Simply put, we don’t like costly surprises, and so we expect you don’t either.

When it comes to building or renovating a home, it’s not uncommon to feel overwhelmed just by the thought of it. Particularly when it comes to costs. Unless a client has experienced construction/renovation projects previously, the process itself tends to remain mystified for many. At R Dolan Construction, we think it’s important to keep things simple, straightforward, all while having a good time.

We fully believe that the process of building or renovating a home truly does not need to be stressful or unpredictable; we know this because we live it, everyday.

Over the coming months, we want to share our thoughts on some of the basics elements of construction and home design; the different definable aspects involved, and how each can be best tailored to fulfill the hopes, preferences, and functional needs unique to you/your family. There are ways to ensure we can create the home you want, that makes space for to the life you want to lead, and at a price that allows you to actualize both.

In this initial post, we’re going to try and start the demystification process around everyone’s most pressing question: What is it going to cost, and how can we be sure that it won’t go over budget?

TLDR: It’s all up to you, but we’re here to help keep you on track!

While it can seem complex, the cost of a custom home build or renovation of any kind always has three basic elements involved. As with any item and/or service one might purchase (groceries, dental work, vehicle maintenance, etc.), there are always these three elements that culminate in the result in the overall cost of a project:

Cost of the item and/or service: This is the bare minimum cost to acquire the item and/or to cover the labour associated with any task or fixture for one’s home. Markup on product and/or service: This is the markup applied to products and services to cover the costs of financially maintaining one’s business (business overhead, tool repairs or replacement, etc.) Tax (GST and/or PST): I would suspect anyone reading is already all-to-well aware of this particular cost in their day-to-day lives. As with any business, we have the legal duty to ensure government taxes are collected.

Still following? Kind of boring hey — trust me this won’t take too long..

So, a project is going to have, in the simplest of terms, two basic categories of which all product and/or service costs (as detailed above) will fall under; except for in a few rare circumstances, costs will either be:

A) Fixed costs: Prices that are based on the exact costs provided for any given task that is essential to building the home to be as per plan, and durable, safe, meeting/exceeding code requirements - elements such as the truss system, foundation, etc.

You might be wondering what happens if we cannot complete these fixed tasks at the cost we have estimated—you’re in luck, because any additional cost required will not trickle down to, nor be incurred by the homeowner; it’s our job to know what the fixed costs will be, and to stick to them.

Or,

B) Variable costs: This is where you come in! Variable costs are for items that are ultimately, a matter of preference for the homeowner, in achieving the preferred aesthetic and functions they desire throughout their home. Some examples include cabinetry, plumbing fixtures, flooring, etc. (aka the “fun stuff”).

The total of these costs will be the total cost of the project itself—no hidden costs and no surprises. A homeowner will not (and should not!!) ever be paying for anything but the aformentioned: 

i. the cost of the items and/or services they have chosen and/or are required to complete the project as planned; 
ii. the agreed upon markup to said items and/or services; &
iii. the requisite taxes for the products and/or services.

In the end, a project will only be going over budget, if a homeowner ultimately decides they want to spend more (in total) than was originally planned for on variable cost items. However, this is never inevitable; we provide homeowners with the information & tools they need to stay on budget

And keep in mind, there are always alternative ways to stay within budget. With our professional knowledge, skills, and connections (plus a dash of creativity) there’s always a way to make something just as beautiful, at a lower price—and we are here to help with that! 

All in all, we want folks to recognize that building a custom home or renovating any type of space, doesn’t need to be mysterious or unpredictable. If you are feeling a bit more curious after all this, we’re here and happy to connect with you. Please reach out to us via phone, email, instagram or whatever you fancy, and we can chat about a possible project, and any questions you might have about it.

In our next post, we want to tackle another very important question that will greatly influence your project experience and outcome:

"How do I find the right contractor — for me?” <p id="costplus"></p>

R Dolan Construction Ltd. is a contractor located centrally on Vancouver Island in beautiful British Columbia. We specialize in custom homes, renovations, and accessory dwelling units in Lantzville, Nanaimo, Ladysmith, Cedar, Yellow Point, Duncan, Lake Cowichan.