Guide to Choosing Between Custom Home Builders
Guide to Finding and Choosing Between Custom Home Builders
When deciding who you want to work with when building a custom home, it is important to remember that, in some cases, you may have to choose more than one group to work with. This is especially true if you need an architect/designer, a company to manufacture components for your home, and a residential builder or general contractor to complete necessary site work and finish your home.
In some cases, there may be firms or companies that complete multiple stages of the project. This is especially true if you work with a builder who is using traditional stick-built, on-site construction to build your house. Even in that situation, however, it is likely that your GC will rely on subcontractors and tradesmen for certain aspects of your home build.
We have created 2 lists to help you understand what options exist and understand the important metrics that can be used to help distinguish between custom home builders. Our lists of custom home builders are broken down into a list of custom home architects and designers & a list of manufacturers that work on building custom homes. We have also provided resources on finding a good general contractor who can act as a custom home builder near you.
Custom Home Architects - Tomecek Studio Architects
Custom Home Architects and Designers
| Custom Home Designer | Headquarters | Cost Range | Architecture Type | Services Offered | Design Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Douglas Cutler Architects | (Wilton, CT) | $250 - $425+ per sqft | Traditional - Colonial, Victorian, Modern Farmhouse | Design | Flat fee for standard plans ($899 - $2,499+), plus an hourly fee for a feasibility study |
| Sunlight Homes | (Albuquerque, NM) | $300 - $400+ per sqft | Mediterranean, Southwest-Inspired, Ranch | Design, Kit Manufacturing | |
| ARCSpace | (Los Angeles, CA) | $300 - $500+ per sqft | Modern | Design, Manufacturing, Site Work | |
| Tomecek Studio Architecture | (Denver, CO) | $300 - $500+ per sqft | Modern | Design, Project Management | 7 - 12% of construction costs |
| Resolution: 4 Architecture | (New York, NY) | $400 - $500+ per sqft | Modern | Design, Project Management | 15% of construction costs |
| Sander Architects | (Marina del Rey, CA) | $500 - $600+ per sqft | Modern | Design, Project Management | 10 - 15% of construction costs |
| Bensonwood | (Walpole, NH) | $347 - $1000+ per sqft | Cabins, Cottage, Farmhouse, Modern | Design, Manufacture, Project Management | |
| Nottoscale | (San Francisco, CA) | $367 - $600+ per sqft | Modern | Design, Project Management | 5 - 10% of construction costs |
| Clever Homes | (San Francisco, CA) | $350 - $600+ per sqft | Modern | Design, Project Management | |
| evoDomus | (Cleveland, OH) | $300 - $640+ per sqft | Modern | Design, Project Management | |
| KieranTimberlake | (Philadelphia, PA) | $347 - $1000 per sqft | Modern | Design | 20% of construction costs |
| Lake Flato Architects | (San Antonio, TX) | $367 - $600 per sqft | Modern | Design | 14% of construction costs |
| Hybrid | (Seattle, WA) | $300 - $640 per sqft | Modern | Design, Project Management, Site Work | 6 - 10% of construction costs |
Things to Consider
Choosing an architect or designer for your home is an important step in the home-building process. Your selected architect will be responsible for turning your ideas into an actionable plan. When considering which firm would be the best to work with, there are a few areas that you should pay particular attention to.
Location - while this might not be so important for the companies listed above, as all of the companies can work on projects throughout the United States, it may be worth it to work with architects and custom home builders near your project location. They may have unique insights that can impact your design and in the case that you are working with them as a project manager, often the closer they are located to your build site, the better
Cost - even though the answer to this question will largely depend on your particular situation, it is helpful to know what type of projects a firm typically works on - low, mid, or high-end homes. This can be helpful for making sure that your interests are aligned with a company’s strengths
Architectural Style - what types of homes have a given firm worked on in the past and does this match your design vision?
Services Offered - are you only looking for a company that will design your home? Or, are you looking for a company that also manufactures the home design or manages other phases of the project?
Design Fee - this is helpful for getting a better understanding of what fee you will pay to a custom home designer & how that works into your total budget
List of Custom Home Manufacturers
| Custom Home Manufacturer | Headquarters | Cost Range | Manufacturing Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bensonwood | (Walpole, NH) | $300 - $500 per sqft | Panelized |
| ARCSpace | (Los Angeles, CA) | $300 - $500+ per sqft | Modular, Steel Frame |
| Plant Prefab | (Rialto, CA) | $300 - $500+ per sqft | Modular, Panelized |
| Method Homes | (Seattle, WA) | $439 - $944 per sqft | Modular |
| Preferred Building Systems | (Claremont, NH) | $250 - $385+ per sqft | Modular, Panelized |
| Structural Modulars | (Strattanville, PA) | Modular |
Things to Consider
Depending on your chosen designer/architect, the construction method, and your local builder, you may have to find a company to manufacture components for your home. While most designers tend to have a pre-existing network of manufacturers, we have listed some examples of companies that work with custom home builders. When comparing manufacturers, a few things to pay attention to include:
Location - this is particularly important if you plan on building a custom home using prefabricated components. If you work with a non-local manufacturer, you may face prohibitively high shipping costs
Cost - similar to choosing an architect, the cost will be project-dependent however, it is helpful to have an understanding of potential ranges
Manufacturing Type - in the event that you choose to build a home using prefabricated building techniques, knowing how your home will be constructed is helpful. While it may not necessarily affect the aesthetics of your finished house, it can influence the timeline and logistics of your project
Finding a Local Contractor
The last component of finding custom home builders and building a custom house is finding a local builder or contractor to complete the necessary on-site work to finish your home. Or if your home will be site-built, you need a builder to actually build your home. Some resources to help you find a local builder include:
Local Home Builder Associations - contact your local chapter of home builders to search for qualified candidates, though the NAHB also has a database of individual builders and their qualifications
Google Maps - Google can be a helpful resource for finding custom home builders that are located within your area
Friends & Family - while this might not be as tech-forward as some of the other methods, this can be a trusted way of finding a quality builder with good recommendations
Things to consider & Questions to Ask:
Past Experience - How many projects has a builder worked on in the past? Do they have experience working on projects similar to yours? Do they have good recommendations?
Cost - How much do they estimate the project to cost? Have their past custom home builds stayed within the budget?
Time - Are they able to begin working on the project when you’d like to begin or do they have a queue for new projects? How long do they estimate the project to take?
Location - Are they located nearby? Are they familiar with local building codes, permitting, and inspection processes?
It may also be helpful to understand the process of building a custom home or work with a member of our prefab concierge team to better understand how to best proceed with your project.