Construct

Congratulations, you’ve made the first step to building your new home. It’s time for us to meet and really get to know what it is you’re looking for in your new home. We’ll need to talk through bedrooms, bathrooms, and square footage, of course, but also what specifically defines your new home, what our next steps will be and financial qualification for the budget. Afterward, we’ll work with you and architects to draw up your new home design. When we finally get to the point we have plans on the design, we can start with breaking ground.

Our team works with Buildertrend, a complete general construction online organization tool that helps us better communicate with you on timelines, selections, photography updates, and budgets. You’re able to log in at any time to see the status of your home build.

Before we can break ground, we must have design approval on architectural drawings, HOA approval, permits, and surveys.

During this time, our team also does the legwork to ensure the right paperwork, permits, and certificates are in place; as well as ensuring our entire team stays within your set budget.

As your General Contractor, we have a field team that builds your new home and an in-office team that works with you on what we call selections – tailored choices that will complete your home. Those selections include interior and exterior products – everything from stone, tile, and hardwoods to lighting, plumbing, and doors. Don’t worry, it may seem overwhelming at first, but all selections can be made in a time period that will not feel pressured and within your set budget. We’ll order all your selections and install them, so your home is move-in ready.

On the constructions side, as simple as it sounds, our first step is to start digging.

• Construction: To be able to access the property, we start with building a driveway. We also make a ‘Limited Disturbance’ line (which means we’ll surround the property with hay wattles for erosion control and markup property boundaries), form a concrete washout, and display construction signage – all of which is required by town bylaws before we can go any further. Surveyors will be on the property to help with site preparation, as well. Once the above work is done, we can start digging.
• Selections: At this stage, decisions need to be made on plumbing. These selections must be made by the time we start back-filling. For the sake of placement for the plumber, kitchen and bathroom layout must be finalized at this time, because plumb lines are placed in the concrete and are final.

Our field team continues to work on the progress of your home build. You can visit your new home at any time, but because it is a hazardous construction zone, we ask that you inquire with us beforehand so that we can walk safely with you through the home. As your home continues to be built, you can log into Buildertrend at any time – from any device – to see photography progress. You can also speak with your team coordinators to learn more about progress. Of course, at the same time, we’ll continue to communicate about any needed changes or adjustments you or our team may have.

With construction, it’s time to start building the foundation and pouring the concrete.

• Construction: We begin by pouring concrete to form the foundation of the home. Once dry, radiant floor heating installers and waterproofing sub-contractors move onto the site. When that team is done, we backfill the foundation to push the dirt back-up, snug against the concrete.
• Selections: Upfront selections needs to start at this stage. These selections include appliances, cabinets, fireplace(s) and windows. Plumbing selections must be complete by this step. We’ll also work with you to finalize cabinet design so that plumbing and electrical can be finalized.

Now, we can start with underground plumbing, steel installation, and concrete floor pouring over the radiant floor heating.

The longest stage in the home building process is framing, which can take multiple months to complete.

• Construction: Framing starts with rough framing, which is basically the shell of the house. Slowly though, that shell is filled in with beams, plywood, and roofing. The exterior of the home will eventually get to a stage where it can be covered in a protective house wrap called Tyvek. When the roof is in place, the home is considered dried-in.
• Selections: We have a few months during this step to put time towards selecting your final home finishes, but we would push to have all selections done during this stage before we moved on to the next step.
• Before moving on to the next step and after rough-in and mechanical trades are complete, an inspection must be done by the town to ensure compliance with building codes.

Now that framing is well underway, the plumber can come in and start installing rough plumbing pipes throughout the house. Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) can be installed at this time too.

After the plumber is done, the electrician can come in and will spend the time to install lighting cans and ventilation features in bathrooms and kitchen. The electrician cannot move forward with electrical wiring until after the house is dried-in, which happens during the framing stage.

Before moving on to the next step, an inspection must be done by the town to ensure compliance with building codes. This inspection is called the State of Colorado Inspection for Electrical.

When the house passes inspections, we can then start installing insulation, before moving on to drywall. At the end of the drywall step, we install the fireplace (or fireplace box) and texture/paint walls.

If you walk the home at this stage, you’ll really start to see the house come together and get a better picture of what the final stages may look like. During this step, we work on exterior items like siding, stone, stucco, patios, and sidewalks. At the same time, we’ll have a team inside the house working on trim, stair railings, vanities, cabinets, doors, countertops, and more. We also install tile floor and install all of the plumbing fixtures during this step. And as much as it seems like a lot of work, these teams work quickly and usually get these steps done quickly.

Carpet and appliances are installed last to ensure they stay clean and blemish free. The driveway final coat is also done last so that it remains clean for your welcome home. This step is followed by a final inspection.

At this point, we’re close to finalizing the home build, which makes it an opportune time to walk through the home and attain a punch list to ensure everything that was agreed upon is done to your satisfaction. We’ll obtain the Certificate of Occupancy (CO) and have the house cleaned by professional cleaners before you occupy the house.

Project Closeout

Project closeout is defined to include the General Contractor requirements near the end of the building phase in preparation for final acceptance, final payment, normal termination of the contract, occupancy by the Owner, and similar actions evidencing completion of the work.

All warranties and guarantees shall begin on the date of the Architect’s lssuance of Certificate of Substantial Completion unless otherwise specified in writing and approved by the Architect.

Prior to requesting the Architect‘s Inspection for Certification of Substantial Completion, as the General Contractor, we are required to complete the following:

1. Advise Owner of pending insurance change-over requirements.
2. Complete start-up of all home systems.
3. Submit special guarantees, warranties, workmanship bonds, maintenance agreements, final certifications, and similar documents.
4. Obtain and submit Certificate of Occupancy (CO).
5. Discontinue (or change over) and remove from the project site temporary facilities and services, along with construction tools and facilities.
6. Submit record drawing.
7. Complete the final cleaning.
8. Complete changeover of locks and transmit keys to the Owner.
9. Touch-up and otherwise repair and restore marred exposed finishes.
10. Submit General Contractors complete punch list of work remaining.
11. Submit operations, maintenance, and warranty information manual in a three-ring binder for Architect review.

This is a very exciting time, as it means it’s time to get your set of keys and take ownership of your custom home! We will walk through the home with you and do a checklist to ensure everything is complete and that you understand how to operate everything from ceiling fans and HVAC to gas shut-off and lot drainage.

We offer a limited warranty on your new home that runs a period of one year. Full warranty details will be provided to you in a separate document but include a 6-month and 1-year follow-up visit with our team at your home. During the limited warranty period, you can reach our team at (970) 726-9225 or buildit@mwbswp.com.