While the client makes the decisions for their custom home, the plan for their home contains hundreds of decisions, of varying importance. While some of the decisions will affect the use of the home for decades to come, others can be changed in a matter of minutes or even hours. While still other decisions are expensive to change but are of little importance. These decisions are relatively inexpensive to include in the design of the home but can be very expensive to construct.
Ranked decisions, First, the decisions that have to be correct from the very beginning (the top of the table). Then, the decisions that can be postponed for a while but are very important in the end (in the order of their greatest use value). Each decision is ranked as easily reversible or not.
Site and structure set the ceiling on everything else
The approach to the house (from the street), grade, drainage paths, tree lines and building within a site all determine where the garage can go, whether a walkout is possible and how much excavation there will be to build the house before any of the walls are completed.
Orientation deserves more attention than it usually gets
Sun path is the primary driver of glare, heat gain, and life cycle cost of space conditioning. A west facing glass wall in a two-story great room is essentially a permanent mechanical system to condition the space. By rotating the footprint by 15 degrees (a minor modification to the schematic design) one can avoid creating a permanent mechanical system.
In the design development phases of a custom build, structural geometry decisions will begin to affect the design. Although it is easy to design long spans, cantilevers and other complex roof and structural features, they are difficult to build. So, for example, decisions regarding the simplification of complex roof designs (i.e. Six planes down to four) can fund all cabinetry upgrades and more.
Select the builder before you finalize the plan
Involve your builder in the schematic design phase and begin to price out your home plans in detail. Start to turn decisions on your home plans into cost discussions, and do as much value engineering as possible on your home plans before it is too late.
Comparing proposals on something other than the bottom number
- Allowance schedules with real quantities, not placeholder lump sums
- Written exclusions, particularly site work, utility runs, and landscaping
- Whether trade partners are long-term relationships or low bids rotated each job
- The change order pricing method, fixed markup or cost recovery after the fact
- Warranty terms and who answers the call in year two
If you are weighing builders in this market, look for a team with genuine regional experience in Cincinnati custom homes, because that background is what allows a hillside foundation, a house on clay soils, or a walkout basement to be priced accurately. Site work lines are far more reliable when many similar homes have already been completed nearby.
Where each dollar does the most work
Here’s another way to look at your budget for your custom home, the permanent and the preferential.
| Decision category | Practical lock point | Cost to change afterward | Effect on daily comfort |
| Siting and orientation | Before permit | Severe | High |
| Footprint and structure | Construction documents | Severe | High |
| Envelope and insulation | Before drywall | High | High |
| Mechanical and plumbing layout | Rough-in | High | Moderate to high |
| Cabinetry and millwork | Six weeks before install | Moderate | Moderate |
| Fixtures, tile, paint | Finish stage | Low | Low |
We spend money up front to bury it in the house and then spend money in other areas of preference that we can revisit later before having to demo them.
Construction quality is decided in details nobody photographs
Even identical elevations can mean very different houses. Typically the difference is in the assemblies, not in the look of the house.
The details worth specifying explicitly
- Air sealing strategy, with a blower door target written into the contract
- Flashing at every roof-to-wall intersection, window head, and deck ledger
- Ductwork located inside conditioned space rather than a vented attic
- Equipment sized from a room-by-room load calculation, not a rule of thumb
- Plumbing walls stacked to shorten runs and reduce noise transfer
The cost of overruns is typically in the form of timing problems, not design problems. The choices and decisions are made late in the process, after the trade has begun to work. Thus, the tile selected during the framing of the house will cost the normal cost of that tile. However, the same tile selected during the tile installation of the house will cost the cost of the tile plus the cost of the idle time of the carpenter, plus the cost of resequencing the other inspections and activities of the builder.
Protect the schedule with a decision calendar
While decisions that are made during the design phase can result in costly change orders, the reality is that the large majority of cost overruns are not design-related. They are a function of the schedule and as decisions that could have been made earlier in the process are made at a later time in the process when the trade is ready to perform the work, the cost of those decisions is higher. For example, the client chooses a tile for the bathroom during the framing stage and by the time the drywall is installed, the tile order for the bathroom has been delayed by two weeks.
Build the calendar backward from lead times
There are typically long lead times for products like windows, cabinets, and other specialty items. This means that they must be chosen early in the home building process. Both the client and builder should record the dates for choosing these products in the contract for the custom home. The client should realize that a two-week delay in receiving a window, for example, will result in a three-week delay in completing the drywall.
Still, there will be change orders, hopefully most of them in the lower half of the table (checking funds against building something all over again).
Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not constitute professional architectural, engineering, or construction advice. Custom home building decisions vary by site, budget, local codes, and builder requirements. Readers should consult licensed architects, builders, and designers for project-specific guidance. The mention of Cincinnati custom homes or any regional market is illustrative and does not imply endorsement. The author and publisher disclaim all liability for any cost overruns, construction issues, or outcomes arising from reliance on this content. Always involve your builder early and obtain detailed written agreements. This article does not guarantee specific project results.
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