The sequence of ordering materials was/is a mystery to me. I’ve had a hard time finding a helpful resource, probably because this is institutional knowledge that people assume is commonplace or already published somewhere. At any rate, in case this is useful to other folks out there, here’s how I’ve been going about it. Also, this is a fabulous third-party that reviews plumbing suppliers and was extremely informative and influential.
In order of sequence
- windows (not inclusive of skylights); order as/before foundation is poured
- exterior doors; order at/before framing starts
- wall-mounted fixture valves (usually bought in tandem with fixtures); this usually means the shower, but could include faucets
- skylights; this goes with roof, so it can be ordered later, unless lead times dictate otherwise
- exterior door hardware, if you want it installed straight away; look for open-box options
- interior doors (provided they have longer lead times), order by the time roof goes on
- tile (if it needs to be made & shipped, give yourself 6-10 weeks)
- exterior lighting once exterior walls are cladded
- gutters once roof is on
- bathtubs (need to select early to give Specs to builder)
- cabinets, may require longer lead time, so check with your suppliers
- faucets & fixtures, toilets, sinks (if you can store these safely, order them as soon as you like)
- appliances, often delivered straight-away, so wait until you can confirm & combine the install
- interior lighting, fans (if long lead time, order sooner; but you don’t want them to get damaged)
- countertops; these get measured after cabinets are installed
Give it some thought, in advance
If you can nail down a few of these things early on, it will help you budget and select the right finishes for things you need to order straight away. You won’t necessarily need to purchase all the elements at the beginning, but you should select them and build them into your budget. For example, I learned that in general, chrome and stainless steel finishes are cheaper than aged brass, black matte or even satin nickel. Wall-mounted fixtures are generally more expensive than deck-mounted ones. If you select satin nickel for kitchen faucet, you may want to coordinate the other faucets, cabinet & door hardware (the jewelry of the interiors), and even window hardware and hinges & thresholds on exterior doors. Windows & Doors have to be ordered early, but door hardware and faucets do not. But, if you haven’t committed to a finish scheme yet, when you order your windows & doors, the finishes therein may end up driving your selections elsewhere . Select your faucet, and you can more easily select your sinks or v.v. You get the point. If your goal is cohesion, spend some time thinking through this in advance. You can always swap things out later, but that may be wasted effort, money and time.
- flooring; need to know thickness of tile, wood, carpet to manage transitions from materials)
- type of exterior door hardware; to know whether the doors will require standard or specialty bore holes; mortise locks vs. standard 2-hole lock and lever systems
- Bathtubs & toilets; so plumber can size and place holes before slab is poured)
- Gas vs. Electric stove
- Type, Size & Placement of sinks (Under-mount vs. Drop-in vs. Vessel)
- Built-in Closets vs. Freestanding wardrobes; this affects electrical planning
- Finish for bathroom & kitchen fixtures / fittings (as discussed above)
- color / type of roof; this might inspire your exterior door, exterior cladding choices and
- Type of lighting (especially wall-mounted fixtures)
A note on flooring
Flooring varies in thickness. Thus, if you want to create flush transitions between rooms with differing flooring materials, you may need to plan to recess the slab. For example, I have specified polished concrete flooring throughout most of the structures. In one bathroom, I have a tile flooring in a zero-entry (curb-less) shower. In another wet zone that consists of a vanity area, a tub and toilet “room” I’m using ceramic tile throughout. To ensure a flush transition in both of these areas from the polished concrete to the tile, I had to select the tile, identify the thickness and communicate this to the builder before the slab was planned. This also allowed the plumber to plan the drain locations–this was based on the size of tile and size of drain.
the Amanda-way
The waste I’ve observed in the construction industry is heart-wrenching, so these two goals frame my procurement strategy: 1) use surplus, discarded, or second-hand materials and 2) minimize the wastage of new materials created/used. I dedicate time each week to scour my local networks, e.g. Craigslist, Next Door, Offerup, Letgo, ebay, second-hand appliance stores, local build sites (yes, I dumpster dive!). Sourcing locally also saves on shipping costs (both financial & environmental) and packaging. For many reasons, there’s more materials and open-box objects that are looking for a good home and it’s both beneficial for the budget and the environment to start there. If this is something that is a priority to you, I’m available for hire to assist in sourcing for your project!
considerafield 