It’s hard to believe that school is already back in session and harder to believe that the holidays will be here before we know it. If you’ve been picturing spending Thanksgiving enjoying the falling leaves and cool breezes outdoors, then there is one important thing to remember:
The time to start planning your holiday sunroom isn’t during the holiday season.
Building a sunroom involves much more than calling a contractor and starting the next day. It requires many steps, such as design, engineering, HOA approval, permitting, material ordering, site preparation, inspections, weather… As you can quickly see, it is a process.
If your goal is to have a sunroom built and ready for the holidays, there is literally no time like the present.
When Should I Start My Sunroom If I Want It Ready for the Holidays?
The best and simplest answer is now.
When it comes to sunroom construction timelines, many factors can throw a wrench into the process. Things like whether you intend to build a three-season or four-season sunroom or what your existing property conditions are all make a huge impact.
Although people assume that building on an existing structure will make the timeline shorter and the cost less, that isn’t always the case. Are you building on an existing deck or porch? Does it need reinforcement? Are new footings required? There are many questions that need to be answered before you assume you know what needs to be done.
Every part of the building process will affect the timeline. Therefore, if you are hoping to enjoy your new sunroom for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Year’s, beginning the planning process in late summer or early fall gives you considerably more flexibility than waiting until the holiday season is already approaching.
Don’t Confuse the Construction Timeline With the Project Timeline
Of all of the misconceptions that homeowners have, the biggest one is about building a sunroom. If someone tells you that a particular sunroom might take a certain number of days or weeks to build, that doesn’t necessarily mean you can call today and have your room finished that many days or weeks from now. The timeline that you get from the contractor is usually the time it takes AFTER all of the other factors are taken care of.
Construction time and total project time are not the same thing.
Before you even put shovel to ground, your project may require:
- An initial consultation
- Site measurements
- Design decisions
- Engineering
- HOA or ARB approval
- Building permits
- Material selections
- Material ordering
- Delivery
- Site preparation
- Scheduling
You can only start construction after the plans are done. That’s why waiting to find a contractor, design the sunroom, and make many of the decisions will make it nearly impossible to meet your holiday deadline.
Start With the Date That Matters Most to You
Instead of asking when you can start building, it is better to ask when you want the sunroom finished. When you begin with a goal date and work backwards, you will better ensure that it will be completed in time for your special occasion.
The more important the completion date is to you, the more important it is to give your contractor enough time to properly plan and complete the project.
HOA Approval Takes Time!
Although people often mistake HOA approval for the permitting process, they differ greatly. If you live in a neighborhood with a homeowners association or architectural review board, your project may need approval before construction can begin.
Your HOA will probably require plans, drawings, material information, colors, property information, and other documentation before reviewing your application. Even when your contractor works swiftly, once the approval process starts, it is out of their hands.
An HOA isn’t necessarily going to speed up its review because you have a goal date in mind. The only thing that you can control is handing things in on time so that you can have the room of your dreams in time for the holidays.
Permits Don’t Follow Your Holiday Schedule Either
Permit requirements depend on the type of sunroom you’re building and where you live in North Carolina or South Carolina, . Permit requirements and processing times will vary greatly from one jurisdiction and project to another.
You will also have inspections along the way. Although it might seem like an annoyance, permits and inspections ensure that your investment is protected and your project is built correctly and to last.
A contractor promising an unusually fast completion date isn’t necessarily offering you a better deal if that timeline depends on rushing or overlooking important steps in an attempt to finish on time.
Getting it done right matters more than simply getting it done quickly.
Material Lead Times Can Affect Your Completion Date
Your sunroom isn’t going to be built entirely from products that are sitting in your local do-it-yourself center. Depending on the design, you have to measure, select, order, manufacture, and deliver them.
The more customized your project is, the more important it becomes to account for material lead times. Starting early will give you more time to choose what you actually want instead of making decisions that are based on availability and lead time. When you plan ahead, you get exactly what you want, not what is available.
