Your new home’s cost per square foot is an interesting number to know, but it can only be truly calculated with specifications and input from suppliers and trade contractors. Done properly, the process can take weeks. Until a builder completes that process the cost-per-square-foot figure is a conversation tidbit, not a criteria for selecting your builder. Buyers who do not understand the complexity of this process and the importance of clearly written specifications sometimes take their blueprints from builder to builder requesting price quotes. They may hire a builder who said their 4-bedroom, 3 bath home could be built for $100 a square foot, only to discover too late that this price includes 2x4, not 2x6 framing, excludes tree removal, excludes concrete flatwork, and that the countertops are laminate, not tile or stone. Selecting a builder based on cost per square foot is like choosing a car based on price per pound or a restaurant on cost per calorie. Decide on a builder based on all the information you gather and be certain that you know exactly what comes with all those square feet you are paying for.
Adapted from Custom Home Magazine,
Spring 2006
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We at Stone Acorn specialize in creating a unique home for each client. We have established relationships with architects but are also happy to work with plans you have developed with your own architect. If you have not yet developed plans, we can help interface with the architect. The design stage takes time, but it is important not to rush.
You may either already own land or you may wish to purchase land owned by Stone Acorn. Either way, you are the landowner during construction, as the bank will take the price of the land as security against the construction loan.
Once the architectural and engineering plans are settled, Stone Acorn develops the information you need in order to obtain a construction loan. We provide you with the estimates, budgets and allowances, as well as a schedule. We also fully explain and document change request procedures.
The building process typically takes nine to ten months. At certain stages of completion, Stone Acorn takes construction draws to pay contractors and vendors. The final draw occurs when the house is completed.
When building has begun, we will schedule regular meetings, usually at the site. We will always answer your questions and volunteer suggestions as the process unfolds. At the time of move-in, we provide a planned orientation. We always provide a written warranty as well as a guide for home maintenance and a contact list of subcontractors.
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