Schumann Construction, Inc. is a full service remodeling company. Whether your job is large or small, we do it all.

From running an electrical line to your new pool – to building an addition to your home, no project is too large or small for us to handle. We are “hands on”, meaning we don’t “hand” it off to subcontractors.

Even though we have a professional crew, Shane spends time on each and every job. Being a perfectionist isn’t easy, but our customers sure do appreciate it.

General Remodeling and Construction Projects

Updating and remodeling kitchens and baths may add the most value to your home, but there are many other ways to improve your living space that can give you enjoyment, convenience and even save you money in the long run. For example:

• Replacing your windows can save you money on your heating bill in the winter.
• Finishing or remodeling your basement or attic can add another room without building additional square footage onto the home.
• Sometimes just a fresh coat of paint can improve the appearance of your home dramatically.
• Installing vinyl siding to a home will eventually save you money in painting year after year – not to mention your most precious commodity – time!

 

Additions

There are many things to think about when considering an addition. First consider these Six Easy Steps to Planning an Addition:

1. Dream It
   Make sure your concept for the addition blends with the existing houses materials and design. For example: Adding on a Cape Cod family room to a 50s ranch style home would look silly at best. But don’t stop there. Look around your neighborhood: Has anyone else added on? Will your addition stand out in a negative way that is, too big for the lot, appearing overbuilt for the neighborhood? Do a quick sketch of the addition you’re planning even before consulting with a builder or designer.
2. Design It
   If your plans require the removal or alteration of a supporting wall, contact a building engineer or architect to learn if your idea will affect the strength of the existing structure. Major structural changes may increase the time and cost of your project. A consultation may provide you with alternatives.
   
   See if a small add-on of about two to four feet will be sufficient for your addition. This may allow you to cantilever the floor joists and eliminate the need for excavation and foundation. If possible, be careful not to extend beyond the roofline that would necessitate adding a new roof to your job.
3. Paying for It
   Establish a budget for this project and determine where the money is coming from. A home equity loan? A re-finance? Winning the lottery? The money available will impact the scope of the project.
   
   Count on spending only about 80 percent of your budget. Keep the additional 20 percent for unforeseen changes, problems and feuding.
   
   R emember that anything not included in the original contract will cost extra. It's tempting to start making changes and expanding the original plan. Try to control yourself or you might be adding hundreds, maybe thousands, of dollars that will shatter your budget and your time line.
4. Permits and Codes
   If you’ve hired a local contractor or architect, he should be able to tell you if your idea will pass the building inspection. (If he can’t, find someone else.) A professional should be able to handle the entire permit process, from drawing up plans, applying for the permit and scheduling inspections.
   
   If you’re doing it yourself, visit your planning department and research the codes that pertain to your project. If the agency requires certified plans, you may still have to consult with an architect or engineer who can provide them.
   
   Don’t attempt an addition without permits. You’ll be asking for trouble.
5. DIY or Not
   Decide early on the role you will play in the project. How much can you do yourself? Know you're limitations. Will the money you save be worth losing vacations and weekends? If you're going to hire a pro, give yourself extra time at the start to find the right one.
   
   Because additions almost always require major modifications to the structure of your home, you will most likely need to consult a professional to draw up or approve your plans.
6. Timing
   Establish a time frame for the project. Much of an addition is exterior work and will need to be accomplished according to the seasons. Your start date should be the date you actually beginning construction, so make sure your financing is in place before this date.
   
   Your time frame needs to take into account who is doing the work. If this is a do-it-yourself project, your time will probably be more limited because of job and family. If the job takes eight full days to complete, and you can only work weekends, it will take you four weeks. Consider if the money saved by doing it yourself is worth the extra time.

 

Do you need an architect?  Here are some tips to help guide you
    before you begin your addition planning:

Do I Need an Architect?

For some additions, such as a sun room or small porch, you may not need stamped plans. However, the work must comply with the building codes regardless of who designs and builds the work. Depending on the size and complexity of the addition, you may need to provide the town, village or city where you reside with stamped drawings of the project and obtain a permit for the work.

Why use an Architect?

Beyond the simple answer of achieving a better looking addition and probably a more efficient plan, an architect can, in fact, save you money.

