Build the Home of Your Dreams

Now that the plan has been finalized and the lot acquired, it's time to start building...

Now that we're ready to build, there are some decisions to make...hundreds of them. Brick color, bathroom tile, crown moulding...yes, even the kitchen sink needs to be selected. We recognize that this can be a daunting process. While some clients thrive on selecting their finishings, others find it intimidating. We help the selection process in several ways. First and foremost, we provide 25 hours of time with an interior designer on our staff to help with the decisions. Clients have utilized the services of the designer in different ways. Some have used the designer only for some specific decisions. Others have used the designer for virtually every decision.

We also help the process by utilizing select trade partners who we are very familiar with. An example would be our sale rep at Pella. We provide Pella the blueprint for your home and the budget for your windows ahead of your visit. They will also know the construction timeline and where your lot is located. This way, when you sit down for your appointment, the Pella rep is informed and ready to go. They have a broad selection will make good recommendations for your window selections. Of course, you can select other windows within your budget, this is simply an example of one of our trade partners we do business with frequently.

The timeline for the product selections is staggered into several groups of decisions. Natuarally, many of the exterior finishes are in the first group of selections. Kitchen design, including flooring, cabinets, appliances, and counters is in another group of selections. Flooring decisions tend to be towards the end of the construction timeline. We stagger the selection due dates to help make the process more manageable. Some clients have made virtually all their decisions in a matter of 3-4 weeks. Others make there decisions following the timeline provided.

During construction we interact with the client frequently. It is an exciting time for both us and the client and we want to do everything we can to make the project enjoyable. There are times when the project seems to be moving quickly, when you can see great progress daily on the home. There are other times when it seems nothing is happening. This sometimes occurs when we are waiting for inspections, or when certain trades are working off-site (such as cabinet fabricating). We will schedule appointments with you that best fit your schedule for you to tour the progress of the home and make sure the project is proceeding relative to your vision.

Seldom are our projects delayed. We can usually build a 3,000 square foot home, from groundbreaking to closing, in 5 months. Delays even seldom occur because of weather. If weather causes a 2-3 day delay, we can usually make that time up along the way. The key to having the project completed on time is to have the finishings selected according to the schedule.

During the project you will receive a regular accounting of where the project is at relative to the allowance schedule. Unlike many builders, we provide very generous allowances. Some builders wil loffer a lower cost-per-square-foot price than we do, only to hit you with extras at seemingly every turn during the project. We are confident in stating that you can build a very high-end quality home within our allowances without spending another penny on your project. This is a very important fact as you consider choosing your builder.

About 30-45 days before completion of your project, we will provide a closing notification with another updated accounting record and a time for your closing.

Our service to you does not stop at the closing. As our clients will attest, we are very responsive to any service needs you may have. Our warranty program includes punchlists at closing, then again at 30 days, 90 days, and 11 months after closing. All workmanship has a 1-year warranty. Plus, many products, systems, and appliances carry much longer manufacturer warranties.

All told, we truly believe that building your custom home is a collaborative process. We try to mold the process to best suit your needs. For instance, with many clients we interact extensively using email. For other clients, everything is handled during face-to-face meetings. Yet others do most of their business via fax. We are capable of communicating in the way most comfortable to you. In any event, we obtain detailed sign-offs during our communcations so that mistakes in relaying information between the supplies, installers, designer, and builder are all kept to a minimum.

Thank you for reading through the process today. We appreciate that you are considering Burnham Custom Homes as your custom homebuilder and will do whatever we can to meet your needs. Please contact us with any questions.