PROJECT: Sunroom & Deck Addition

LOCATION: Hall County

EXISTING CONDITION: Small kitchen and dining space, bare backyard.

CUSTOMER'S REQUEST: This customer was looking to add a 12-foot-by-12-foot sunroom to their home, which would include a large bay window and an opening directly into the kitchen. He also wanted to add a 12-foot-by-9-foot covered patio that would join with the sunroom, as well as an oversized deck that would connect the family room to the patio and extend from one end of the home to the other. In addition, he was looking to add a set of 5-foot wide steps that would lead into the backyard.

He was also working with a previously contracted kitchen remodeler, as well as a professional landscaper, so he explained that once we were at a comfortable place in our work on the sunroom, that he wanted to simultaneously complete the kitchen and back yard during our renovation.

It is important to note that prior to hiring CRES Builders Corporation, the homeowner interviewed three other companies, one of which he signed a contract with to complete the work. However, after interviewing us and learning that I believe it's best for a general contractor to pull the county permit-in order to place responsibility with the contractor instead of the customer-he decided to terminate his contract with the other company and utilize our services instead.

PROCESS: We began by digging the footings for the deck and sunroom; however, we immediately ran into a problem. The back of the lot was built on fill dirt, which meant the structure would need extra support. Fortunately for the customer, with over 20 years of experience in the industry and having dealt with this type of problem before, we were able to contact our structural engineer who devised a plan to take care of the issue. Therefore, what would have been a large problem turned into a simple time delay with some additional cost requirements.

To fix the situation, we would up having to dig 12-foot-deep footings with an excavator before adding some additional helical piers for the deck posts and sunroom foundation (FYI - typical footing depth is two feet). Since the customer understood that this was an unexpected situation, we created a change order to cover the extra cost. Still, it's important to note that the very nature of construction means that hidden situations may occur, so it's always wise for customers to have contingency plans in place before work on the home begins.

In the end, we finished on time and within the homeowners budget, and they were thrilled with the quality of our work.