Dave Febbraio, a Sherman, Conn.-based integrator, has worked with two builders on the same 5,000-squarefoot timber-framed house. First, Febbraio worked with the original builder. Now, he's working with the builder the homeowner brought in to clean up the mess.

According to Febbraio, who owns Structured Home Solutions, the construction project was about a year behind schedule and about $1 million over budget when Danbury, Conn.-based Jim Blansfield Builders took the reigns. Febbraio says Blansfield seems to have the project back on track.

So what is Blansfield doing that the previous builder was not? From Febbraio's perspective, as a sub-contractor working on the project, the difference comes down to communication. The previous builder didn't communicate well, especially early on, and Blansfield does.

One of the first things Blansfield did was put Febbraio in touch with the interior designer. "That's so important," Blansfield says. "You have to get your interior designer talking to your integrator early, and the cabinetmaker. It's so important to have everybody on the same page, with the same end result in mind."

Builders don't have to communicate a lot with integrators, according to Febbraio, but a little effort goes a long way. "I think planning from the beginning is the most important part," he says. "We can definitely save time for a builder by having proper design in place and pulling all the wire at one time. We can minimize the time subs have to be involved in a project. A small amount of time in a meeting up front can save a lot of time at the end."

For instance, working on a timber-framed home presents challenges because the walls aren't ideal for running wires. Also, placement of thermostat controls and other interfaces are made difficult by the unique walls. Upfront communication has allowed Febbraio to come up with wiring solutions and figure out a way to put all home systems control in a single interface. "If I had that much contact with the old builder, it may have been easier," Febbraio adds.