Since 1974 I have observed hundreds of clients planning, designing, and building custom homes. From these many experiences I have tried to examine what approach yields the best results for clients and produces a satisfying building experience.
Months and even years can be spent reading design magazines and various internet sites, touring homes, and dreaming of the perfect house, then several more months working with an architect designing a home. At the end of the design process, the two things I see clients most unsatisfied with are the length of time it takes to get to the actual construction stage, and the price of the house designed being over-budget. Often the latter problem is solved by simply hiring a cheap contractor, which of course leads to a whole other set of problems. I’ve seen some very unhappy endings. There is a way to avoid this, and that is by bringing a builder into the process at the design and planning stage.
The planning process should include establishing a construction budget, a pre-construction schedule and checklist, and a construction commencement date. There should be discussions regarding the cost-benefit of various materials, and if needed additional value engineering. An experienced builder who is involved in the planning phase can offer suggestions and answer questions regarding various building techniques as well as the cost, functionality, and availability of different building products. Building and Energy Codes are constantly changing, a builder can keep the design team and client apprised of the latest requirements. By having a builder do preliminary pricing at an early stage, the client can avoid lengthy and costly redesign. In my opinion and from experience, I believe having another set of experienced eyes involved to review and analyze the house is very beneficial.
I also have found that being involved from the beginning allows me to more fully understand what aspects of the house are most important to the owner, as well as grasping the architect’s vision. I have a more complete understanding of the house when I have been part of the entire process, and likewise, clients are able to gain an insight into the construction process.
Being a builder I value and place a premium on high quality construction, however I consider the design team, the design process, and the actual architectural design itself to be equally important for the client. When I participate in this planning process, I am careful to understand my role, I am not an architect and I always defer to the design team regarding actual architectural and interior design.
If you are considering building a custom home please contact me to discuss further. Making a builder part of the team in the very early initial stages will prevent downstream heartache and will save time and money.