Homebuilding Guide

Building a home can be stressful--you're investing a lot of money, after all. The first and most important step toward constructing your new home is familiarizing yourself with the building process. Knowing what to expect helps avoid surprises later. We want you to remember the construction of your home as a pleasant experience. We are proud to say that most of our clients end up becoming close friends.

Designing the home of your dreams involves four steps: choosing the property, designing the house, engineering the site, and acquiring building permits.

If you don't already have a lot to build on, you can choose from our inventory, or we can put you in touch with one of our preferred land brokers. They keep close tabs on what's available and will help you find what's best for your needs.

If you don't have plans drawn up we'll introduce you to our preferred architects. They have hundreds of floor plans you can look through for ideas. They will help you piece your home together with every little detail you want.

Once we have a solid set of plans from the architect we'll put our engineers to work. They will be responsible for mapping out your lot, developing water drainage plans, and situating your house on the property.

Once this site plan has been created both it and the architect's building plans are submitted to the city or county for approval. The plan review process can take anywhere between three and six months. MJR Builders will keep close tabs on the progress of your permit to make sure it's approved as quickly as possible.

Once your permit has been issued, we'll begin work immediately. Our excavation company will build the pad your house will be built on. The soil density is tested to ensure the pad is solid and built to the engineer's specifications.

The foundation is the concrete slab your house will be built on. Our concrete company will measure the job site and dig the proper footings, which are the bases for the outside walls. The footings will be lined with steel and filled with concrete to form a solid frame for the concrete slab.

The plumbing company will come to install all the necessary pipe to provide water service throughout the house. Once the plumbers are done, the concrete company returns and pours the concrete.

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When the concrete has cured the real fun starts. Framing is when your house starts looking like a house.

We have worked with the same framing company for 25 years. They're the best in the business and their work will show it. Your home will take two to three weeks to frame, depending on its size.

After framing you'll actually be able to walk in your front door and into your new home for the first time. You'll have windows, walls, roof and--most importantly--a real idea of what the house looks like. You've seen it only on your plans until now, so this is the time for any changes you might want to make. A walk-through with our superintendent will help you identify where the plans didn't quite match your ideas and what might need to be adjusted.

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When construction first started, a lot seemed to happen very quickly. You went from bare ground to a framed house in four or five weeks. From this point on, construction will seem to have slowed down, but that's only because the progress isn't as dramatic as the first month.

In reality there are many trades working on your house at the same time. Some of their work is dependent on the work of other trades. Coordinating multiple subcontractors and adjusting to changes in schedules is the number one challenge in this industry. MJR Builders uses a scheduling system that enables us to keep tabs on our subcontractors and when they're due to perform their work. Our superintendents in the field are constantly updating the master schedule so we can keep track of your home's completion date.

Rough-in construction is the time to decide where you might want additional lighting, electrical outlets, entertainment centers, phone lines, cable lines, network lines, speaker systems, alarm systems, central vacuum systems, and anything else that goes inside the walls. These items are on the building plans already, but once again, it's always a different story when you can actually walk through your house and visualize where everything will go. Taking care of these details now instead of six months after you move in will save you a lot of headache, so take the time to figure out what will work best for you. We can offer suggestions based on our experience.

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We will get you in touch with all the subcontractors necessary to make your interior and exterior finish selections. Tile, plumbing fixtures, light fixtures, paint colors, appliances, network structure, alarm system, and stereo wiring are just a few of the choices you will make.

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After construction is complete our landscaper professionally cleans the job site. If you wish to have additional landscaping they can help with both design and installation.

When construction is done and all the little details are complete, there are just two things that we need to give you your keys. The first is payment for any change orders that may have been created for items outside the original construction contract. The second is a final inspection from the city or county.

It's always a great day when the inspector gives his thumbs-up, we turn on the electricity and water service, and we hand you the keys to your new dream home.