Building a Home with Wayne Anthony Custom Homes

Our Process

Initial Conversation

When you reach out to us about building a home, we’ll talk about what and where you want to build, your goals for the project, your ideal timeframe, your budget, and financing.

If you own land, we’ll make an appointment to meet you at your lot to discuss the details of the project. We’ll look at the land to determine what work is required to build (such as tree removal, well, septic, utilities, etc.) We’ll also discuss the position of the home on the lot in relation to the topography, any views, the street, and wind direction, to name a few. Our goal at this step is to learn about the lot and to understand your vision so we have enough information to provide an estimate.

If you don’t have land, we’ll discuss the area you want to live in, cost of land, and fees associated with that lot.  Melanie is a licensed real estate agent who knows the area and can help you purchase land.

Contract

If the estimate is within your budget and you agree to move forward, we’ll prepare a contract and review it with you. Once you sign the contract, we will collect an initial  start-up fee of $15,000. This money goes towards:

• Paying the draftsman to create detailed house plans. The cost of plans varies depending on the size and complexity of the home. This process can take between four and eight weeks.
• Soils testing for both structural plans and septic design.
• HVAC system design.
• Plot plan survey.

If there is any money left from the start-up fee after the plans are approved, these funds will be used towards payment of permits during the first construction billing.

House Plans

Next, we’ll talk about house plans. If you don’t have a floor plan picked out, we’ll work together to draw a floor plan and then send our sketches to our draftsman to create detailed plans. Once you are satisfied with the plans or if you already have blueprints, we’ll prepare another rough estimate based on more detailed information.

Plans & Permits

Once the draftsman sends back the plans and you approve them, we’ll send them to the governing municipality for approval. At this point, we can’t make any additional structural changes to the plans without causing delays and possibly adding costs for the changes. The permitting process varies by municipality and ranges between four to eight weeks. When the plans are complete, we’ll send them out to our trade partners and suppliers  to bid. The bids allow us to provide a more accurate price estimate.

We will share the bid price plus a 5% to 10% contingency with your lender so they can get started on your loan. The contingency covers any unexpected costs. For example, we estimate the price of the well based on drilling 300 feet deep because others in the area were 300 feet deep. But we don’t hit water until 400 feet deep on your land. The extra 100 feet is an additional, unexpected cost.

Exterior & Interior Finishes, and Colors

The next step is to meet  at various supplier locations to choose exterior and interior finishes, and colors. You’ll start with exterior finishes because those supplies are needed sooner than interior finishes. Then, you’ll move on to cabinetry, countertops, interior flooring, lighting fixtures, plumbing fixtures, hardware, paint and trim colors, etc.

Construction

When the permits are issued and we have final loan approval, we can start construction on your new home. We group the construction process into the following stages:

Excavation

In the excavation stage, we install stakes to pinpoint the corners of the home, and we excavate the soil to accommodate the foundation system prescribed in the soils report. Staking and excavation take approximately one to two weeks.

Footings & Foundation

The next step is to install forms for the footing system and foundation walls. Once in place, the forms are inspected by the structural engineer. After the structural engineer’s sign off, the concrete is poured and allowed to set. When the concrete is set, we remove the forms, damp-proof the foundation, and install the perimeter drain system. This process takes about two to three weeks.

Backfill and Base Plumbing

At this stage, the excavators backfill around the foundation wall compacting the material as they go. In the basement, you’ll see plumbing being run across the floor. When this is complete, we will install flatwork (ie; concrete flooring) in the garage and basement. This step takes two to three weeks.

Framing

In the framing stage, framers assemble the above-ground structure and any structural options. The final step in framing is the installation of roof trusses. Framing takes between four to eight weeks.

Rough Mechanical Stage

HVAC (heating and air conditioning), plumbing, electrical systems, and low voltage systems are installed in the interior of the home during the rough mechanical stage. On the exterior of the home, windows, roofing, exterior doors, garage doors, and exterior cladding are installed. All of this takes between four to six weeks.

Rough Inspections & Insulation

At this point in the building process, inspections take place on the HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and structural framing. Once all systems pass inspection, the home is insulated. Inspections and insulation take approximately one to two weeks.

Drywall

During the drywall stage your home is really coming together. Gypsum board is installed on the interior walls and ceilings, and then texture is applied. The drywall stage takes three to four weeks.

Cabinets and Interior Trim

Once the drywall is done, we install cabinets, interior doors and trim components. It takes approximately four to eight weeks.

Interior Paint & Flooring

After cabinets and trim are installed, the interior is painted and wall and floor tile, LVT, and hardwoods are installed. In total this stage can take three to five weeks.

Mechanical Trim

Next, we install countertops heat registers, thermostats, low voltage trims, plumbing fixtures and toilets, electrical switches and outlets, and light fixtures. This takes one to two weeks.

Carpet

In the carpet stage we install carpet, appliances, door hardware and bathroom hardware. This stage takes approximately one to two weeks.

Quality Assurance & Touch Up

At this point your home is almost done. Mirrors and glass shower doors are installed. Drywall, paint touch up and final cleaning is going on. Then, Melanie and Daryn perform a quality assurance inspection. Anything identified during the inspection is corrected by the trade partners. This takes one to two weeks.

Orientation Walk

The orientation walk is when you get to walk through the finished home and “sign off” on it. During this time, we will do the New Home Demonstration Meeting and introduce you to all the components within your home. Once completed and you are satisfied with your new home, the home is ready to be turned over for your closing and move in.

Closing Out the Construction Loan

The final step is to discuss all construction costs with the lender and finalize any outstanding payments.

If you’re ready to get started, contact us today to talk about building your custom home.