With highly-customized projects, an exact timeline and construction process will vary, but we’ve outlined the overall process for our new construction and remodel projects. They should give you a good idea of how we manage and facilitate your experience and the construction of your project.
Consultation
After you’ve checked out our website (paying special attention to our Process and FAQ pages), done your research and decided to build a custom home, we encourage you to contact us to set up a consultation.
For your initial consultation:
-Know your basic requirements (# of bedrooms, # of bathrooms, formal dining, etc.)
-Bring a print out of your favorite floor plan(s)
-Know your budget and financing goals
-Know where you want to build (general location/community or rural)
-Bring a list of your expectations and the top 3 – 5 must-haves for your home
Creating open lines of communication early on is key to our design + build process; we want to know what you like and don’t like and understand your lifestyle before we begin drawing floor plans. We design each home to best fit your needs and personality but also to respect the grade and slope of the land as well as your budget for the project. Once those determining factors have been finalized, our design team can begin working on a proposal.
Proposal - Blueprint Agreement
The proposal for your custom home will include personalized floor plans, elevation options and estimated pricing based upon the initial consultation and any other previous correspondence. This concept design provides a visual for you to see a combination of your wants needs and ideas.
Once you have reviewed the proposal and decided that our team and design + build approach is a good fit for your custom home, we will sign the Blueprint Agreement. Depending on the complexity of the plans, $2.50 – 3.50/sq. ft. of the total living space to be designed will be due at this time. This agreement allows us to proceed with the design of your project and covers the cost of blueprints. It will take roughly 2-3 months to finish designing your house plans and elevations and another 4-6 weeks for engineering to get them permit ready.
Project Development
Our team will spend the next 3 – 4 months working with you to thoroughly plan and prepare for the construction phase of your project. We’ll enter into the Project Development Agreement for roughly $2.50 – 3.50/sq. ft. of finished living space so that we can begin creating documentation, preparing for site development, holding design meetings for selections and finalizing details.
First, we create a room-by-room materials list, a detailed cost spreadsheet and project timeline that we will develop and refer to throughout design and construction. Then we meet with subcontractors, vendors and utility companies to request pricing and discuss your project. Once we’ve reviewed all the bids, we can begin scheduling and make adjustments to the cost spreadsheet and project timeline as needed.
Before we pull permits or order any materials, we will meet to review all the documentation and ensure we are all on the same page. By now, the blueprints should be fully engineered… which means we are only a few short steps away from breaking ground.
Construction & Design
Construction will begin once all necessary documentation has been finalized and both parties have signed the New Home Construction Agreement. The contract outlines the general practices, financial details, potential risks, warranty, etc. Construction typically takes 9-11 months to complete, depending on the time of year and size of house. Your Project Manager will make sure you receive copies of all pertinent documentation, update you regularly on construction progress and budget and be available to address any concerns or answer questions.
Throughout construction you will be working with our design team to make selections, approve drawings and designs and discuss other key components to the home building process. To minimize delays, our design schedule runs 10-12 weeks ahead of the on-site construction to account for lead times when ordering. Our team makes the design process manageable by dividing selections into multiple meetings and setting reasonable deadlines for approvals. We’ll have everything selected before framing is complete. Their fresh perspective, resources and expertise will ensure that your custom home is designed to be a perfect reflection of your style and family.
Completion
In the final weeks of construction, we will be working on a punch list that outlines every detail in each room that needs addressed to ensure our high-quality standards. Days before completion, we schedule a final inspection with the city or county to obtain a Certificate of Occupancy.
After the final inspection, we will do a final walk-thru with you to ensure your satisfaction and give you a copy of the Certificate of Occupancy. There still may be a few things that we need to finish that we were not able to do before you move into your new home. This may be because of a back order on materials or fixtures or if a subcontractor or crew couldn’t complete a task before your move-in date. Any necessary items will be made a priority and fit into our schedule as soon as possible and other touch-ups or small issues will be completed during your one-month warranty visit.
Warranty
As you move in and return to your normal lifestyle, you might find something here or there that you won’t know how to operate or that may need an adjustment. We promise to be readily available to address any concerns, issues or questions you may have during your first few weeks in your new custom home.
Before you sign the New Construction Contract, we provide you with a copy of our warranty that details our coverage for the exterior and interior of your home. We offer a 1-year limited warranty on labor and also make sure to set up all your extended manufacturers’ warranties. We try to schedule all non-emergency warranty claims at a 90-day check-in and after the 11-month walk-through prior to one year after completion. Any emergencies are handled by your Project Manager on a case-by-case basis.
