PROCESS
HOW TO GET STARTED
A step by step look at what to expect from design to construction — and everything in between.
PROCESS
HOW TO GET STARTED
A step by step look at what to expect from design to construction — and everything in between.
CHOOSE A DESIGN
Start the process by browsing our home designs.
Take your time, make a project out of this — it’s important. The photographs throughout this site feature the decorating and finishing choices of our clients. Each is unique. Do your best to imagine each home dressed in your own style, colors, and materials. None of our homes are intrinsically modern or traditional so don’t be too swayed by pictures alone.
Our designs are all flexible so take note of any changes that you’d like to make.
Minor and major modifications are doable but not required — don’t be afraid to build one of these homes as is — these are not “base models” that require upgrades to shine.
CONTACT OUR TEAM
Meet Sam, your new best friend.
She’s likely to be your primary contact throughout the design process and she’s here to answer your questions and offer advice.
Contact Sam at: samantha@timberbuilt.com or call our office (716-337-0012).
Sam knows our homes better than anyone (she helps design them) and she’ll give you a very general estimate of what you can expect to spend on building a Timberbuilt home.
She’ll also articulate the distinctions between large and small design changes as she guides you through the next step of our process, which is aimed at producing your initial set of home plans.
We call this first set of plans “the budget set”.
THE BUDGET SET
Cost: $1,500 – $3,500
Timing: 5-7 days
Build Date: potential to start in less than one year
The budget set is an abbreviated set of plans designed to help you do two important things:
- Determine if the home fits within your budget
- Help you find the right builder for your project
The idea here is to provide you with a cost-effective, “close enough” set of drawings so you can quickly start pricing contractors. We don’t want to get hung up on details at this stage.
We can usually deliver your budget set within a week. Combine that expediency with a committed builder and it’s possible to fast-track your project and build within the next year.
Overall, we think it’s a win-win.
The budget set is drawn using our standardized plans. If there’s a certain modification that you’re looking for, let us know and Sam will do a little digging to see if we have an archived version that serves as a better starting point.
A budget set includes the following standardized information:
- Dimensioned floor plans
- Preliminary foundation plans
- 3D model renderings with Timberbuilt’s recommended materials
- Preliminary details for your contractor (that pertain to timbers and SIPs)
- An itemized list of materials to help your contractor estimate your project
* Remember, we install your timbers and the SIP panels but for everything else you’ll need a local general contractor for the build. Find one who is enthusiastic and easy to talk to — they’re going to be on your speed dial for a while.
You may want to make changes that we haven’t done before. That’s okay. If the changes are minor, you’ll make note of them on your drawings and discuss them with your builder. We can add these changes after you sign a Timber & Panel Contract.
If the changes are substantial, you may be a better candidate for a Custom Budget Set.
CUSTOM BUDGET SET
Cost: $4,500+
Timing: 4-6 months
Build Date: 1 year +
Depending on your needs, Sam may navigate you towards a custom budget set instead.
This route is designed for folks who have a little more time on their hands. This is a marathon, not a sprint.
This option is typically best for clients requesting major reconfigurations, fully custom homes, or those who’d like to invest in a more comprehensive, long term design process.
A custom budget set includes one-on-one time with our designers.
We’ll modify the floor plan based on your ideas and you’ll collaborate with our team to make decisions on color, materials, and how your house is oriented on your property.
Unlike a standard budget set, this process all takes place before you sign a Timber & Panel Contract.
A custom budget set increases both your timeline and your cost, depending on the extent of changes made. The typical lead time for starting a new custom plan is 3–4 months.
Once we start, most clients spend an average of 1–2 months working through the process. Each client is different, so some may take longer than others.
If you take this route, plan on breaking ground at your build site in 14+ months.
A custom budget set includes:
- Dimensioned floor plans with your changes
- Preliminary foundation plans with your changes
- 3D model renderings that reflect your exterior materials and colors
- Preliminary details for your contractor (that pertain to timbers and SIPs)
- An itemized list of materials to help your contractor estimate your project
CONTRACTOR PRICING
Give your budget set to multiple contractors to bid and explain any additional changes that you may be making (if any).
