Prep & Foundation
✔ Identify Location – Selecting the right location is one of the most important steps in building your new custom home. Many factors will play into this including neighborhood, homesite, quality of school district, regulations, as well as proximity to other facilities including hospitals, shopping and transportation.
✔ Architecture & Design – Next, you will work directly with an architect to map the details covering every inch of your new custom home, which is both science as well as an art form. You’ll be hands-on in planning layout, design elements, along with selecting design finishes to create your own custom look and feel.
✔ Land Prep – Now we start getting our hands dirty, beginning with everything that needs to happen before construction can begin. This includes surveying, preparing access, clearing, site prep, installing utilities, as well as acquiring all the necessary permits and documentation to get construction underway.
✔ Footings & Foundation (Inspection 1) – Beyond 3 basic options…full/daylight basements, crawlspaces, or slab-on-grade, this is pretty straightforward. We erect wooden forms, install steel reinforcing (rebar), fill the forms with concrete, and remove the forms once the concrete has set. Seal and insulation are the other factors.
✔ Framing & Exterior Insulation – Using quality lumber for framing walls, roof trusses, and decking is obviously paramount, but exterior insulation is where options come into play. Regulatory building codes set baseline insulation mandates, but you’ll likely be looking to exceed the minimum requirements to at least some degree for the energy-efficiency benefits.
✔ Roofing & Windows – The roof sheathing is installed next so the roof can be covered with roofing underlayment (this seals the roof so the shingles can wait until later). With a sealed roof, the windows can now be installed and the home is considered “dried in”…meaning the shell can sufficiently keep out wind, rain, and weather.
✔ Plumbing Pipes, Air Ducts, Electrical Wiring (Inspection 2) – The mechanical rough-ins for your new custom home build including plumbing, HVAC, electrical, media wiring, gas, and fireplace installations occur here. In certain basement cases, we will have our plumbers come in and complete some of the rough plumbing installation prior to the framing phase.
Interior Finishing
✔ Interior Insulation – Here we add insulation to all exterior walls and in any preferred interior walls. To complete a seal, we also add it between attic joists and in gaps between windows and other framing. Your most common material options will include fiberglass, cellulose and mineral wool…coming in either bat (roll) or spray form.
✔ Drywall & Wall Prep – This is where rooms start becoming visually separated and divided as the wall and ceiling drywall is hung, taped, and mudded (surfaces smoothed out). This is normally one of the most rewarding steps for homeowners, as you really start getting the full visual effect and feel for each space as they are completed.
✔ Counters, Cabinets & Vanities – Now it’s time for your selected kitchen cabinets and bathroom vanities to go in, along with any special built-in cabinetry or shelving. Your countertops for both the cabinets and vanities also get installed here. You’ll be able to choose from granite, concrete, marble, quartz, or a wide variety of other options.
✔ Doors, Baseboards & Casings – Next comes the installation of interior doors, wood trim and other decorative wood finishes including base boards, case headers, crown molding, wainscoting, shiplap, etc. This is the step where you really start to get a feel for the character of each space as this first layer of decorative elements begin to take shape.
✔ Stairs & Balusters – As stairs and balusters are installed, this step becomes an extension of the prior and takes another big step in building character in the space. There are almost innumerable options here between color, decorative stylings, along with the raw materials themselves including many different metals and woods.
Exterior Finishing
✔ Driveways & Walkways – Exterior surfaces like a garages, driveways and walkways come next. Traditional flat concrete is most common, but patterned concrete pours have become more popular in recent years. For walkways, natural or factory-made paving stone in different shapes, sizes, and colors can also really boost curb appeal.
✔ Patios & Decks – This step is typically an extension of Driveways & Walkways, especially when concrete pouring is a part of the patio setup. That said, with so many options here…anywhere from a simple covered porch to a 3 or 4 season porch…this step can be organized/prioritized in so many different ways given its complexity.
✔ Exterior Siding – Now is normally the time when the exterior siding of the home begins. This is another step with a multitude of options including brick, stucco, stone, stone veneer, natural wood, manufactured wood, vinyl, insulated vinyl, LP SmartSide, Hardie Board, Everlast Composite, or even many different types of Metals.
✔ Landscaping – Completing landscaping will be one of the last exterior steps. This typically includes yard grading, sod, mulch, planting trees, shrubs and flowers…along with installing any swimming pools, retaining or perimeter walls, irrigation systems, and outdoor living elements like outdoor kitchens, fire pits, etc.
Fixture Installation
✔ Plumbing, Electrical & HVAC Systems (Inspection 3) – This phase will include the completion of your electrical and HVAC systems. This includes installation of the electrical panel, the water heater, the furnace, the AC unit, and any required gas lines.
✔ Bathtubs, Toilets & Sinks – All additional plumbing units are hooked up here including bath tubs, shower inserts/srtalls, toilets, sinks, etc. This step also includes installation of the rest of the plumbing faucets, fixtures, hardware, etc.
✔ Electrical Fixtures, Light Switches & Air Registers – The final step here is installing light switches and other electrical switches and fixtures, along with any other miscellaneous HVAC and electrical hardware and trim…which might include speaker wires, cable, telephone, and anything else requiring wiring.
✔ Glass Fixtures – Shower Doors, Mirrors & Chandeliers – Shower doors, cabinet glass and mirrors are the finishing touches to perfectly complete the design. This is another stage that offers a wide variety of design styles for bath and/or shower enclosures and doors, along with many mirror designs, styles and finishes.
Final Steps
✔ Painting & Final Trim – Along with any wall texturing, the final paint layers are now applied. This step also includes the painting and installation of interior wood trim and other decorative wood finishes including base and crown molding, case headers, shiplap, wainscoting, etc. This phase also includes installing the interior doors.
✔ Flooring – Carpet, Hardwood & Tile – Once the painting has been completed, hardwood floors, tile and carpet are installed throughout the home. The floorings are not installed until after painting and other interior finishes have been completed to avoid spillage, scratches and other incidental damages. At this point, you really see what rooms look like.
✔ Appliance Installation – One of the final steps is installing the appliances…including refrigerators, ranges, dishwashers, microwave ovens and any other additional appliances you may have selected. This is another step where there are an endless number of appliance options which really help complete the overall look and feel.
✔ Final Inspection (Inspection 4) – The final inspection is conducted when all construction activities have been completed. This inspection is designed to verify all structural, electrical, plumbing, and any other mechanical systems to make sure they meet planned specifications, are properly installed and operational, and fully comply with all safety standards.
✔ Final Walkthrough – And now is the big day for the homeowner walk-though, and receiving the warranty packet and touring the overall property. This includes inspecting windows and doors, rooms, bathrooms, kitchen and appliances. We also test lights & the electrical systems, along with going over the heating and air conditioning systems.
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Trusted Partners
We have spent years cultivating close and trusted relationships with sub-contracting partners who perfectly align with our dedication, values and vision.
This allows us to manage projects at a very high level with regard to quality, timeliness and value, which helps to ensure positive client experiences every time.