New Zealand is in the middle of a unique situation, and we’ve all seen life coming to a sudden halt. Whether you were about to start a new build, renovation or any building project in Tauranga during COVID-19 has no doubt thrown a spanner (or perhaps in this case a hammer) in the works.
Building projects are expensive, personal and important. COVID-19 which is out of everyone’s hands has created a new type of stress, life has simply stopped.
However, now that Alert level 4 and 3 have been lifted, the construction sector has been given the green light! But before you jump headfirst back into your Tauranga building project here is our heads up advice from our team at Precise Builders…
Here are answers to a few of the most FAQ relating to COVID-19 and your building project:
How will Alert level 2 affect my building project?
On Thursday the 13th May New Zealand moved from Alert Level 3 to Alert Level 2. At Alert level 4, all non-essential services were halted, this included all building projects and plans.
Now that the government have allowed building and construction work to commence under Alert level 3 & 2, we want to let you know about the COVID-19 control plan that our builders have in place, and give you some ideas on how you can make sure your new build or renovation gets back on track asap.
What is a COVID-19 control plan?
All building firms are now required to have a COVID-19 control plan which outlines new safety measures and physical distancing requirements. Luckily in our industry being physically distant isn’t too difficult to implement, as our Tauranga builders tend to work in spacious, outdoor areas.
Trades workers must maintain a 1-metre distance between each other whilst working on-site at Alert level 3. Trades workers are also required to abide by a 2-metre distance from occupants (not trades colleagues) whilst at the building site.
Finally, the building company must ensure that appropriate hygiene requirements are available to all employees. This includes a contact tracing form to be filled out when arriving at the site, hand sanitising when entering and exiting site and regularly throughout the day, as well as maintaining appropriate disinfectant measures on any shared working tools or equipment.
Will COVID-19 affect how long it typically takes to build a new home?
It depends on a few factors. Firstly, how many people had been forecasted to work on the site at the same time initially. On big sites with many workers, building companies will likely split their tradespeople into team bubbles.
Secondly, the length of time will vary depending on the section and the intricacy or the building design. Precise Builders aim to complete Tauranga build projects as close to the promised timeframe as possible, but we will not compromise the integrity of the work or health of our staff to do so.
It is important to be aware that by properly adhering to social distancing rules (as long as they apply) will likely create delays in the completion of your project. If this is something you have further questions about, please feel free to contact us.
What will happen in a post COVID-19 world?
Well, all we can say for now is that we certainly hope (& believe) that in a post-COVID world everything will go back to as it was pre-COVID. At the moment there is too much uncertainty about then that will be for us to comment more on the subject. But be assured that here at Precise Builders we will continue to ensure that helping our clients complete their Tauranga building projects is at the forefront of our mind.
Whatever your project or building inquiry we’d love to have a chat over the phone by calling Dave on 0278057763 and see how we can assist you at the different Alert levels – to help get you back on track!
To read (or watch) more about government building regulations under Alert level 2 click here: https://www.chasnz.org/covid19
