Some Notes on the Mechanical Systems

You should also do your own inspections, just to be confident you're getting what you want. Among the items you might be concerned with are the following:

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.
Check the locations of electrical plug, switch, and light boxes. Is each where the plan says it should be and where you want it? According to many codes, there should also be a wall plug for every six feet of wall space and any small sections of wall two feet or wider (such as between doors, for example) should have their own receptacles.

Has a smoke detector been hard­wired into the system? Many building codes require them today and they are a sensible and inexpensive precaution.

Are there ground-fault interrupter receptacles on kitchen, bathroom, and exterior lines?

Are the phone lines and alarm sys­tems properly located?

PLUMBING SYSTEM.
Are the stubs for the supply and waste lines all properly located, consistent with the plan and with your desires? Are there shutoff valves for each plumbing fixture? Have the lines been tested? If you had any special require­ments, have they been incorporated: a dedicated electrical line for your computer, an extra plumbing line for that whirlpool you want to buy when you have the spare cash, whatever.

HVAC SYSTEMS.
Does each room have the specified ventilation/heating/air-condi­tioning ducts or pipes? (Heating pipes are usually an inch or more in diameter, while plumbing supply pipes are typically smaller.) Are thermostats located on intenor walls and out of direct sunlight? Does the insulation cover all the openings and chinks to the outside?

THE PAYMENT.
Every job is different but typically when the rough-ins are com­pleted, tradespeople expect to be paid. Many contracts specify a quarter or a third of the contract sum is payable at this stage. So get your checkbook ready.

And get yourself ready for the excitement to come. The time required for the mechanical systems may leave you feeling the process is proceeding very slowly, but from here on the finished product will begin to emerge.