Three-Season and Four-Season Rooms Have Different Timelines
Among the things that will determine your timeline most is the type of sunroom you choose.
Three-Season Sunrooms
A three-season sunroom is an addition that will protect you from stinging insects, pollen, and rainy days. It is an addition that you can likely enjoy for three seasons of the year. Depending on your existing structure and design, a three-season room may involve fewer construction components than a fully conditioned four-season room.
That doesn’t mean that every three-season sunroom will be quicker and easier than a four-season sunroom, but in general, they require less labor and complexity.
Four-Season Sunrooms
A four-season sunroom is an addition to your home that adds functional space that you can use throughout the year. Whether you want to add an office or playroom, a four-season sunroom allows you more living space, and it also increases your home’s value.
If your dream is to have a climate-controlled room to enjoy with the family for the holiday season, then a four-season addition might be the ticket.
Converting an Existing Porch or Deck? Start Even Earlier!
Most homeowners assume that if they already have a porch or deck, they are ahead of the process, but that isn’t necessarily true.
Before an existing structure can become a sunroom, a contractor needs to determine whether it can safely support the proposed sunroom. The existing foundation, footings, posts, beams, joists, framing, and overall condition will determine whether you can build over the existing structure or if you have to start new.
Sometimes an existing structure can be incorporated into the new room with relatively minor changes. But there are times when it requires reinforcement or additional foundation work, all of which takes time.
There are also times when demolishing and starting over makes more sense. Those are things you will want to decide with your contractor, and they will also affect your timeline.
Fall Weather Can Actually Be Great for Sunroom Construction
One of the reasons we love living in South Carolina and North Carolina is the temperate climate year-round. Unlike other areas of the country where freezing temperatures and snow can bring outdoor construction to a halt, the Carolinas often experience construction-ready weather all the way through to winter.
The reality is that no contractor can control Mother Nature, but fall doesn’t automatically mean that outdoor construction has to stop. In many cases, it can be the best time for you to build the sunroom of your dreams.
Don’t Choose a Contractor Based on Who Promises Christmas
When you have a specific deadline in mind, it can be tempting to choose the contractor who promises you what you want to hear, but be careful.
A contractor should be able to explain what has to happen before and during construction and be realistic about what they can control and what is out of their control. If they are giving you certainties and guarantees on time, that is a red flag.
No reputable contractor can guarantee how quickly your HOA will approve a project, how long permitting will take, or whether the materials you choose will be in on time. If one estimate gives you a realistic timeline and another simply tells you what you want to hear, the faster promise is almost never the right or solid choice.
Your sunroom will be around for decades to come, so don’t sacrifice how it’s built just to have it finished for one holiday.
What If I Already Waited Too Long?
Start now anyway.
Even if you think there isn’t enough time to guarantee your sunroom will be done in time for the holidays, starting now puts you ahead of waiting until spring. If you start now and don’t have it in time for holiday gatherings, then you will at least be ready to enjoy those first beautiful days of spring in your new sunroom. The sooner you begin, the sooner you will get to enjoy it.
Imagine the Holidays in Your New Sunroom
There is something special about a sunroom during the holidays. A Christmas tree lit up and surrounded by glass, Thanksgiving surrounded by falling leaves, and a warm cup of coffee while the kids are opening Santa’s gifts.
A sunroom isn’t just something you use in the spring and summer; it is a gathering space to create memories throughout the year.
Want Your Sunroom Ready for the Holidays? Start Planning Now!
At Express Sunrooms of the Carolinas, we design and build three-season sunrooms, four-season additions, screened porches, enclosures, and everything outdoor living throughout North Carolina and South Carolina.
If you have a particular date in mind, tell us that in the beginning, and we will do all that we can to make that date happen. What we won’t do is make you promises that we can’t keep. If you are imagining your family gathering in a beautiful new sunroom this holiday season, then the best time to start isn’t when the holidays are almost here; it is NOW.
Contact Express Sunrooms of the Carolinas today to schedule your free consultation and start planning your new outdoor living space in time for the holiday season to come.
