Building Your Home

Guide to building a Conventional or Timber Frame Home

Thank you for your interest in timber frame or conventionally built homes by Specialty Built Construction L.L.C. I am confident that you will be very pleased with the quality of design, materials and service provided by Specialty Built Construction L.L.C. This brief guide is intended to provide you with an overview of the process we follow as you move from concept to planning to building. As your timber frame and building representative, Specialty Built Construction will work with you on design, preparing specifications and answering contractor questions while providing referrals and recommendations. In addition, Specialty Built Construction will be on-site to provide hands-on assistance and supervision during the frame raising and throughout the finishing of your home.

Yours is a very special role as well. The effort you put into the steps outlined below will help us get started and keep us moving in the right direction.

STEP 1: Defining Parameters

Your answers to the following questions will determine your parameters:

• What size home will fit my needs?
• What will my construction budget be?
• What portion of my budget will be "out of pocket" and what portion will be provided by a lender?
• What level of quality will satisfy me?
• When do I want to begin and finish construction?

STEP 2: Initial Design Meeting

You and Specialty Built Construction L.L.C. will mutually develop a design program by consolidating your design criteria through discussion of your needs and desires. It is extremely helpful to provide a list of items you feel are important design considerations. Many people prepare a three-part list to help prioritize their program—try thinking in terms of must have, would really like to have and my dream list. Consider the sample designs presented in the Specialty Built Construction's portfolio. Perhaps certain exterior designs appeal to you, or a particular floor plan or parts of several different plans. Photographs of homes, which appeal to you and clippings from magazines often, provide a point of reference. In addition, Specialty Built Construction has numerous photographs of timber frame homes to share with you. Each of these tools is helpful as we discuss the possibilities and define your design program.

STEP 3: Specialty Built Construction L.L.C. Retainer

An initial retainer of $5,000 will be requested towards preparation of your conceptual sketches and timber frame design. We will work directly with you utilizing our working Architect/Designer, or your choice of Architects. Our hourly rate at $120 will be deducted from your initial retainer for design development work on your behalf and will be noted on your monthly statement; hours exceeding the initial retainer shall be billed and will appear on your statement. Should you decide upon another contractor or should you choose not to progress to the purchasing stage, any unused balance will be returned to you. Please understand that the Specialty Built Construction Initial Retainer applies toward preparation of conceptual sketches and other timber frame representative activities such as site visits.

STEP 4: Feasibility Review

As Specialty Built Construction prepares sketches for your proposed home working with our Architect if requested, we will be attempting to implement your design program within the budget parameters outlined in Step 1 and the particular features of your building site. At this point, you are ready for Architectural assistance if needed. This is the appropriate time to walk your building site and discuss access, sun orientation, views and any particular property features you would like to preserve or utilize in some way. Understand that this is a developmental process; initial concepts are usually modified as we focus on the broader picture and work towards an appropriate and specific design.

STEP 5: Developed Conceptual Design

During one or more subsequent meetings, you, Specialty Built Construction and your chosen Architect if requested, will review proposed floor plans and elevations in the context of your site and design program. Once this proposal is satisfactory to you, the timber frame design deposit agreement will be initiated with your deposit amount. At this point your plans are submitted and CAD drawings are made. Shortly after the delivery of the CAD drawings of your home, your "timber frame price" is determined and quoted. Please note that these plans as well as Specialty Built Construction's conceptual drawings are copyrighted and can only be used for the purpose of building a timber frame or conventional home by Specialty Built Construction.

STEP 6: Review of Timber Frame Plans

It typically takes from 4 to 6 weeks before the preliminary plans are sent. Design deposit for the timber frame plans is required by our timber frame supplier. This deposit is applied to the purchase of the timber frame. Together we will review the plans to see if everything has been interpreted the way we intended and to determine if the package price fits appropriately within the overall construction budget. At this time, any minor changes would be noted and the "red-lined" plans are resubmitted with a request to prepare construction plans.

STEP 7: Construction Plans, Specifications and Ordering

Construction plans are far more detailed than the preliminary plans and contain specific information useful to the builder and his/her subcontractors. During the period between our review of the preliminary plans and receipt of the construction plans, we will work together to develop a list of specifications that define your choice of products and finishes, such as floor coverings, bathroom fixtures, interior doors, cabinets, etc. You will be called upon to make many choices from a wide range of options as part of the process of building a custom home. Specialty Built Construction will be available to assist you in making these choices.

Construction plans and specifications not only serve as the basis for defining the total build-out cost of your new home, but are also used to finalize financing and begin the permitting process. Once we have determined that everything is on tract, it's time to place an order for your house package. The Package Order/Contract requires a non-refundable percentage deposit and our estimate for the delivery date of the materials.

STEP 8: Frame Plans, Engineering and Building Permit

After the package order is placed, frame plans (also called final plans) will be prepared, which include any final changes we have made and the specific frame drawings for your unique post and beam home. A local structural engineer will be called upon to review and certify the plans as required by city/county building departments. This effort involves design analysis related to snow, wind, seismic and soil considerations. Rest assured that your timber frame structure has already been designed and engineered to meet all building codes of the area in which you will live; however, certification is often mandatory and engineering necessary for other items such as foundations, retaining walls, and conventionally framed structures. (This step is necessary for all buildings, whether log, steel, conventional framing or post and beam.)

It may take from 3 to 4 weeks for a structural engineer to complete the analysis and another 4 to 6 weeks or possibly longer, up to several months for the local building department to issue a permit.

STEP 9: Groundbreaking and Foundation

The initial excavation, driveway cut, well (if applicable) and foundation installation should be completed within the month prior to the scheduled timber frame delivery. Your house package will be delivered in the most efficient manner so it arrives around the time the subflooring is in place.

STEP 10: Frame Raising and Enclosure

The timber frame will take from 3 to 9 days to erect depending on size and complexity (allow more time for frames of homes over 3,000 square feet. The walls and roof are then enclosed, windows and doors installed, interior walls assembled and plumbing and electrical rough-in completed. Specialty Built Construction will be on site to direct and assist with the frame raising. Our goal is to assure that you are satisfied with the timber frame or conventional building experience.

TIMELINES TO MARK ON YOUR CALENDAR

STEP 1: Defining Parameters STEP 2: Initial Design Meeting STEP 3: Specialty Built Construction Retainer	30 days
STEP 4: Feasibility Review	14 days
STEP 5: Developed Conceptual Design	14 days
STEP 6: Review of Timber Frame Plans	40 days
STEP 7: Construction Plans, Specifications and Ordering	40 days
STEP 8: Frame Plans, Engineering and Building Permit	70 days
STEP 9: Groundbreaking and Foundation	30 days
STEP 10: Frame Raising and Enclosure	5 to 10 months
Total time from initial meeting to move-in:	12 to 17 months

As your timber frame and building representative, Specialty Built Construction's role is to guide you through the steps above to assure that you will have a great building experience! Our business grows by having satisfied homeowners refer new business to us. If you have a friend who might be interested in learning more about timber frame, or our conventional high end built homes, please pass along his/her name and address and we will send a brief letter of introduction along with a free brochure.

We look forward to working with you!