Two False Economies That Could Disrupt and Increase the Cost of Your Construction Project

Construction projects can be very expensive. Given this, you may find yourself looking for ways to cut corners so that you can lower your overall expenditure. However, some of these cost-cutting measures could turn out to be false economies which end up disrupting your project and increasing your overall costs. Carry on reading to find out more about these false economies.

Not hiring a land surveyor

Paying one of the land surveyors in your local area to draw up a survey of the plot where you will be performing your construction work is likely to cost quite a bit. As such, you might be tempted not to bother having a survey carried out. However, this could be a very expensive and stress-inducing mistake. The data that the surveyor collects could prevent you from building a structure that is not suitable for the land where it is located.

For example, if the survey report shows that other nearby residents have a right-of-way across the plot, and you want to build a large commercial building, you may have to alter the position of the building so that it does not obstruct these residents' access. Altering your plans at this early stage should be relatively straightforward and is unlikely to be very costly.

However, if you decided not to bother hiring a land surveyor, you may end up building a structure which interferes with these residents' right-of-way. This could lead to a costly lawsuit and may result in you having to demolish some or all of your building and then re-build it elsewhere on the plot. This could cost you an enormous sum of money (far more than the amount you would pay a land surveyor).

Not hiring an arborist to cut down nearby trees

If there are trees on the plot which are within a few metres of where you intend to build your structure, you should arrange for a reputable arborist to remove them in their entirety (including the root systems). If you decide not to do this in an attempt to save money, your building may end up succumbing to the effects of subsidence in the future.

The reason for this is that the roots of these nearby trees may draw water from the soil below your building's foundation, resulting in the foundation itself then gradually caving in. The structural damage this could cause to the building could cost thousands to repair. The cost of having the trees fully removed before you begin the construction process is likely to be much less than this.


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