Step 1: Planning
The first step for any build is to choose the lot and floor plan for your project, as the lot often directly affects the home design.
If you already have a location and design in mind, great! We can pick up from there. If not, we are happy to assist in lot assessment—we work with many developments at all price ranges, or we can assist in finding acreage or building on land you already own.
After a location is picked, we will give input on layout decisions and provide a ballpark price range for the project.
Then, it's time to start designing your home. We have local designers who can assist with this process, or we can purchase stock plans. We are happy to guide you either way.
The plan cost and design phase can vary, but we work to provide a quote BEFORE starting so that you remain informed throughout the process
Step 2: Bid
Once you have settled on a floor plan, we will sit down for a pre-bid meeting. This is a lengthy, extensive meeting during which we will discuss every detail of your home—from flooring and cabinets to insulation and roofing.
After everything is settled in the pre-bid meeting, we will be ready to present your bid.
We do this by showing you your costs in two ways: 1) the absolute least expensive way to build with a total guaranteed price, and 2) a list of optional items with prices broken down for each item.
Breaking the bid presentation into these two categories gives you intel on how much each upgrade costs and allows you to control those costs in order to hit your budget. You can make as many changes as needed to land on a final number you feel comfortable with.
This is a unique way of bidding that allows you to see the fixed final cost of your home before coming under contract. We do NOT do "cost-plus," a popular system that often leads to unforeseen costs at the end of a build—at the homeowner's expense. (Read more about fixed price vs. cost-plus contracts in our blog.)
Once the bid is complete, you can choose the optional items you want. This gives us the total contract price, and at this point we will be ready to sign the construction contract.
Step 3: Financing and Contract
The process for contracting and financing can go in several directions:
1. For those building on one of our lots, we will obtain the construction loan. We require a down payment based off your plan and budget. Once we close on our loan, construction can begin. Under this option, you will only be responsible for the down payment and to close once the house is finished.
2. For others, you will be responsible for obtaining your own financing by providing the plans and contract to your bank. After the construction loan is approved, we can start building. We will bill you in increments according to our draw schedule, so you will pay us according to the stage of construction and percentage of work completed.
3. For those paying in cash, we can start immediately after the contract is signed. As with those in group two, we will bill you according to the draw schedule.
Step 4: Construction
You will remain an active part of the process even during construction.
Our selections process is broken down to give you a timeline for when your selections need to be made, and we will even aid you in making them.
Our selections team will coordinate with you and the superintendent so that, if something ever needs to be changed during construction, we can provide estimates before the work happens.
Step 5: Post-Construction
At the end of construction, we will have a thorough walk-through to make sure you are completely satisfied before any final payments are required. Even after closing, we stand behind our work and will address any issues that might arise.
Finally, the process will be complete, and you can focus on making your new house a home.
Have questions? Please don't hesitate to reach out!