New-home construction is a longer process than most people expect. The build itself is 10–14 months, but the lead-up — site evaluation, design, permits — often adds another 6–12 months. Here’s how it usually unfolds.
Step 1: Lot evaluation
Before you finalize a design, we walk the lot. Slope, soils, utilities, setbacks, view considerations, tree retention, neighborhood character. Sometimes a lot constrains the design in ways the buyer didn’t expect.
Step 2: Design
You either bring an architect, or we bring one of the architects we work with regularly, or for simpler plans we use our in-house drafting. Design takes 2–4 months for a custom home, longer for ambitious ones.
Step 3: Permitting
Plans go to the city or county for plan check. Depending on the jurisdiction this is 2–6 months. We handle it.
Step 4: Bid finalization
Once plans are stamped, we finalize the construction bid with actual specs and material selections.
Step 5: Site prep and groundbreaking
Site clearing, excavation, utilities, foundation. From here it’s a steady march to move-in.
If you’re at the start of this process, the best first step is just a phone call. We can talk through where you are and what the next 1–2 moves should be, before you’re committed to anything.