What to Expect
New Construction, Step by Step.
A new building is the best time to get the system right, and the only time some things can be done well. This is how I work with you, your builder and your architect, from the plans to the day you move in.
This page walks through a new building, in order. You will see what helps me before the plans are final, how the work follows the builder’s schedule, what you will notice on site and the different ways to approach the same project, so you can choose what matters most to you.
Before We Start
What Helps Me Before Plans Are Final.
Bring Me in Early.
Where the mechanical space, the chases and the thermostat go is much easier to settle on paper than after the walls are framed.
Tell Me Your Priorities.
Comfort, noise, running cost, whether you want gas or an electric heat pump, whether the building needs zones, and your budget.
Share the Plans and Every Change.
Windows and insulation change how much heating and cooling a building needs. If they change, tell me, because I will need to re-run the numbers.
Tell Me Who Is Who.
Your builder, your architect or your designer, and who decides the schedule. I coordinate with them, and you only need to hear from me.
The Steps
What to Expect.
We Talk About Your Building.
For a home, how your family will live in it. For a business, how the space will be used and when.
I Review the Plans.
A room-by-room calculation of how much heating and cooling each space needs, from the actual plans: the windows, the insulation, which way the building faces. Then I choose the equipment to fit and design the ducts to carry the air.
You Get a Written Proposal.
The equipment, the duct layout, the ventilation, the thermostats and zones, what is included, and what the builder needs to provide, such as power, gas and space for the equipment. You decide the fuel, the efficiency and the comfort features before anything is ordered.
We Handle Permits and Ordering.
I tell you what your village requires, and we agree who pulls the permit. The equipment is ordered once the plan and your choices are fixed.
How Long
Lead times for equipment vary. I tell you as soon as I know.
I Install While the Walls Are Open.
The ducts, refrigerant lines, drains, vent pipes and thermostat wiring go in. Sealing ducts is easiest now. This stage is inspected by the building department before the walls are closed.
What I May Ask of You
The framing complete and the openings as drawn. If anything changes, let me know early.
I Test as the Code Requires.
New buildings are tested: how leaky the ducts and the building are, and whether the ventilation moves the air it should. I tell you which tests apply to yours and who does them.
We Trim Out and Start Up.
After the finishes: the grilles and registers, the thermostat, the outdoor or rooftop unit, and the final connections. Then I start the system and measure how it performs.
What I May Ask of You
Power and gas on, drywall painted, and access to the finished space.
I Commission and Hand Off.
For a home, the measured results are written down: airflow, refrigerant charge and combustion checks. For a business, the functional tests and a written start-up report, as the project requires. You get a walkthrough, the warranty paperwork and the design documents.
I Check Back After a Season.
I come back after the first heating or cooling season to see how it is doing. A new building settles, and this is when small adjustments are easy.
Living With It
What You Will Notice.
- A Construction Site, Not a Home.
- Dust, noise and shared space with other trades.
- What I Will Do: I keep my work area tidy and I coordinate access with the people around me.
- A Schedule That Follows the Builder’s.
- I cannot promise a finish date on work that depends on another trade finishing first.
- What I Will Do: I promise a start-by window, and I promise to tell you early if anything slips.
- Decisions Before Rough-In.
- Windows, insulation and equipment are best decided before the ducts go in. Changing them later is possible but costs time and money.
- What I Will Do: I raise these decisions early and explain what each one changes, so nothing surprises you.
- For a Business: Access and Timing.
- A rooftop unit may need a crane day, roof access, and coordination with the property owner.
- What I Will Do: I plan these with you well in advance.
Your Choices
You Choose What Matters Most.
A new building gives you real choices. Here is how each priority leads to a different plan, and what it trades.
If Time Matters Most
Keep to the Builder’s Schedule.
I get involved early, order equipment early, and plan around the other trades so nothing waits on me.
The Tradeoffs: Decisions have to be made earlier than some people expect.
If Budget Matters Most
Keep It Simple.
A well-sized, well-designed system without extra features, with room left to add zones or other comforts later.
The Tradeoffs: Adding features after the walls are closed costs more than planning them now.
If the Result Matters Most
Build It to Perform.
A full design, carefully sealed ducts, the required testing and a written commissioning handoff.
The Tradeoffs: More coordination and a higher cost up front, in return for a building that performs as designed.
Afterward
When We Are Done.
A Written Handoff.
The load calculation, the equipment list, the measured results and the warranty paperwork, in one place.
Help Registering the Warranty.
Extended equipment warranties often need to be registered soon after startup. I tell you what is needed and help with it.
The First Maintenance Visit.
A new system benefits from a first-season visit. It is optional, and I will explain the Castle Care Plan.
On Every Job
What I Promise, Whatever We Choose.
A Written Price Before Work Starts.
You will know what is included and what it costs before I begin. If something changes while I am working, I stop, call you, and explain before anything else happens.
Every Option, With Its Cost.
Time, money and the result are all real costs. I show you what each choice trades, so you decide with the full picture.
An Honest Answer, Even “No.”
If a repair is enough, I will say so. If nothing is needed, I will say that too.
What I Would Do at Home.
If you ask, I will tell you what I would choose for my own family, and why.
Care for Your Home and Family.
Floors protected, work areas kept tidy, and the day planned around the household that lives there.
A Note From David
The earlier I am involved, the better the system can be. It is far easier to give a duct a path on paper than inside a finished wall.
I work with people building their own home, with builders and architects, and with business owners fitting out a new space. I am one person with a crew I trust, so I take fewer jobs, I tell you early if a schedule is slipping, and I show up when I say I will.
Questions
Questions People Ask.
How Early Should I Call?
As early as you can, ideally while the plans can still change. Even a short conversation before the design is final can save a lot later.
Do You Take Large Commercial Projects?
I take new homes and light-commercial buildings. If a project is larger than I should take on, I will tell you and point you to a firm that does that work.
Who Arranges the Testing the Code Requires?
It depends on the project. I tell you what applies and who does it.
Can You Work With My Architect or My Builder?
Yes. I would be glad to.
Ready to Talk It Through?
A consultation is a conversation about how your home is behaving, not a sales pitch.