It’s important to keep in mind that the contractors will NOT be able to give you a solidified number—there isn’t enough information on this set for that. Expect about a 10-15% margin of error.
The time it takes for your contractor to give you numbers directly impacts your building timeline. Some contractors take a few weeks to run numbers while others take months. Regardless, if your builder has questions, we encourage them to call us!
While you’re waiting for the estimate you can be proactive:
- The budget set should be enough to start a dialogue about financing your build with your bank.
- Ask your general contractor about where a geotechnical report can be obtained (in case one is required for engineering)
- Call your local office and find out how long it typically takes to get a building permit.
- Determine if any of your chosen materials are particularly hard to get. If necessary, we can adjust the design with alternative choices.
- Start making decisions on finishing materials with a priority placed on weatherizing elements like windows, doors, roofing, and siding.
Your build may seem a long way off but it’s time to start crystalizing your vision.
TIMBER AND PANEL CONTRACT
Once you find a good contractor and the estimates come back within your budget, you will be ready to sign a Timber and Panel Contract.
This outlines details for your timbers (species and finish) and for your panels (thickness and r-value). Installation and materials pricing are included as well.
Signing this contract and making your first payment sets a few things in motion:
- Signing secures you a position in our queue. Your location in our queue will be determined when certain milestones are hit (when you receive a permit, break ground, etc…)
- We will begin working on your final drawings which will include any last-minute changes to the plans and renderings.
- Final engineering analysis.
- Ordering of timbers and SIPs (when target delivery date has been established)
CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS & ENGINEERING
Busy time for your soon-to-be-built home.
At this point you’ll collaborate with our team to finalize your home design.
If you purchased a standard budget set, this is when your plan is fleshed out to match your own materials, colors, and style. If you have any modifications to the floor plan, we’ll make those updates too.
When the updates are completed, we prepare a set of detailed construction drawings and process them through engineering for approval. The drawings are inspected to account for snow load, wind, seismic resistance, and overall structural integrity.
We do not provide mechanical, electrical, or plumbing drawings in our set of drawings.
These plans are also utilized to conduct a pre-construction home energy analysis through the team at Trautman Associates. (Read a sample report here.)
If you’d like, you can hire Trautman to take this one step further. They can eliminate the guess-work for your contractor and design your HVAC system to meet your specific needs. They’ll explore all efficiency measures to assure your system is properly designed for your new high-efficiency home.
Meanwhile, you will start scheduling with your contractor. We can’t start building until your foundation is in the ground so that typically takes priority. You’ll also start working with our finishing manager, Sally, to choose the color of your timbers.
Revisit your bank and building department with detailed drawings. Request an appraisal to help secure financing and insurance. Seek out any potential objections or time killers with your building office.
LOCAL BUILDING PERMITS
After engineering is compete, the plans will be sent to you (or your contractor) to submit to your local building department for approval.
Despite our best efforts and 25 years of building across the continent, we can’t predict the time it will take your local jurisdiction to issue all the necessary permits.
We’ve seen this process take as little as two weeks and as long as six months.
If necessary, we’ll work with engineering and make adjustments to the drawings so your inspector can issue the permits.
CONSTRUCTION
Your contractor pours the foundation, grades the site, and installs the first floor decking while we sand and stain your timbers.
We allocate about 6 – 10 weeks from the start of the foundation to our arrival on site to account for any unanticipated snags. This timing is influenced by many factors — your general contractor, local weather, etc. Communication is key to the success of your project.
Our field team will arrive at your site, along with your timbers and your wall and roof panels. We’ll finish the assembly in about two weeks before handing it back to your contractor.
Once they finish up, your house is done, and you live happily ever after…
THAT’S A LOT TO CHEW ON, ISN’T IT?
Check out the designs. Contact Sam. It’s that easy.