1. What do I need to get my new custom home build started?
- Assuming that you have land to build on, step #1 for any type of new construction is plans for your project. You will need to meet with a draftsman or an architect to discuss your custom house plans. This will need to be more than just a floor plan, but a full schedule of house plans (electrical, plumbing, foundation, etc.)
- Bring your finalized house plans to your banker of choice to start working on your financing. We work with many different local banks that we can recommend for your construction loan.
- Your next step is to schedule your initial consultation with us. Call (337-660-4696) or
email (info@vtcontractinglc.com) our office to set up your first appointment.
2. How do I get a bid form VT Contracting?
- Once you have received your finalized house plans, call or email our office to set up your appointment to discuss your custom home build. We do not give out bids unless we have met with our homeowners. This allows us to build construction bid packages that are more exact in detail.
3. What does VT’s custom home bid process look like?
- After getting your first appointment with us on the books, you will need to send a digital copy of your plans via email to our office. During our first meeting together, we will discuss your house plans and go over your expectations for your build. We also will use this time to get as much information from you so that we can establish a budget for your allowance items. Allowance items include counter tops, plumbing fixtures, electrical fixtures, flooring, etc. These items are customizable finishes that each homeowner chooses for their custom home.
- After this initial meeting, our homework begins. We use your finalized house plans and the notes from our meeting to build your custom home bid package. We reach out to all vendors to get the most up-to-date pricing possible for you. We are local, and we work with other local companies in the business to serve our homeowners in the best way possible.
- Once we have everything altogether, we finalize your construction bid package. Once this is complete, we will reach out to you to schedule a second meeting. This second meeting is where you will sit down with our contractor again, and he will walk you line by line through your custom home construction bid package. The goal of this meeting is for everyone to be on the same page with clear communication.
You can use this time to ask any questions that you need to help you feel comfortable.
4. How long does the bid process take?
- Based on market conditions, this time frame can be anywhere from 4 to almost 8 weeks. Prices are always changing and that is why it is important to us to have updated pricing for our clients.
5. Why do we need a second meeting?
- The second meeting is to go over your construction bid package and make sure you have a clear understanding of what you are getting when VT builds your new custom home. We are also here to answer any questions that you may have, which we encourage. We want you to be comfortable with every aspect of your build. We also encourage you to take a few days to look over your bid at home and gather any more questions that you might have. Our team is here to help you every step of the way.
6. When will lumber prices go down?
- Everyone knows things have been quite out of control since the Covid Pandemic and the hurricanes of 2020 (and not to mention the other natural disasters.) We cannot truthfully predict when these prices will change and who knows when or even if things will return to “pre-2020” conditions.
7. What is the best way to make decisions on the finishes of my house and knowing how much house I can afford?
- The best way is to talk to your bank first to see what price range they will approve for you. Your banker will be able to help you understand your budget and how much house you can afford.
- As for making decisions on finishes, our company will give an estimate for those items based on the plans and notes taken from our first meeting.
8. Why would someone want to build a house over just buying one already built?
- Custom is KEY. When building, you have the ability to design your custom home based on what works best for your lifestyle needs and personal style. You are able to choose exactly what you want your custom home to look like and choose where it is located. Maybe you want to be in a certain school district? When buying a home, those decisions are already made for you, and they were made by someone who is not you.
- Efficiency is another great quality you can add to a custom home. Usually, when a house is built to be sold at a profit, the first way to cut costs is to build the home without priority to energy efficiency. For example, your insulation and air conditioner unit. These are two big ticket items that dictate cost and efficiency. A more efficient air conditioner results in a smaller electricity bill, better air quality, and more. An investment in the construction of your home results in having the opportunity to build more energy efficient.
9. What are the advantages to building a home?
- When building your own home, you can design it around you and your family’s needs and wants. No one knows what your family needs better than you.
- You can build a home that reflects you own personal style that reflects your family.
- You are able to choose the location of your home. When raising a family, this can be a major priority.
- When you build your custom home, you know exactly what is going into the build from the foundation to the countertops. This can bring peace of mind to a homeowner knowing that you know and have control over all the materials that go into your home and where they came from. For example, if a possible hiccup occurs over the summer with your air conditioner, you know exactly who installed it and who to call that will be familiar with your product to come and address the situation.
10. Why should I choose VT Contracting to build my custom home?
- When it comes to the custom home building process, we strive to provide our homeowners with a stress-free building process. We understand what it means to our homeowners when making the decision to build a home. This is a very large investment, and we appreciate and respect that level of investment.
- There are so many different decisions and options that also go into building a home. We acknowledge that this can be overwhelming and strive to educate our homeowners on not only the process, but the science behind the process. We want our homeowners to know the inside and out of their custom home.
- Our office is local, and our homeowners can come in for face-to-face communication. We have multiple project managers and an office staff. This way, our homeowners always have someone they can talk with about their project. We offer a mobile app where our homeowners can login and follow their project even when they can’t make it to the jobsite. We always strive for excellence, top tear quality, and the highest level of professionalism.
INITIAL
CONSULTATION
VT Contracting takes your project seriously, and we promise your project will be treated with the utmost care and attention. Every one of our projects starts with an initial consultation. During this meeting, we sit down with each new client to discuss your vision and how the dedicated team at VT Contracting can bring it to life. Click the button below to start the conversation today!