GUIDE 05 OF 7 | WE BUILD NH
Questions to Ask Before Breaking Ground

Ten minutes of honest reflection saves a hundred hours of revision.

I have a philosophy I have held for forty years: ten minutes of the right thinking saves a hundred hours of planning, and a hundred hours of careful planning saves a thousand hours of rework.

This principle applies directly to value engineering. The time to make the hard budget decisions is before you break ground -- when changing a material costs nothing but a phone call. A value-engineering conversation mid-build costs time, money, schedule, and sometimes your relationship with the contractor. Answer these questions honestly before you start. Your future self will thank you.

ABOUT YOUR VISION

Can you describe your project in three sentences without using the word 'nice'? Vague vision leads to vague contracts and expensive revisions.
Are you building for how you live now or how you want to live in ten years? These produce very different homes.
If you had to cut 20% from the budget, what goes first? Know your priorities before the contractor proposes cuts -- because they will.
Have you experienced a New Hampshire winter in a home like this one? Heating costs, access, and maintenance are genuinely different here.
Is this a primary residence, second home, or short-term rental? This changes almost every design and material decision.

ABOUT YOUR BUDGET AND VALUE ENGINEERING

Do you have a hard budget ceiling or a soft one? Contractors can work within real constraints. They cannot work within imaginary ones.
Have you identified which materials and systems are non-negotiable? Write them down. These are your no-value-engineering list. Common items: roofing, windows, insulation, waterproofing, and structural systems.
Do you understand the long-term cost of saving short-term? A $5,000 savings on windows today can mean $50,000 in energy costs and early replacement over 20 years in NH's climate.
Have you accounted for soft costs? Design, engineering, surveys, permits, and temporary housing add 15-25%.
Do you have a 15% contingency set aside and committed to not touching? If not, set your hard budget 15% lower than your available funds.
Have you spoken with a lender? Construction loan draw schedules affect when you can approve and pay for materials.

ABOUT MATERIALS AND WARRANTIES

Have you reviewed manufacturer warranties for your major specified materials before signing the construction contract? You should know what is covered before the material is ordered.
Do you understand the difference between a limited warranty, a full warranty, and a prorated warranty? Ask your contractor to explain each material's warranty in plain language.
Who is responsible for registering each warranty? This must be assigned in the contract. An unregistered warranty is a void warranty.
What is the contractor's workmanship warranty? Minimum one year on labor. Get the scope and term in writing.
If a specified material becomes unavailable, what is the substitution approval process? Your approval in writing, with a full specification comparison, before any substitution is made.

ABOUT YOUR SITE

Do you have a current survey? Do not assume lot lines are where you think they are.
Have you checked for wetlands, shoreland buffers, or conservation easements?
What is your septic situation? No passing perc test means no building permit.
Is there ledge? GPR scan before excavation. Budget for it.
What is the driveway situation in winter? A 15% grade that is beautiful in July may be inaccessible from November to April.

ABOUT YOUR READINESS

Are all material selections made before you sign the construction contract? Decisions made during construction cost more, delay the schedule, and create substitution pressure.
Is there a single decision-maker? Know this before the contractor asks.
Are you prepared for the project to run longer than scheduled? Weather, inspections, and supply chains are real.
Have you thought about resale? A home built entirely to your specific taste carries risk if you ever need to sell.

BEFORE BREAKING GROUND CHECKLIST

[ ] Project vision written in specifics -- not adjectives
[ ] No-value-engineering list established for critical systems and materials
[ ] Long-term cost of material downgrades evaluated
[ ] Hard budget ceiling set and shared honestly
[ ] Soft costs included in total budget
[ ] 15% contingency reserved and locked
[ ] All major material warranties reviewed before contract signing
[ ] Warranty registration responsibility assigned in contract
[ ] Substitution approval process written into contract
[ ] Workmanship warranty scope and term in writing
[ ] All material selections completed before signing
[ ] Current survey in hand
[ ] Wetlands, shoreland, conservation restrictions reviewed
[ ] Perc test passed
[ ] GPR scan completed if ledge likely
[ ] Single decision-maker identified

GUIDE 05 OF 7 | WE BUILD NHQuestions to Ask Before Breaking Ground