If you’re a certified owner builder or you’re close to getting your owner builders licence, you’re probably going to start the process of renovating and having to share your property with a bunch of trades day in day out.
So if you have trades coming and going over your renovations, you should be aware of laying out basic site etiquette nice and early in the building process to ensure you and your family are on the same page during your renovation.
From removing muddy boots to being mindful of neighbours, here are some important considerations for tradie etiquette owner builders should consider ahead of their next project:
Remove shoes inside the property & protective gear
Based on the renovation, this can be something you will want to outline with your trades from the outset. If you have simply updating a bathroom or kitchen and your family are living in the home while you undertake the owner builder process, you should ask trades to remove their shoes ahead of entering the property. While if you are basically knocking down a property and the site is a bombsite, being aware of ensuring trades wear protective gear such as hardhats, strong boots and any other apparatus when they are undertaking their trade will protect your site and workers on it and help you to avoid any issues with insurance.
Be clear about access times
If you’re living and building in the same property it can seem like your home is a revolving door for trades especially during the final stages of fit out and you have numerous trades on site. If you want to ensure you’re on the property whenever a tradesman is working, owner builders will need to be onsite at all times so you can make decisions on the fly. Likewise, trades usually start at 7 am so be aware that everyone should be up and at ‘em by this time to avoid any embarrassment when trades needs access.
Be transparent about smoko
If you’ve been an owner builder for a while, you’d be fully aware of how seriously trades take smoko. To keep in your trades good books, consider making coffee or tea at smoko or offering to do the pie or sausage roll run mid morning, this will save the trades from leaving site and keep them on task so you can get on with your build. If you feel your trades are taking too many breaks during the date be sure to outline this as soon as possible to ensure there are no issues over the life of the project.
Speak up when you see something that’s an issue
Many licenced owner builders are focused on their task at hand and don’t stand back and take stock of what is going on around them. As trades move in and around the property take the time to inspect their work and if there is anything that is not correct point this out early so that fixing it can be rectified sooner rather than later. Updating something in the early stages before final fixing starts is far easier than having to rip something out and start again towards the end.
Above all, certified owner builders should work closely with all trades to ensure you get the best work on your property and strike up a balance onsite to ensure the work is undertaken to the highest standard. No one likes a helicopter owner builder watching their every move, while at the same time it’s important that you are involved in the process to ensure you get the work done to the highest possible standard.
Prospective NSW owner builders and QLD owner builders now have the option of undertaking an online course to get their qualification quickly and simply online.
If you’re passionate about renovating and looking to become an owner builder we have the qualification to suit your needs. We offer a fair trading approved certification via an online owner builder course that is suitable for NSW and QLD residents. To find out more click here to discover everything you need to know about becoming an owner builder today.