate a mix of designs that help to save you money while at the same time retaining the aesthetics of the house. For example, you could decide to use an open plan in the areas of the house where people are likely to spend more time. In other parts of the house, you could use a more traditional approach. Another way to cut lumber costs is to avoid using vaulted ceilings which are pretty expensive. However, if these are critical to the overall plan of the house, you will need to use them.
Proper Planning
One way to keep construction costs low is to plan well. People often overlook the fact that a significant proportion of costs come from delays, wastage, and duplication of tasks. This means that if you plan your project properly beforehand, you are likely to save a significant amount of money. For example, ensuring that you have a project chart that maps out exactly what is needed in each phase of the framing project means that you can have the resources in place before the proceeding phase starts. This is because purchasing materials is a process and experienced construction experts understand that this takes time. The alternative is to rush the purchasing process, which often means that you have no time to compare costs among different suppliers and sometimes even the quality of the materials. It also means that you are likely to be affected by any delays in delivery, which is often out of the project manager’s control.
