Moving to the Dallas - Fort Worth Metroplex? Get your answers and make your buying decisions easy by using our resource guide.
| Building Your Custom Home |
—Design Plans
Most architects are happy to include builders in the planning process. The design/build team of owner, builder and architect allow all three to comment during the design phase and make innovative suggestions. Your builder can be extremely helpful to you as the plans are being drawn; commenting on construction details and costs to help keep the home within your budget parameters.
Research Financing Options
Once you’ve selected a builder, the lot and the architectural plans, you’ll need a construction/permanent loan in order to finance their dream home. The banks will reserve the right to approve the builder you choose. Many banks offer loans that initially finance the lot and construction and then convert automatically to a mortgage loan. These construction/permanent loans have made it very easy to finance a custom home. Some custom builders may be willing to purchase the lot for you. When the home is completed, you can roll the amount of the home and lot into your mortgage. With some research, careful planning and a little know-how, building your dream home can become a reality.
What to Expect During the Building Process
If this is your first custom home building experience, it’s important to know the steps involved in the process. Once your lot has been cleared, and it’s time to begin the construction of your new house, there is a sequence of events that will involve you. By embracing the project and being aware of the steps, you will be a participant and not an outsider. This information is from the custom home building resource, Custom Home Key.
Laying the Foundation
There are several different approaches to foundation; basement foundation is the most common. Other techniques include slab-foundation and pole and pier foundations. Slab-foundation is common in areas where soil conditions are not suitable for a basement. Pole and pier foundations are a necessity in areas such as coastal states, where homes are sometimes built either partially over water or in floodplains.
If you chose any kind of basement foundation, you will likely see a crew arrive on site first. They will begin by digging a hole that is larger than the foundation to accommodate workers doing their job around the foundation forms. Poured concrete is the most common basement foundation method, but treated wood, brick or concrete blocks are also used. It all depends on your location and soil type. With poured concrete, you’ll see the foundation forms go up and reinforcing bars go into the forms. You will also see openings being marked for windows and utilities.
After the concrete is poured into the forms, anchor bolts are placed into the still-soft mixture. These bolts are responsible for securing the exterior walls to the foundation. Once the concrete hardens sufficiently and the forms are removed, you will probably see waterproofing measures being taken. Such measures include an impermeable membrane or asphalt coating being applied to the foundation wall to prevent water from seeping in. After the waterproofing measures have been done, the surrounding soil is backfilled against the exterior of the foundation wall.
Constructing the Framing
Framing is the next step of the building process. Floors are framed first and then the walls. If you have a basement foundation you will notice a subfloor will be installed first. Subfloors consist of joists with 4’ x 8’ flooring material nailed or screwed to the joists. If you have a slab foundation, the exterior walls will be mounted directly on the slab.
The framing stage provides a glimpse of the future shape of your home. In many ways, framing is the skeleton of your home. You will see holes for windows and doors appear in the building’s envelope and the interior will begin to show its form as well. The interior walls and closets will be framed within.
Framing follows an upward progression. The walls of the first floor are framed, then the second floor and the second set of walls (if there is a second floor), and lastly the roof. Roof trusses are placed on top of the walls and then linked to the exterior walls by metal straps. Next they are tied in to each other by 2 x 4s. Roof sheathing, usually 4 x 8 sheets of plywood or oriented strand board (OSB), is nailed to the roof trusses. This provides a deck on which the roofing material can be fastened.
Installing the Roofing
When it comes to roofing, an additional step is needed for those that live in colder regions. For colder regions, the first thing to go down on the roof deck is an adhesive, impermeable membrane, which is placed along all the eaves. This membrane prevents ice-dam-trapped water from backing up under the shingles during the winter. It costs more than asphalt paper or roofers felt, but it’s definitely worth it in the long run. Once it is put into place, asphalt paper is applied to the rest of the deck.
Roof covering is the next step. Asphalt shingles are most common. They are designed to last 25 or 30 years, although longer-lasting (thicker) shingles are available. Additional roof-covering choices include clay tiles, slate, cedar shakes and sheet metal. Prices will vary among them.
