Quote from @Kevin Howard:
I'm under construction on my first duplex. I chose a local builder who has been building a lot of modern homes in the area that looked appealing to me (why I chose him). We spent time designing the duplexes together and overall I was excited about the project...that is until he called me yesterday and notified me they're planning on using mini split systems in the units. This was never talked about and I certainly never agreed to it. The plans have a central HVAC on it as does the contract.
I think he messed up with the design and is trying to figure out a solution to the problem. My guess is that they messed up on the engineering and didn't account for enough space in the attic for AC ducts. He's trying to pitch these mini splits to me as being more efficient and better overall. However in my opinion they look terrible and will effect resale value. Here's a link to the duplex design for reference: https://imgur.com/a/T5rX07D
In our area you rarely see mini splits unless they're in an ADU. I'm pretty bummed at the idea of having these obtrusive wall units in every room as it will take away from the clean modern design we were looking for. Alternatively he said he could switch it to a central HVAC system but would need to have the ducts exposed or he can drywall around them...this would also look funny because it would essentially be an 18" drop down in the ceiling (going down the hallway).
Does anyone have opinions on mini splits? From what I read they're somewhat more efficient but also more expensive to maintain. My biggest concern is how they look aesthetically as this was going to be a STR (or for sale). We live in Florida and it's hot almost all year which means these units will be running 24/7/365
I'm having a meeting with the builder this week to discuss our options. I'm upset this was never discussed up until this point because I would have never agreed to either option he's providing. He made it clear that there would be up charges for any change orders I made...what about a decrease in price for any change orders he makes?
How would you handle this situation? We're still uncertain if we're going to use these as STR, LTR, or sell.
By the way, these weren't cheap to build. If I were getting a killer deal then I wouldn't care as much but we aren't. It's roughly $200 a square foot to build...
It’s hard to give alternate options with seeing the plans. my experience with mini splits is that they require a lot of maintenance. If you don’t clean them out regularly they get pretty dirty and can get moldy. I would research which models are the easiest to maintain. Sounds like this is probably your best option unless you want to redesign.
As for the change order it is called a deductive change order when the contractor provides a credit back and this should be done if the cost is indeed less. You would compare the labor, material and contractors markup from the original price versus the mini split price and then whatever the difference you either add to the total contract or deduct.
