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Frequently Asked Questions

1) How long has the company been in business?

A.W. Allen & Son Ltd., was founded in 1901 as a small millwork and coffin-making shop. Over the past 96 years and through eleven different owners the company has stuck close to its roots in manufacturing. The business has expanded over the years and branched out to include retail hardware and building materials and custom home construction as well as an expanded custom millwork base. Today, we employ in excess of 32 people, excluding the seasonal highs of the construction industry.

2) What is a retail hardware, lumber, building materials and millwork supply company doing building houses?

In the late 1960’s the company started building modular factory built homes. This work was carried out in an indoor facility until 1982. Changes in tax legislation resulted in manufacturing labor becoming taxable. Unable to compete as effectively the company was forced outdoors to compete with the custom “stick” built house. Due to the fact that the company had always provided complete “Turnkey” homes for customers the transition was a natural one. For the past seventeen years we have built an average of fifteen to twenty new custom homes per year. Obviously the company has been in the construction business for a long time.

The other major reason why we continue to grow and be successful as home builders is a direct result of what has taken place in the industry over the past five to ten years. The business of building a new home has become just that , “a business”. To be successful, today's new home builder must stay on top of, and satisfy increasingly complex code , warranty , bank , training , technical , and legal requirements. Hiring a good carpenter is only one part of the formula required to successfully build a new home in today's market. We have been able to put together a team of people capable of more effectively covering all the bases than is possible for the traditional one man operation.

Today new home construction makes up fifty percent of our total business. Allen Homes, as we refer to the construction side of our business, is proud to be active in or certified with the following industry associations/credentials:

· 10 Year Member Atlantic New Home Warranty Corporation
· Member Canadian Home Builders Association
· Registered R - 2000 Home Builders
· Certified Residential Home Builders

3) How can I find out whether or not I can afford to build the house I’m thinking about ?

The starting point for most people usually involves scouring through dozens of magazines or driving around lots of subdivisions trying to find that perfect plan. This process usually concludes with a home which is either a “not to scale” picture out of a book or even a free hand drawing on a piece of loose leaf. How do you get from here to making the decision to make the single biggest investment most people ever make in their lives? We can help!

Step 1: Bring your pictures , and/or ideas, and at least an hour of your time, and we’ll sit down and talk about what you want to end up with. We can spend as little or as much time discussing all the different material options open for your consideration. Based on our initial “free” consultation, we will have enough information to prepare a budget estimate on your new home which will be accurate to within 5% of an actual contract price. Armed with this budget information you should be able to decide whether or not the plan is realistic or not. If not then it’s back to the drawing board.

If you're still interested then:

Step 2: We’ll prepare working drawings based on our initial discussions. At this point you have committed to paying for these drawings. Our deal is as follows. Main floor plans are prepared at a rate of fifteen cents per square foot and garages at six cents per square foot. These prices include up to 3 sets of plan changes. Terms of payment are six months provided nothing has taken place. If your home is started inside of six months and we are the builder there will be no charge for the plans.
With working drawings in hand we are now able to prepare a firm, binding contract quote. At this point the only expense you have potentially committed to is for drawings. Hopefully after going through this procedure you will have enough information to make your final decision.

4) How are we organized to get the job done?

Once all the planning has been done and names have been signed on the dotted line it’s time to get down to the actual business of getting your new home built. Here’s how we are organized to get the job done.

Kevin and Tim's responsibilitie's include handling all the administrative functions related to permits , warranties , contract changes and scheduling. Jay and Carl's responsibilities include hands on site supervision, coordinating sub-trades and quality control. Both managers are ultimately responsible for customer service and satisfaction.

Another issue that is often raised about site supervision bears discussion. Due to the increasingly competitive nature of the new home building business the time when a home builder could afford to be on site with one crew from start to finish is over. Specialist sub-trades now dig and pour your basement, side your outside walls, insulate, drywall, and paint your interior walls and clean it all up when the job is done. As a result we want you to understand that there will be times during the project when neither of our managers or our crews will be on site. Quite frankly we can’t afford to be. Please be assured that we work with a group of quality, conscious sub-trades with whom we have built relationships over ten years. Even when we are not on site, contact between all involved is continuous and carried on at all hours of the day and night.

Either at or shortly after contract signing you will be provided with a detailed construction schedule which will outline on a step by step basis what work will take place and by when. Although we put as much effort as possible into doing an accurate schedule please understand that schedules can and do change for many reasons which are beyond our direct control. We will attempt to make you aware of any significant schedule changes along the way.

We consider contact and communication between both parties through the course of construction to be a very important part of a successful project. Undoubtedly, in spite of all the planning there will be mistakes and misunderstandings. Shortly after construction begins we will ask to fix a time convenient with your schedule when we can meet on site weekly to review any questions or concerns. In addition to this please don’t hesitate to call any of the above numbers at any time if you have questions.

5) What are my responsibilities as a new homeowner during and after construction?

During construction in a Turnkey project, there will be certain things required of you in accordance with our construction schedule. Obviously these will vary by project but generally there are a few very specific things which you must take care of in order to keep things moving on schedule.

1) When asked to do so, contact the power company with your billing information shortly after the contract is signed. This will help ensure we get temporary power as soon as possible.
2) Sort out who will be supplying your carpets, flooring, cabinets & vanities and light fixtures. Advise your chosen suppliers/subcontractors well in advance of approximately when their goods or services will be required in accordance with our mutually agreed upon construction schedule. Also please let us know whom you have chosen so we may assist you in coordinating their work.
3) Aside form the “personal taste” type components mentioned above, as a homeowner you will be responsible for coordinating and managing any sub-trades whom you may have hired directly. This responsibility will extend to your own “sweat equity labor.” For those areas of construction where you are your own contractor we will provide you with a detailed outline of the scope of work you have assumed.

6) How long is your warranty and what does it cover?

As members of the New Home Warranty Corporation we offer a two - part warranty. Our own "in house warranty" is one year for labor and materials to repair any defects due to faulty workmanship or materials. As part of this warranty we will contact you at the end of the first year to do a year end inspection. The second part of our warranty involves the "New Home Warranty Corporation". This is a seven year extended warranty, covering major structural defects. Our standard building contract includes an obligation on us for both warranties.

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