Each custom project is different, but our goal is the same: to make your experience organized, clear and enjoyable. The steps below show how we guide you from concept through move-in, showing how we manage every detail, keep you informed and ensure your home reflects your vision.
Getting Started with Owen Homes
After exploring our website and deciding that building a custom home is right for you, we encourage you to contact our team to begin the conversation!
To get started with Owen Homes, we’ll guide you through 5-6 initial meetings to review key project details, share more on our design + build process, discuss timelines and finances and answer your questions. Typically, we begin with a brief introductory call, followed by an in-person initial consultation. With these initial meetings, we’ll also visit your property and tour one of our projects so you can see our work firsthand. Our goal is to make sure you have all the information you need before moving forward with a partnership.
These meetings are about getting to know your family, how you live and what you dream of for your home, while building a relationship grounded in trust, clarity and open communication. You’ll also meet more of our team, see how we work and get a sense of the level of care and craftsmanship that define Owen Homes.
By taking these steps together, we turn what could feel overwhelming into an exciting, collaborative journey that sets the stage for a successful partnership with Owen Homes and a home you’ll love for years to come!
Blueprints + Design
We begin each new home with a Blueprint Agreement, the first step in bringing your vision to life. During this phase, our team collaborates with you to design a home that is functional for your lifestyle, suited to the property’s topography and views and aligned with your goals. Whether we start from an existing plan as inspiration or create something completely unique, we carefully plan every detail, from layout and flow to structural considerations.
We generally spend 2–3 months developing blueprints and completing engineering. During this time, you’ll also work with the interior designer to continue defining the interior design direction and elements for your home. We also create 3D renderings to help you visualize the home and make informed decisions early on.
Once finalized, blueprints move into engineering, which typically takes 4–6 weeks. Meanwhile, our team continues preparing detailed construction plans for our internal team and trade partners, while you move into the Project Development phase to refine selections and confirm project details.
Project Development
While your blueprints are being engineered, we’ll move forward with a Project Development Agreement—the next step in turning your design into a buildable plan. Our team will continue to collaborate with you on design and develop the scope of work, ensuring we have a clearly defined and well-organized plan before construction begins.
We’ll begin working on site preparations, such as surveys, soil tests and utility planning, while defining your design selections through Buildertrend, where you can easily review and approve design choices. At the same time, our team reviews the scope of work details with our trade partners, collects key bid packages and prepares all necessary materials for your contract.
Project Development typically takes 2-4 months, depending on the complexity of the home, design details and any additional structures such as a pool, pool house, barn or sports court. During this time, your designer, project manager and support team work together to ensure every detail aligns with your blueprints, design direction and investment goals.
The information gathered in both the Blueprint Agreement and Project Development Agreement shapes the project’s scope of work, timeline and overall contract price. Once all selections and documentation are approved, we’ll finalize your contract and prepare to break ground—bringing your home one step closer to reality!
Construction
Once your contract is signed, our team will submit the building permit. In most areas, permit approval takes about 2–3 weeks. From there, construction typically takes 11–14 months, depending on the size, complexity and additional structures included in your project, such as a pool, pool house, barn or sports court.
During construction, our project management team coordinates every phase to ensure quality craftsmanship, clear communication and an organized schedule. You’ll have access to your project through Buildertrend, our online construction management program, where you can view progress updates, photos and your project timeline. We encourage you to visit the jobsite frequently, but we’ll also schedule site meetings at key milestones to review progress and upcoming steps together.
A few weeks before completion, our team begins the punch list phase to address any final details and ensure everything meets our quality standards. We’ll then complete a New Home Orientation with you to walk through systems, finishes and maintenance recommendations before move-in day—bringing your custom home vision to life!
Warranty
As you settle into your new home, it’s natural to have questions or notice small details that need adjustment. Our team remains readily available to address any concerns, guide you through operating these new systems and ensure everything continues to meet Owen Homes’ standards of quality and craftsmanship.
We stand behind our work and provide a detailed warranty outlining coverage for your home’s structure, systems and finishes. You’ll receive a full copy of the warranty before signing your contract, and at the completion of your project, we’ll provide documentation for all applicable manufacturer warranties.
Even after your warranty period, we’re happy to be a helpful resource and connection for future home updates, maintenance questions or simply trusted advice along the way.