Most architects are happy to include builders in the planning process. The design/build team of owner, builder and architect allow all three to comment during the design phase and make innovative suggestions. Your builder can be extremely helpful to you as the plans are being drawn; commenting on construction details and costs to help keep the home within your budget parameters.
Research Financing Options
Once you’ve selected a builder, the lot and the architectural plans, you’ll need a construction/permanent loan in order to finance their dream home. The banks will reserve the right to approve the builder you choose. Many banks offer loans that initially finance the lot and construction and then convert automatically to a mortgage loan. These construction/permanent loans have made it very easy to finance a custom home. Some custom builders may be willing to purchase the lot for you. When the home is completed, you can roll the amount of the home and lot into your mortgage. With some research, careful planning and a little know-how, building your dream home can become a reality.
What to Expect During the Building Process
If this is your first custom home building experience, it’s important to know the steps involved in the process. Once your lot has been cleared, and it’s time to begin the construction of your new house, there is a sequence of events that will involve you. By embracing the project and being aware of the steps, you will be a participant and not an outsider. This information is from the custom home building resource, Custom Home Key.
Laying the Foundation
There are several different approaches to foundation; basement foundation is the most common. Other techniques include slab-foundation and pole and pier foundations. Slab-foundation is common in areas where soil conditions are not suitable for a basement. Pole and pier foundations are a necessity in areas such as coastal states, where homes are sometimes built either partially over water or in floodplains.
If you chose any kind of basement foundation, you will likely see a crew arrive on site first. They will begin by digging a hole that is larger than the foundation to accommodate workers doing their job around the foundation forms. Poured concrete is the most common basement foundation method, but treated wood, brick or concrete blocks are also used. It all depends on your location and soil type. With poured concrete, you’ll see the foundation forms go up and reinforcing bars go into the forms. You will also see openings being marked for windows and utilities.
After the concrete is poured into the forms, anchor bolts are placed into the still-soft mixture. These bolts are responsible for securing the exterior walls to the foundation. Once the concrete hardens sufficiently and the forms are removed, you will probably see waterproofing measures being taken. Such measures include an impermeable membrane or asphalt coating being applied to the foundation wall to prevent water from seeping in. After the waterproofing measures have been done, the surrounding soil is backfilled against the exterior of the foundation wall.
Constructing the Framing
Framing is the next step of the building process. Floors are framed first and then the walls. If you have a basement foundation you will notice a subfloor will be installed first. Subfloors consist of joists with 4’ x 8’ flooring material nailed or screwed to the joists. If you have a slab foundation, the exterior walls will be mounted directly on the slab.
The framing stage provides a glimpse of the future shape of your home. In many ways, framing is the skeleton of your home. You will see holes for windows and doors appear in the building’s envelope and the interior will begin to show its form as well. The interior walls and closets will be framed within.
Framing follows an upward progression. The walls of the first floor are framed, then the second floor and the second set of walls (if there is a second floor), and lastly the roof. Roof trusses are placed on top of the walls and then linked to the exterior walls by metal straps. Next they are tied in to each other by 2 x 4s. Roof sheathing, usually 4 x 8 sheets of plywood or oriented strand board (OSB), is nailed to the roof trusses. This provides a deck on which the roofing material can be fastened.
Installing the Roofing
When it comes to roofing, an additional step is needed for those that live in colder regions. For colder regions, the first thing to go down on the roof deck is an adhesive, impermeable membrane, which is placed along all the eaves. This membrane prevents ice-dam-trapped water from backing up under the shingles during the winter. It costs more than asphalt paper or roofers felt, but it’s definitely worth it in the long run. Once it is put into place, asphalt paper is applied to the rest of the deck.
Roof covering is the next step. Asphalt shingles are most common. They are designed to last 25 or 30 years, although longer-lasting (thicker) shingles are available. Additional roof-covering choices include clay tiles, slate, cedar shakes and sheet metal. Prices will vary among them.
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