What are the standard materials assumed for the report?
Foundations: Concrete that is used for the footings, foundation walls, basement floor slab (if required), garage floor slab, as well as any concrete columns that may be required for post/pier foundations types.
Heating/AC: Includes furnace, central air conditioning unit, and all metal ductwork needed to provide hot and cold air for the entire home. The number of furnaces and air conditioning units is determined by the total square footage of the home.
Rough Framing: Wood framing used to build the structure of the home. This includes all walls, floor joists, and roof trusses. It also includes any plywood sheeting used on the top of roof trusses and floor joists, as well as outside of the exterior walls. Also includes any insulation in the walls and ceiling.
Floor Covering: Includes any material used to cover any floor in the home. It also includes any needed sub-flooring material and carpet pads. A standard ratio of 80% carpet and 20% Vinyl Tile, unless the plan indicates some other material, such as stone or hardwood flooring should be used.
Exterior Finish: The finish material that is added to the outside of the exterior walls of the home. This can include any combination of brick, stone, stucco or siding.
Appliances: The electrical appliances typically supplied by the builder when a home is built. This usually includes a range, dishwasher and garbage disposal. If additional appliances such as refrigerators, freezers, microwaves, and trash compactors are chosen in the system, these will be included as well. (They are not usually selected.)
Windows: Windows for the home, including any specialty, accent or transom windows, as well as mirrors that are normally installed in the bathrooms. The material for the window frame varies depending on the size and quality of the home, from aluminum to high-grade wood horizontal sliding windows. Currently, the system does not use high energy, or insulation windows in the calculations.
Interior Finish: Anything that covers the wooden structure of the walls and ceilings, and brings the interior of the home to a finished state. This includes all sheetrock, drywall finishes and paint. Kitchen and bathroom cabinets are also included in this section. 100% paint finish is selected for all walls and ceilings.
Roofing: The material that is installed on top of the plywood sheeting above the roof trusses. This is usually some form of shingles, but could be metal panels, copper and gravel style roofs.
Electrical: All electrical options for the home. This includes rough wiring that is installed prior to any finish, all outlet and lighting fixtures and the main connections from the available power source to the home.
Plumbing: All plumbing options for the home. This includes all rough plumbing installed prior to any finish, plumbing fixtures for the bathroom, kitchen, and utility rooms, a water heater typical for the home, and the main connection of the water and sewer lines.
Special Features: These options are selected by default depending on the size and quality of the home. They include the following: Water Softener, Central Vacuum System, Fire and/or Burglar Alarms Systems, Intercom Systems, Programmable Lighting, Home Management Systems, Fire Sprinkler Systems and Solar Panels, swimming pools, hot tubs, fountains, and home theater systems that would be included in this category.
