Deciding to build a granny flat is simple, designing and building the extension can be a lot harder. You'll have a lot of questions to answer along the way. Can you use a general contractor or is is better to use one who has built a lot of granny flats before? Is a template design better than a customised one? Should you let the person who'll live in the flat have a say in what it looks like? Luckily, I'm here to help. My name is Maria. We moved my Mum into a purpose-built granny flat last year, so I've had to answer all these questions and more. I thought it'd be useful for other people to see how we managed the process, so here we are — get reading!
What to Think About Before Paying for Civil Engineering Services
Civil engineering is one of the most important fields today. You need civil engineers to deliver public utilities and amenities such as roads, bridges, water distribution systems, canals, tunnels and railways, among others. Certainly, civil engineering projects serve many people on a daily basis. You must come up with a structure that can serve the people for a long time while guaranteeing their safety. This is only possible if you work with civil engineers who have good knowledge of their job and commit to delivering quality work. On that note, here are the things you must keep in mind when hiring a civil engineering company to handle your project:
- The Company's Experience
A popular saying goes that experience is the best teacher. This is the case when you are looking for a civil engineering company to work on your project. Hiring a company with extensive experience in your specific project comes with a few benefits. First, you stand to benefit from a range of ideas that the company already has, basing on the work completed in the past. Secondly, an experienced company reduces the chances of making an error from the initial to the final stages of the project. If you want to build a warehouse for your business, go for a company that has handled such projects in the past. It's a safer bet compared to a civil engineering firm focusing on bridge construction.
- The Company's Accreditation
Civil engineering companies work under strict supervision and control by regulatory bodies. The essence of stringent regulation is to ensure that the companies deliver state-of-the-art and sustainable projects. When hiring, go through the company's profile to ensure that it has the relevant, up-to-date licenses and permits issued by appropriate regulators.
- The Company's Fees
Cost is an important consideration for anyone that's looking to work with a civil engineering company. You need to minimise costs, but that should not come at the expense of a dismal job. The best way of reducing costs is to go through a couple of applications from different civil engineering companies. After that, you can strike off companies with high service charges or secondary fees that don't relate directly to the project you want to carry out.
- The Company's Equipment
Civil engineering projects require heavy construction equipment such as excavators and bulldozers. Check through the company's list of equipment to make that they have everything your project needs. If they don't, ask them about the options they have (such as hiring) and how that affects the overall costing of the project.
For more information, contact your local civil engineering services today.