FAQs
Building Your Dream Home Made Easy: FAQs You Need to Know
We've compiled our frequently asked questions about building custom and semi-custom homes with us.
Designing your dream home is an exciting adventure, but navigating the process can seem daunting. Don’t worry, Brett Lott Homes is here to guide you from the first spark of inspiration to moving in! This FAQ page answers your most pressing questions about building a custom or semi-custom home, working with a real estate agent, and even making modifications to perfectly suit your needs.
We suggest connecting with the builder as soon as possible. We can guide you through the process and help avoid pitfalls that may cost you time and money. There is no additional cost to talk to us sooner rather than later. We welcome real estate agents and are more than happy to work with you and your agent.
A custom home is typically a home designed specifically for you from the ground up and is usually built on land that you purchase or already own. A semi-custom home is when you use one of our floor plans and is usually built on one of our lots. Learn more about the distinct differences between custom home and semi-custom homes.
You are able to move into the home sooner. You don’t have to go through the selection process which some people find a little overwhelming. Sometimes we will add upgrades to our speculation homes to incentivize them over building a semi-custom home.
Absolutely. You are spending a lot of money and it is your home and we feel you should be able to make modifications. That has always been our mantra. It is our job to guide you along the way and be transparent about the process and associated costs with modifications.
Absolutely! We’ve been building custom homes since 1991. We have decades of experience with many custom homes under our belt and have built an excellent reputation for a great custom home experience.
We cannot adequately control circumstances or provide warranties for materials or subcontractors that are not provided by us. We have long standing relationships with our trade partners and by allowing us to take care of all aspects of the building process we can provide you with the best experience.
We build homes in the Tri-cities and surrounding areas including Burbank, West Richland, and Benton City. We do not build in Oregon.
Fantastic. We build homes for people on their land all the time. We can visit your property and discuss the process and things that may be required in the building process such as access to power, septic systems, well, and road access.
Landscaping and fencing can always be included in our custom building projects. In certain developments landscaping and fencing are included with the price of the home.
Give us a call or have your agent contact us. We can meet and answer any questions you have. There is no cost to meet and discuss the process.
We do not draw plans in house but can give you some options of local plan designers and engineers. We do not build homes from plans purchased online or out of state. There are 6 building jurisdictions within the Tri-city area and local designers are aware of building departments requirements.
After meeting we can give you a rough idea of what your new home would cost. If you proceed with building with us we will provide detailed specifications and pricing for your new home.
Each home is different but typical homes are about 6-8 months. More complex custom homes can take up to a year or more.
Yes. Any requested upgrades or changes are all detailed and priced out for you to review and approve before moving forward. No price changes to our original agreement will ever happen without your approval.
You are able to tour your home during construction by setting up a time in advance so we can accompany you. Since there are dangers on a construction site we want to make sure you are safe.
We schedule separate meetings with you and our trade partners such as flooring, surfaces, cabinet designers, appliances and windows. We also provide an online customer portal where you can view and make selections at your leisure.
No problem. We are great but don’t claim to be perfect and are happy to have another set of eyes on the home.
A custom construction loan is used by most people. There are variations in the type of loans and we can suggest some lenders that specialize in working with clients on custom home loans.
If it is a home on our lot the loan is closed when the home is completed and ready for you to move into.
We typically have homes under construction or completed. You or your agent can contact us for any information regarding current inventory.
After horror stories from people who worked with other builders, it was a scary proposition to decide to build a house. We picked the right builder. Brett was always available for questions and help. He would give us his opinion but would leave any decision up to us — no bullying or strong arming like I have heard with other builders. Any change we suggested Brett would make sure we knew the cost in time and money before it was started. We could see the respect all of his subcontractors gave him because he was such an up right person to work for. Anything that we needed changed got changed. Brett was right on schedule and we love our house.
– Michelle
Experience the Brett Lott Homes Difference.
Ready to get started building the home of your dreams? We’d love to learn more about your vision for your new home.