Besides preserving your existing financial investment (by not designing an eyesore as an addition), an architect may more objectively be able to assess your needs. Through a rework of existing space uses you may not have to build as large an addition as you may have thought.

Also, because it is likely that the architect's knowledge of construction and codes is better than yours, he may be able to achieve your final goal through less expensive methods. Further, through preparation of a truly "biddable" set of construction documents (what laymen refer to as "blueprints and specifications," the architect enables you to obtain competitive bids from several contractors.

A good set of construction documents assures that everyone is bidding "apples and apples" and that few surprises will appear as the project progresses.

Which one should I Hire?

Among licensed professionals, your choice is basically that of "Should I hire an architectural firm or an individual, perhaps a 'moonlighter?'" Unfortunately, neither option guarantees a perfect solution.

More important to your selection is the question of whether the design source has knowledge of residential work as opposed to commercial work. Residential construction is vastly different from commercial work, both in scope of project and in the everyday nuances of the business.

An Architect who may be highly regarded for his commercial projects may have very little understanding of the financial constraints of residential work or of the product selections available locally at appropriate prices. Given an unlimited budget, these differences reduce. Hopefully, it will be someone else's unlimited budget.

Schumann Construction, Inc. can provide you with a list of architects that we have worked with and trust.

When should I Hire the Architect?

The earlier in the process the better, hopefully before you have placed too many of your own preconceived plans on a sheet of graph paper. The more open you are to unbiased ideas from the architect, the more you are able to receive the benefits of his experience.

If you present the architect with a set of drawings that you have drawn the first time you discuss the project with him, the greater the chance you will limit his range of design options. Further, if you simply ask him to convert your sketches to construction documents, then you don't want an architect, but a draftsman. In short, give your designer the maximum flexibility you can while always observing the stated cost limit.

Most projects will take at least a couple of months to design and draw. Not all of this time, of course, is in actual work, but is in fact due to the necessary need to fit a small addition into the workload of a normal practice, or into the part-time hours available to the moonlighter. Accordingly, if you wish to build in the spring, don't call the architect in April. January or November would be a better time.

How Much Will an Architect's Services Cost?

Architects may be compensated on an hourly rate, a percentage of the construction cost fee, or by a lump sum fee. If a full-time firm is employed, it is important to try to ascertain if the firm really has time to devote to your project. A young or newly established firm may be able to spend more and better time on your project than a larger more established firm can spend.

An individual moonlighting can usually charge less because the costs of overhead are not present. In this case, most individuals charge enough to make the time commitment worth their while. If the designer is a moonlighter, can he or she break free during the day if a problem arises at the site?

Regardless of the source of your design talent, always insist on a "not-to-exceed" fee quotation based on your budget. While you will probably grow to think of your architect as a friend, this is still a business proposition.

What Will the Architect Prepare?

After you have reached an agreed design concept, the architect will prepare a set of contract documents (also called working drawings or sometimes even "blueprints").

Most documents for a simple addition will include at a minimum: a site plan, floor plan(s), elevations (views of the building sides), pertinent construction details, a typical section cut through a wall or the addition, electrical, plumbing and heating plans or symbols, written specifications, and enlargements of special use areas, such as a kitchen. Complex (read that costly!) structures, may also require framing plans.

Can I Do Some of the Work Myself?

If you have finished a recreation room in the past, then possibly you can finish the inside of a frame addition. If you don't know how to wire a light fixture now, then don't attempt to perform the wiring for an addition.

Generally, if you understand most of the material in the Readers Digest "Complete Do-it- Yourself Manual", and if you have LOTS of time, then you may wish to do finish trim and painting for example. Otherwise, let the contractor do his job.

How long will it take to Build?

Nothing seems to go up in less than 2-3 months anymore. Most contractors doing small additions are also doing other projects at the same time as they are building yours. To do otherwise raises their cost of business over that of the competition.

Do not expect to see the contractor's personnel on your site every morning at 7:00 AM. Projects progress in stages of hurry-up and then wait. Legitimate delays occur beyond their control caused by everything from employee illness, to inclement weather at the worst possible time to material delivery delays.

This last issue is important because in this size project all custom orders are small when viewed by major suppliers. This forces suppliers to either package them with someone else's larger order or to send them to the factory knowing that they will have a lower priority than someone who orders thousands of the items.