Consultation & Proposal
To start, our team likes to have a preliminary phone call to outline the details of the project, better understand your goals and vision and answer your questions about our team, process and construction. We’ll provide some generic ballpark figures for similar projects to put some perspective to potential costs. Then, we’ll schedule the initial onsite consultation where we’ll take all necessary measurements, pictures of the project site and discuss your ideas and goals for the project. It is important for us to understand your overall vision and a complete scope of work so we can develop your project-specific proposal.
Depending on the size and complexity of your project, it may take 1-2 weeks for our team to complete your proposal. The initial figures are based on average square foot pricing and the scope of work that was discussed. While you are reviewing the proposal, we will be readily available to answer any questions you may have or make changes or additions. If you would like to proceed with the next phase of the project, we’ll be able to provide final pricing once we’ve determined the scope of work (blueprints, layouts, construction specifications) and finalized the material selections.
Blueprints & Design
When you are comfortable with the proposal that our team has presented, we will enter into a Blueprint Agreement and/or move forward with the Project Development Agreement, based on the needs of your project. Depending on the complexity of the plans, a deposit of $2.50 – 3.50/sq. ft. will be due at this time for the Blueprint Agreement. This allows our team to proceed with the design of your project and provides you with a permit-ready set of plans. The blueprint process can take 1 – 2 months to complete and another 4 – 6 weeks to engineer.
As the plans are being engineered, we’ll spend the next 2 – 3 months working with you to thoroughly plan and prepare for the construction of your project. For this phase, we’ll enter into the Project Development Agreement so our team can create and develop construction documentation, finalize design details and prepare for permit/construction. While our team is working with our trade partners, developing the contract and contract price and preparing your project for construction, you will be meeting with the Project Designer to finalize selections. This agreement is also a deposit towards the total cost of the project and typically ranges $2.50 – 3.50/sq. ft.
Contract & Project Commencement
With all of the details and information gathered during the Blueprint and Project Development phases, our team can then finalize the full Materials List, project schedule, contract price, Construction Contract and Warranty.
Together, we’ll review these documents in great detail before signing the Construction Contract. The Materials List notes the scope of work and material specifications specific to your project; the project schedule provides a full outline of the project progression and notes the anticipated completion date; the Construction Contract will include the contract price and covers general practices, financial processes and details, protection for all parties, etc.; Lastly, the Warranty explains in detail what your coverage is on the components and workmanship performed within the project.
After you’ve approved these documents and signed the Construction Contract, we will order materials, pull the permit, and proceed with construction.
Construction
The project schedule will be a close representation of our intended daily progress and overall project timeline, but the schedule will likely flex depending on weather, trade partner availability and material availability. In general, we would anticipate construction for an average full basement finish to be about 4 months, a full kitchen renovation 4 – 5 months, main level renovation, and other larger projects about 5 – 6+ months.
Throughout the project your Project Manager will update you on progress, coordinate and manage the entire project and troubleshoot any unexpected, unforeseen issues that may arise. You’ll also have access to the project schedule and details on your Buildertrend website. We will accept changes, when possible, after we’ve started construction; changes are recorded in a change order and we will update the schedule to reflect any delay if necessary. Changes and additions to construction or materials are facilitated through your Project Manager and our Interior Designer.
As we approach project completion, we will create a punch list that outlines every detail that needs addressed to ensure our high quality standards. We’ll schedule a final walk-thru with you to review the punch list and ensure your satisfaction. There may still be a few things we need to do, at the time of substantial project completion, due to a back order on materials or subcontractor availability. These items will be made priority and scheduled as soon as possible.
Warranty
As you begin to use your improved home over the next few weeks after your project is completed, feel free to contact us for any questions you may have. We understand the importance of standing behind our work as our primary source of new projects comes from the referrals of our satisfied clients.
Owen Homes provides a Warranty that begins when the project is considered substantially complete, typically at the final walk-thru or when awarded Temporary/Final Certificate of Occupancy. Beyond our own warranty, we help set up all of your extended manufacturers warranties on the applicable products included in your project. We try to schedule all non-emergency warranty claims at a 90-day check-in and during the 11-month walk-through prior to one year after completion. Any emergencies are handled by your Project Manager on a case-by-case basis.