I’m ready to build a custom home, but where do I begin?
In this article, we will be laying the groundwork for the initial phase of getting a custom building project started, identifying the things that the Owner should be aware of and the decisions that they will need to make.
First, I would like to introduce our company. Wills Builders, Inc. is an Unlimited Licensed General Contractor specializing in the construction of high end luxury mountain homes including log homes and timber-frame homes. Our commercial construction company, Wills Builders-Commercial, Inc. is a bonded Unlimited Licensed General Contractor specializing in the construction of all types of commercial projects. Our areas of operations are in the mountains of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia & Tennessee. We assess taking projects in other states on a case by case basis. The counties in North Carolina that we operate in include Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Macon, Swain, Jackson, Haywood, Transylvania, Henderson, Buncombe & Madison counties. Some of the cities in North Carolina that we operate in include Murphy, Andrews, Hayesville, Robbinsville, Fontana Village, Franklin, Sylva, Bryson City, Cullowhee, Highlands, Cashiers, Glenville, Cherokee, Saphire, Lake Toxaway, Brevard, Waynesville and Asheville. The counties in South Carolina that we operate in include Oconee, Pickens, Greenville and Anderson counties. Some of the cities in South Carolina that we operate in include Westminster, Seneca, Walhalla, Clemson, Liberty, Cleveland and Marietta. The counties in Georgia that we operate in include Union, Towns, Rabun, Fannin, Gilmer, Murray, Whitfield, Catoosa, White, Lumpkin, Habersham, Pickens, Cherokee, Dawson, Forsyth, Cobb, Hall and Fulton. Some of the cities in Georgia that we operate in include McCaysville, Young Harris, Hiawassee, Blairsville, Blueridge, Suches, Helen, Cleveland, Dahlonega, Dawsonville, Juno, Cherrylog, Ellijay, East Ellijay, Talking Rock, Jasper, Tate, Nelson, Ball Ground, Waleska, Canton, Cumming, Silver City, Coal Mountain, Holly Springs, Blackwells, Acworth, Kennesaw, Roswell, Marietta and Smyrna. The counties in Tennessee that we operate in include Polk, Monroe, Blount, Sevier, Knox, Loudon, McMinn, Bradley, Hamilton, Marion, Sequathie, Grundy, Bledsoe, Rhea and Meigs. Some of the cities that we operate in include Ducktown, Copperhill, Postelle, Farner, Coker Creek, Tellico Plains, Madisonville, Sweetwater, Englewood, Etowah, Athens, Maryville, Townsend, Wear Valley, Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, Sevierville, Cleveland, Collegedale, Ooltewah and Chattanooga. We have worked with many types and manufacturers of log, timber-frame and SIP panel systems. We promote green building as well as energy star compliant construction. In the 12 years that we have been in business, we have established a reputation as a high quality, professional custom builder.
So, you have decided to build a custom home but you’re not quite sure where to begin? Typically, the first step that most people take is to find and engage an Architect to develop the plans for their custom home. An Architect can work with the Owner to design their home, coordinating the Owners wishes with the various site conditions that exist. There are many details to be considered, and proper coordination at this stage of the process is extremely important. The Architect can work with the Owner’s Builder to coordinate with local authorities, agencies and code officials to obtain the necessary permits required to begin construction of the project. Some of the other critical elements that the Architect can determine are the most economical placement of the footprint of the home on the existing topography of the house site, the most cost effective driveway approach to the home, the appropriate location for the placement of a well, coordinating permitting and placement for the septic system, coordinating with the local power company to develop an acceptable infrastructure plan and developing an overall master site plan to take all of the surroundings into consideration during the design of the home. Architects can also serve in a construction management capacity once construction has begun to verify that the home is being built according to the plans, to review pay requests by the Contractor and to work with the Contractor to help to clarify issues as they arise during construction. The Architect’s services can be a considerable investment by the Owner, but typically this investment more than pays for itself by the end of the project. One of the most successful ways that we have found to build a custom home is to use the design/build approach. This is accomplished by engaging an Architect and a General Contractor that will work together from the beginning of the design phase for the Owner. One of the biggest advantages to this approach is the preliminary estimating that the Contractor can generate from working with the Architect during the design process. Many Owners hire an Architect to design their home and then once the design is complete, they send the plans to several Contractors for a bid to construct the home, only to find out that the home that they designed with their Architect will cost much more to build than the budget amount that they have available for construction. With the design/build approach, the right Contractor can provide accurate preliminary estimating on the design as it progresses to ensure the Owner that the completed design can be built within their budget range.
The Owner’s decision in hiring the right Licensed Architect and Licensed General Contractor to design and build their project will be the two most important decisions that they will make in the process. These decisions will determine wether or not their project will be a well executed, well built, on budget project.