Building a custom home in Eugene, OR, may bring up a range of emotions. You likely feel excited by the thought of owning your dream home, but you may also feel a bit overwhelmed by the many stages involved in the process.
When working with seasoned custom home builders, you can trust that they will make every stage as smooth and stress-free as possible. Understanding each stage in advance can also help you better prepare.
Meeting With Builders for an Initial Consultation
Your custom home building journey begins with an initial consultation, where you sit down with the builders and discuss your vision. They’ll ask questions like:
- What square footage are you looking for?
- How many stories?
- What is your budget?
- Do you have any specific requirements for the home (garage size, layout, pool, entrances, etc.)?
You don’t have to have your vision perfectly finalized at this stage. You may only know that you want to build a custom home without having much of an idea of what it will look like. Your builders will take any information you have and use it to shape a rough plan for the build.
During the initial consultation, you may also receive an initial quote and timeline. Feel free to ask any questions and share any ideas you can think of. You’ll gain more clarity and peace of mind about what’s to come.
Designing Your Custom Home
Once you have given your builders the go-ahead, they will start crafting the design and blueprints for your custom home. This stage involves extensive feedback from you to ensure that the design perfectly matches your vision, even if that vision is not yet concrete. You are building a custom home to create a space that is ideal for your family. Your builders want to reflect this goal in every detail.
They will begin by creating and sharing a rough blueprint with design notes for each room. With your feedback and guidance, they will hone this sketch into a detailed 3D blueprint and rendering of your future home. You can continue requesting adjustments until every detail reflects your family’s needs and your aesthetic preferences.
Some clients may experience decision fatigue during this stage. If you’re unsure about which floor tile you prefer or the size of windows you’d like, your builders can help make these decisions and seek your approval. They have designed many custom homes in Eugene and understand how to make stylistic choices that look cohesive and reflect your overall vision.
Calculating Cost Estimates
With the house design finalized, your builders can present you with a transparent cost estimate. They will help you make choices during the design stage to keep everything within your initial budget. If you are dissatisfied with the cost estimate, they can make further adjustments as needed.
Your detailed cost estimate will include the expected prices for every element of your home, including:
- Excavation and site development
- Foundation work
- Building materials
- Construction
- Permits
- Inspections
It will also include allowances for certain items to better stay within the budget when unexpected costs arise.
Securing Permits and Approvals
Lane County requires several building permits during the custom home building process. These permits enable your builders to legally complete certain phases of construction and allow the county to oversee the safe and compliant completion of building projects.
Full-scale custom home building companies take care of the entire permit process for you to ensure that your build is always legally compliant. In Eugene, builders work with the Lane County Building Program to review construction plans, seek building and electrical permits, and schedule construction inspections. You won’t be responsible for applying for or managing any permits.
Breaking Ground and Beginning Construction
With the appropriate permits in hand, your builders will have the go-ahead to break ground on your custom home in Eugene! The construction stage of the process consists of many steps in itself, including:
- Site preparation: Clearing the construction site of any vegetation and levelling the surface
- Foundation work: Pouring the foundation walls or slab, depending on whether you will have a basement, crawl space, or no lower floor
- Framing: Constructing the home’s structural skeleton using wood or steel to create the initial shape of the home and ensure the integrity of the structure
- Outfitting: Installing the electrical, plumbing, and HVAC systems
- Insulation and drywall: Building the walls of the home and installing doors
These steps leave your builders with a durable blank slate that they can customize to further match your vision for the home.
Applying the Finishing Touches
After completing the major stages of building your custom home in Eugene, the builders will move on to finishing touches, such as:
- Flooring
- Backsplash
- Paint
- Light fixtures
- Landscaping features
Many clients choose to add smart home technology at this stage. Your builders can discuss installing features such as:
- Smart thermostats
- Remote-controlled window shades or blinds
- Smart kitchen appliances
- Whole-home security systems
This stage is when your house begins to feel like a home. Your builders will provide custom house tips throughout the process to ensure that the finished product always matches your goals and vision for the space.
Performing Quality Assurance Checks and Inspections
After adding the final touches, your home building team in Eugene will complete thorough inspections and quality assurance checks. This ensures that every detail of your home meets their strict quality standards and will stand the test of time.
Custom home builders often bring in third-party contractors to complete tasks like plumbing and electrical installation. This final quality assurance check gives you confidence that even the processes not under your builders’ control are still of the highest quality.
During this stage, your builders will also clean any lingering construction dust or tracked-in dirt to ensure a polished appearance.
Taking You on a Final Walkthrough
Finally, it’s time for your tour of your custom home in Eugene. Your builders will walk you through the space, ensuring you’re familiar with the location of essential features, such as the electrical panel and water shut-off, and how to use them. They will answer any questions you have and make sure you are completely satisfied with your new home.
With the keys in hand, you will have the freedom to start moving into your house. Your builders will be just a call away if any further questions arise. Many new builds come with warranty coverage, so you can contact your builders should you encounter any problems down the line.
Start Your Custom Home Building Process With Schar Construction, Inc.
Are you looking for skilled home builders to construct your dream home in Eugene, OR? Schar Construction, Inc. has built over 50 custom homes for local clients and is ready to bring your vision to life. We have extensive experience with home planning in the area and will guide you through the entire custom home building process.
Whether you are just beginning to explore the idea of a custom home in Eugene or are ready to start the process, we are here to assist you. Get started by requesting our free Eugene construction guide or scheduling a free estimate. Call 541-255-1624 today to speak with our team.
