Are you thinking about building a new home?
If you are looking for a custom home builder, there are many things you should think about as you make your decision. Two of the most important considerations are your builder’s quality of work and level of service. We recently sat down with the Meyer Builders team to talk about the process of building a custom home and what makes Meyer Builders your best choice to build your custom home.
We feel that our process drives our success:
- Listen first and engage in conversations that draw out the needs and desires of our clients.
- Engage Architects and Interior Designer to document and plan.
- Thoroughly review all plans and material lists with the client, including cost and schedule details
- Have an open door, and an available construction site with regularly scheduled walk-throughs.
- Solicit homeowner feedback when key components are delivered to the construction site to avoid surprises.
- Maintain the flexibility to accept changes and be honest about the changes’ cost and schedule impacts.
- Communicate, Communicate, Communicate!
What does this process look like to our clients and the construction process? Consider the points and examples below.
Client-Centered Custom Home Building
The Meyer Builders’ approach to building a custom new home is client-centered. Although that may seem like an obvious answer for almost any business, it truly is the focus for Meyer. We focus on providing the highest quality products and the absolute best service to our clients. It means involving our clients throughout the process to build the quality custom home they desire.
Every Home We Build is Completely Custom
“What I love about our business is that we’ve never built the same home twice,” says owner Josh Meyer, “Each of our clients has their own unique needs and vision. The home’s design is truly a team effort between the client and Meyer Builders.”
We recognize that the home we are helping our clients design and build is something they’ve been dreaming about for many years, and we want to make it a reality. So this is how it works: from the very beginning, we sit down with our clients, talk about the home they want to build, and work with them either to design it from scratch or modify a plan they already have in mind to make it their own.
When building a custom home, the project timeline is often based on the client’s needs. A lot goes into the up-front planning. Meetings with our architect and client begin with discussing what the client wants in the home. We’ll talk with them about ideas they should consider, home size, lot location, budget, and a whole host of other factors that all go into shaping the final blueprint.
Then we transition from discussions and planning to the building process. We maintain regular communications, leaving the door open for adjustments as we go along. Unlike most Production builders or even Semi-Custom home builders (see our article What is the difference between a Custom Home Builder, Production Home Builder and a Spec Home?), we understand that our clients may want to make a few changes as the building process begins. We can accommodate these changes as they arise, many times without affecting the project timeline.
Quality Products & Materials
Having built custom homes for so many years, our team has experience working with a wide variety of suppliers and materials. We are very particular about the quality of the materials and components we use in your home. While we always stay informed of the latest industry advances and new technologies, we don’t always jump on the latest trends. Our clients are looking for a custom home to their taste, not the latest fad everyone else has in their home. We choose to use supplies and materials that are proven and field-tested.
When bidding out the materials for custom homes, getting the best pricing and the absolute best quality materials is crucial. “Our quality standards extend to the products we recommend for the homes we build,” says construction manager Tim Beth. “Lifetime roofing shingles, high-efficiency water heaters and boilers, superior windows and siding—are all important in building a quality custom home.”
One of the high-quality products we’re most proud of is our Amish-made custom cabinets and custom wood components. Our cabinetmaker builds every piece to order, allowing our customers to choose the design and wood species, color, and finish. “It’s a treat to offer our clients such a wide variety of options. We’ve been able to provide the most amazing, hand-crafted range hoods and beams, and it’s unique to every home,” adds Heather Dunn, our interior designer.
Quality Workmanship
Everyone on the Meyer Builders team understands how to build a quality custom home. Even our group of sub-contractor plumbers, electricians, and others understand Meyer Builders’ high expectations. These individuals we’ve worked with, often for years, are experts in the trade and have experience working with the materials we specify and the unique homes we build.
Occasionally a challenge can arise while building a new custom home. For example, a client may visit the job site and decide to change something. Or a product may not work as expected. Josh remembers an instance where a client selected a larger size toilet that didn’t quite fit in the small powder room it was intended for. “The fixture was delivered and put into place, but the door wouldn’t open all the way,” Josh recalled. “Of course that isn’t acceptable. But our team has a ton of experience, we were able to make a few minor adjustments and make everything work, just in time for final inspection.”
Whether small things like making adjustments to accommodate a bathroom fixture or larger client-initiated change requests, our team is ready to take hold of the issue and make it work. We communicate with our clients, decide how to address the issue, update the build timeline if needed, and make sure everyone is happy with the outcome.
Quality Communications
Our clients have access to every one of us throughout the home building process. We believe open and regular communication is the key to a successful build. Understandably our clients are excited about the process of building a custom home and want to be involved throughout.
After the architect has finalized the plans and contracts have been signed, the fun starts with the details of their new custom home! Our interior designer, Heather Dunn, will work with clients to select finishes, colors, fixtures, and more. In addition, our clients will begin receiving regular communication from our senior expeditor, Justin Yonke, when we break ground. “I’ll do a weekly check-in with our clients to give them an update on the progress of their home,” says Justin. “I want to be able to answer any questions they have, schedule site visits and walk-throughs, and make sure everything is going as expected.”
Another thing we prefer to do with our clients is schedule site visits when certain materials are delivered to the job site. It’s important clients see things before they are installed so there are no surprises. We’ll unbox fixtures, confirm installation, layout unusual tile designs, and verify electrical outlet locations, vents, and the like. We’ll walk through every room. This level of customer involvement gives our clients a chance to participate at each step of the process, and it also helps avoid costly change orders later on.
Choose Meyer Builders for Your Custom Home
Our client-centered custom home building process is what our clients love—and contributes to our success. So, if you are thinking of building a custom new home in southeast Wisconsin, give us a call. We would love to tell you about Meyer Builders’ home building process. We are different than your average home builder, and it’s our motto: We Build to Differ. Contact us today.