Commonly Asked Questions About Building a Custom Home
- What is our custom home pricing process?
- What is included in our turnkey pricing?
- How much does a custom home cost per square foot?
- How long does it take to build a custom home?
- Can you help with financing?
- What is a Pre-construction agreement and how does it benefit me?
- Can you build a house plan I find online?
- Can changes be made during construction?
- Is there a warranty on homes built by Spartan Homes?
- Can I check references for Spartan Homes?
- Can I supply materials for my home like appliances or light fixtures?
What is our custom home pricing process?
We understand during these trying times that you may be interested in pricing out a Custom Home. We would love to be able to help everyone that is interested but the reality is that we just cannot do this fast enough. So, we have tried to provide some questions and answers below to help determine if you are a serious consumer and may want to proceed to speak with Spartan Homes about your new custom home.
We know this is one of the biggest purchases you will make and have tried to answer the questions below as diligently as possible.
There are many things that go into pricing a custom home such as:
Size of home – home many SF of living and none living areas are there? Some builders use all the SF of anything to do with the house to give a low SF number. We use SF of finished living areas finished in our Sf calculations.
Complexity/type of home – is this a simple ranch with a simple roof design, or is it a complex roof system? Is it a rectangular house or a house with several bump-outs or special designs, Is this a design that the builder has built before, or is this the first time on this complex build? All these items factor largely into pricing. Level of finishes – What levels of finish do you expect? Luxury level, custom level, semi-custom level, track built, mobile home. We start off at what is considered the Custom level on our standard Features list. Over the years we have priced in features and products that most customers want in their homes to start with.
Systems – what level of HVAC, water heater, circulation pumps, well pumps, etc. We have done a lot of research over the years to provide you with Quality products and vendors that have great reputations and quality.
We know this is one of the biggest purchases you will make and have tried to answer the questions below as diligently as possible.
There are many things that go into pricing a custom home such as:
Size of home – home many SF of living and none living areas are there? Some builders use all the SF of anything to do with the house to give a low SF number. We use SF of finished living areas finished in our Sf calculations.
Complexity/type of home – is this a simple ranch with a simple roof design, or is it a complex roof system? Is it a rectangular house or a house with several bump-outs or special designs, Is this a design that the builder has built before, or is this the first time on this complex build? All these items factor largely into pricing. Level of finishes – What levels of finish do you expect? Luxury level, custom level, semi-custom level, track built, mobile home. We start off at what is considered the Custom level on our standard Features list. Over the years we have priced in features and products that most customers want in their homes to start with.
Systems – what level of HVAC, water heater, circulation pumps, well pumps, etc. We have done a lot of research over the years to provide you with Quality products and vendors that have great reputations and quality.
What is included in your turnkey pricing?
What is included in your turnkey pricing? Everything from clearing, excavation, well, drain field, appliances, etc is included. Only utility hook-up pricing is not included and priced out separately by the utility companies.
What do I as the owner have to do? Sign a contract, pick out colors and enjoy the process.
Is this a Green Home? What does that mean, does it really save me utility costs? Yes, each new home built by Spartan is registered to be a Bronze-level National Green Building Standard home. You can spend hours or days looking at the NGBS.com website but it basically boils down to each home we build being about twice as energy-efficient as a code-built home that saves you money on each utility bill over the lifetime of the home. In addition the year you build you are able to get the tax credit for building a green home.
What do I as the owner have to do? Sign a contract, pick out colors and enjoy the process.
Is this a Green Home? What does that mean, does it really save me utility costs? Yes, each new home built by Spartan is registered to be a Bronze-level National Green Building Standard home. You can spend hours or days looking at the NGBS.com website but it basically boils down to each home we build being about twice as energy-efficient as a code-built home that saves you money on each utility bill over the lifetime of the home. In addition the year you build you are able to get the tax credit for building a green home.
How much does a custom home cost per square foot?
This is honestly the one question that is the hardest because there are so many ways someone can answer. What we do is prefer to price the house out for you, but as a guideline, over the years we have found that a median build price is about 250 a sf. YES OF COURSE it can be less, it can also be more. it really does take into account all the above items plus so much more.
How much is a remodel a SF? Unfortunately, this is even a more loaded question as there is an existing structure, engineering, and demolition to be considered on top of the normal amount of items. For estimating purposes only our median large remodel has been around 250 dollars a sf. These are historical pricing over years and many projects so please keep this in mind.
How much is a remodel a SF? Unfortunately, this is even a more loaded question as there is an existing structure, engineering, and demolition to be considered on top of the normal amount of items. For estimating purposes only our median large remodel has been around 250 dollars a sf. These are historical pricing over years and many projects so please keep this in mind.
How long does it take to build a custom home?
The construction process starts with signing a contract with Spartan Homes. It does depend on the complexity of the build but will typically take about 3 months to get plans ready for a permit and typically 4-8 weeks for a permit. A typical home under 3000 sf should take approx. 5.5 months to build after a permit is issued. So, all said we let everyone know if typically takes 10-12 months and if a plan is familiar to Spartan, or it is less complicated it will take less time. And the larger the home or more complex the home is, the longer the build process will take.
We encourage you to ask anyone from your realtor to the county what their experiences have been with Spartan Homes. We are known for getting projects completed in a short amount of time as compared to others.
We encourage you to ask anyone from your realtor to the county what their experiences have been with Spartan Homes. We are known for getting projects completed in a short amount of time as compared to others.
Can you help with financing?
Spartan Homes does not finance but can give you names of local lenders that have helped previous clients and the clients have had great experiences with.
What is a Pre-Construction Agreement and how does it benefit me?
A pre-con is an optional contract that lets us start the design process and get the home drawn and engineering started. Typically, during this time customers are visiting vendors and or making selections with Spartan Homes. This allows us to hone in on the client’s needs and wants and helps take away pricing variables to help fine-tune the home pricing process. If the client chooses Spartan to build their new home, then the cost of the pre-con is credited toward the home build.
Can you build a house plan I find online?
Yes, home plans can be something that is drawn on the proverbial napkin or a home plan that a customer finds online. Spartan Homes would need to redraw any plan to meet Virginia codes and is typically less than half of an architect. If needed Spartan Homes would purchase a build license from the original plan found online.
Can changes be made during construction?
Yes! changes can be made at almost any time. Although it is better not to make structural changes after construction has started, we can make changes from a door swing to adding a window or changing the layout of the bathroom. Sometimes depending on the progress of the build, it may not be price effective. Some changes may require permit amendment, engineering or materials to be ordered that may affect the build time or the schedule of other vendors in the build. Spartan Homes will advise you so you can make the decision that is best for you.
Is there a warranty on homes built by Spartan Homes?
Yes, Spartan homes uses the residential performance guidelines. We warranty everything for one year based on these guidelines. We warranty all systems for 2 years and warranty the structure for 10 years.
Can I check references for Spartan Homes?
Spartan Homes has years of references and would be glad to supply you with a list upon request. Also please check out our references on HOUZZ, Google, and Facebook. We also have a lot of testimonials spread throughout our website.
Can I supply materials for my home like appliances or light fixtures?
Yes, Spartan Homes will work with you with materials you would like to supply yourself.