Consultation & Proposal
To start, our team likes to have a preliminary phone call to outline the details of the project, better understand your goals and vision and answer your questions about our team, process and construction. We’ll provide some generic ballpark figures for similar projects to put some perspective to potential costs. Then, we’ll schedule the initial onsite consultation where we’ll take all necessary measurements, pictures of the project site and discuss your ideas and goals for the project. It is important for us to understand your overall vision and a complete scope of work so we can develop your project-specific proposal.
Depending on the size and complexity of your project, it may take 1-2 weeks for our team to complete your proposal. The initial figures are based on average square foot pricing and the scope of work that was discussed. While you are reviewing the proposal, we will be readily available to answer any questions you may have or make changes or additions. If you would like to proceed with the next phase of the project, we’ll be able to provide final pricing once we’ve determined the scope of work (blueprints, layouts, construction specifications) and finalized the material selections.
Blueprints & Design
When you are comfortable with the proposal that our team has presented, we will enter into a Blueprint Agreement and/or move forward with the Project Development Agreement, based on the needs of your project. Depending on the complexity of the plans, a deposit of $2.50 – 3.50/sq. ft. will be due at this time for the Blueprint Agreement. This allows our team to proceed with the design of your project and provides you with a permit-ready set of plans. The blueprint process can take 1 – 2 months to complete and another 4 – 6 weeks to engineer.
As the plans are being engineered, we’ll spend the next 2 – 3 months working with you to thoroughly plan and prepare for the construction of your project. For this phase, we’ll enter into the Project Development Agreement so our team can create and develop construction documentation, finalize design details and prepare for permit/construction. While our team is working with our trade partners, developing the contract and contract price and preparing your project for construction, you will be meeting with the Project Designer to finalize selections. This agreement is also a deposit towards the total cost of the project and typically ranges $2.50 – 3.50/sq. ft.
Contract & Project Commencement
With all of the details and information gathered during the Blueprint and Project Development phases, our team can then finalize the full Materials List, project schedule, contract price, Construction Contract and Warranty.
Together, we’ll review these documents in great detail before signing the Construction Contract. The Materials List notes the scope of work and material specifications specific to your project; the project schedule provides a full outline of the project progression and notes the anticipated completion date; the Construction Contract will include the contract price and covers general practices, financial processes and details, protection for all parties, etc.; Lastly, the Warranty explains in detail what your coverage is on the components and workmanship performed within the project.
After you’ve approved these documents and signed the Construction Contract, we will order materials, pull the permit, and proceed with construction.
Construction
The project schedule will be a close representation of our intended daily progress and overall project timeline, but the schedule will likely flex depending on weather, trade partner availability and material availability. In general, we would anticipate construction for an average full basement finish to be about 4 months, a full kitchen renovation 4 – 5 months, main level renovation, and other larger projects about 5 – 6+ months.
Throughout the project your Project Manager will update you on progress, coordinate and manage the entire project and troubleshoot any unexpected, unforeseen issues that may arise. You’ll also have access to the project schedule and details on your Buildertrend website. We will accept changes, when possible, after we’ve started construction; changes are recorded in a change order and we will update the schedule to reflect any delay if necessary. Changes and additions to construction or materials are facilitated through your Project Manager and our Interior Designer.
As we approach project completion, we will create a punch list that outlines every detail that needs addressed to ensure our high quality standards. We’ll schedule a final walk-thru with you to review the punch list and ensure your satisfaction. There may still be a few things we need to do, at the time of substantial project completion, due to a back order on materials or subcontractor availability. These items will be made priority and scheduled as soon as possible.
Warranty
As you begin to use your improved home over the next few weeks after your project is completed, feel free to contact us for any questions you may have. We understand the importance of standing behind our work as our primary source of new projects comes from the referrals of our satisfied clients.
Owen Homes provides a Warranty that begins when the project is considered substantially complete, typically at the final walk-thru or when awarded Temporary/Final Certificate of Occupancy. Beyond our own warranty, we help set up all of your extended manufacturers warranties on the applicable products included in your project. We try to schedule all non-emergency warranty claims at a 90-day check-in and during the 11-month walk-through prior to one year after completion. Any emergencies are handled by your Project Manager on a case-by-case basis.