Pre-construction meeting is out of the way!
We met Frank, our Project Manager, today. He was very nice and attentive to our questions and concerns. He's been with Ryan Homes for 5 years managing different communities. He seems very knowledgeable and didn't skip a beat when it was time to answer my questions. We liked him, which is a great start :)
For everyone out there: make sure you know exactly which changes you've made, even if you got your Addendum. We had an extra outlet in the basement ceiling and the single kitchen bowl selected, but they weren't on the PM's paperwork. That is exactly the purpose of those meetings, of course, but don't assume RH will have everything in place.
Here are the answers to my questions:
1. When will you be onsite?
Monday - Friday, 6:30am to 3:30pm
2. Will you be away on vacation during this build?
No
3. What's your preferred contact method and how frequent will we get updates?
Email or text. At the beginning, probably every other week. As construction pick up, weekly
4. What is the rough schedule from ground breaking to delivery?
Breaking ground tomorrow. Should be finished by end of April / beginning of May (we had asked SR at contract signing to settle in June, if possible. She said she's aware and we should be ok with that)
5. Can remnants be saved from construction (tile/wood/carpet/siding/etc.) and placed in garage?
Yes. We will keep it in the unfinished portion of the basement. Note that if we have to do any fixes in the first couple months after you move in, that we will use that material first before ordering more.
6. Will the subflooring be glued/screwed or glued/nailed?
Glued / screwed
7. Will drywall be screwed or nailed?
Both
8. What kind of insulation do you use throughout home? Blown/sprayed/batting?
Blown in the attic, batting in the exterior walls
9. Is each bedroom on a separate circuit?
Master is on one circuit, 2nd and 3rd bedrooms should be on another
10. What type of feed lines are run for plumbing? PEX/PVC/copper?
PEX for water and PVC for drain
11. Does our ump pump come with backup battery?
No. We don't need it since we are on a slab
12. How many coats of asphalt will the driveway get?
Potentially two
13. What's the location of power outlets (and make sure he knows of the basement ceiling one we paid for)?
We were shown an electrical map of the house
14. Will the laundry room have light and outlets?
Yes
15. Are there outlets in garage and exterior?
Outlets in the garage wall, as well as one in the ceiling. One outlet by the front door, one on the deck, and one under the deck
16. Where is the hose connection located?
One in the garage and another one in the back of the house
17. Will our lawn be seeded?
Sodded
18. What are the dimensions of the backyard for fencing?
He gave us a plot map. Should be 26 x 20', approximately
19. When can we visit site?
Anytime, just give him a heads up so he can expect us
20. Which way does the ceiling beam in basement run?
Side to side
21. Can you center the island lights?
No (this one was a bummer. We have 6 recessed lights in the kitchen, but the 3 lights above the island is not centered)
Those were the main questions. Now we wait until we see progress. Can't wait to start getting pictures :)
