Our Residential Design Build Process: From First Meeting to Final Walkthrough
The residential home design process is unique in that the process itself instills meaning into the home. For the years to come, the homeowners will enjoy fond memories of selecting finishes, working with the team, and the first time they saw the fully completed home each time they walk in the doors. We take pride in a process that is not only efficient and seamless, but also truly enjoyable. We want this to be a joyful, fruitful experience, which is why we prioritize supporting you every step of the way.
When people ask us what it’s like to design and build a custom home, we always tell them that each space needs the right measure of passion, process and patience to evolve into an accomplished design and quality build.
The process is as valuable as the outcome. Here’s how it happens:
Our Residential Design Build Process:
1. You Connect with SSDB
Whether you heard about us through a friend, saw our sign in your neighborhood, found us on socials, or came across us in a Google search – welcome! We’re so glad you’re here, you can reach out to us on our contact page to start your custom home process.
2. Q + A Team Meeting
We always start with a conversation, no strings attached. You bring your ideas, Pinterest boards, and napkin sketches, and we’ll bring our expertise and walk you through what’s possible. Our team will show you our portfolio of experiences to help solidify concepts for your own home. We’ll also talk budgets, timeline, and financing because we like to be realistic from the start. No surprises here.
3. Architecture + Design
The next step in the residential design build process is bringing in our expert architecture and design team. Using everything we’ve learned during our meeting, we start shaping the space, creating sketches, renderings, and 3D floor plans. We never use the same plan for multiple houses; everything is completely original and from the ground up for your family and your unique desires.
This stage is all about questions. What’s your daily routine? Where does the dog sleep? How do you imagine a Saturday morning? Questions guide design that actually works for real life.
4. Getting Ready to Build
Once the design is finalized, our team takes care of permitting and all the behind the scenes work to prepare your lot for construction. We coordinate with our trusted tradespeople to make sure everything is ready to build – foundation, framing, plumbing, electrical, and beyond. Plus, we’ll manage all of the vendors and moving parts so your timeline stays realistic rather than wishful.
5. Interiors + Selections – All the Fun Decisions!
Fixtures, finishes, paint colors, tile patterns – this is the part where your style really starts to show up. Whether you’re working with our designers or your own, we help you make decisions that make sense with your overall build as well as your build’s budget and timeline.
This is the part everyone loves, but it can also be daunting. We’ll help you navigate the choices and keep everything aligned with the overall design we crafted together. But if this is the moment you’ve been waiting for and you want to get your hands dirty, we welcome it!.
6. The Build
Next comes the build. During this stage, we’re hands-on through every inspection, supply chain communication, and design update. You’ll never be left wondering what’s happening, we’ll keep you informed with regular site meetings and running budget check-ins. Our team uses BuilderTrend, a construction project management software, to keep our clients in the know, which allows us to share real-time updates, track progress, and centralize communication.
7. Final Walkthrough
The moment you’ve been waiting for. Our clients see their homes throughout the build so nothing is a surprise, but seeing your new custom home in its final state is truly a magical experience.
And when we hand over the keys, we don’t disappear. We stand behind the work with a 3-year warranty – we’ll be here if you need us!
At the end of the day, though our process remains the same, everyone’s timeline and journey through it is different. We cater to your unique needs, preferences, and desired involvement level to make your residential design build experience wonderful from start to finish.
