Process

Your goals may start out as simply as “we want a custom home” or as detailed as “we want a 5,000 square foot modern farmhouse on three acres of lakefront property with mountain views.” We will help you hone those into a defined project that matches your desired budget.

If you don’t already have a lot or land where you would like to build, we are happy to help you find the right property. We will start in the area where you would like to live, then help you make an apples-to-apples comparison of your options. We look at soils reports, water tap fees, grading requirements, HOA dues, and other factors that can drastically affect the price of a homesite so you understand your true cost before you make a decision. We want to build your home in the best location, but we also want to keep you away from financial pitfalls.

We also feel strongly that you should have a good relationship with your architect or design professional  – you will be working closely with that person for a year or more, and a good designer will help you manage expectations as you maintain the balance between goals and budget. We know a lot of local architects and can help you select the right one. Once we get to know your style and personality, we can set up interviews with a few we think you might gel with so you can get to know them. We want to make sure you are comfortable with your final decision.

With your designer on your team, the next step is to take your vision of your new home and create some sketches of different elevations. They will tell us how big the house is going to be, how it’s going to sit on the lot, and what the general structure will look like.

We will talk about your big picture ideas and get your feedback on some of the larger components of the home. We will identify products and manufacturers that, from our years of experience, align with your aesthetic and budget. Then we will share them with you to make sure they are to your liking. This eliminates multiple questions we have about details that you probably won’t have the answers to at this step in the process.

From there, we will create a conceptual pricing structure that includes most of the home’s elements to determine if what you want is aligned with what you’re prepared to spend. If it’s off, we’ll make adjustments until you are comfortable moving forward. If you know everything that is going into your home in the beginning, there is less fear and stress and fewer surprises for you along the way. Our goal is to never have a change order because of a miscommunication or mistake.

The next step is to create a full set of construction plans with all the parts and pieces that will go into your home. We help you make informed choices during this process, sharing our knowledge, expertise, and opinions, but you will be making the final decisions.

Our in-house interior designer will guide you through the selections process, documenting everything in our CoConstruct project management software so everyone on the team knows the details. You will have changes as we move along through the process, but the detailed planning of the build up front should keep costly modifications to a minimum.