Process

How I build.

A custom home is an eighteen-to-thirty-month relationship before it's a house. Here is exactly how that relationship works with me — what we talk about first, who handles what, how long each phase honestly takes, and how to show up to a first conversation ready to make real decisions.

What we talk about first

Our first conversations aren't a sales pitch. They're due diligence in both directions — you're vetting me, and I'm making sure your project is one I can deliver well. Here's what I'll want to cover early, in plain terms.

Budget range & contingency

Not a single number — a range you're comfortable in, with a contingency built in on top of the construction cost. Contingency isn't padding for my benefit; it's the buffer that absorbs the surprises every site eventually produces, so a rock ledge or a soils issue doesn't become a crisis. If we don't spend it, you keep it.

Financing readiness

Construction loan or cash? If it's a loan, have you talked to a lender about pre-approval? Construction lending works differently than a mortgage — funds are released in draws tied to milestones — and lining this up early keeps the schedule from waiting on the bank later.

The lot

Do you own land already, or are you still shopping? If you own it, I'll want the parcel address so I can start looking at zoning, setbacks, critical areas, and utilities. If you're shopping, bring candidates — I'd rather flag a problem lot before you close than after.

Design-build or build-only

Some clients want me to run the whole process, architect included. Others arrive with a designer or a finished set of plans. Both work — but they're different engagements with different fee structures and different points where I take responsibility, so we sort this out up front.

Style & program wishlist

Beds, baths, rough square footage, and the must-haves — the home office, the ADU, the view orientation, the four-car garage. You don't need a polished brief. You need an honest list of what the house has to do for your family, and a sense of what it should feel like.

Timeline expectations

When do you actually need to be in? What's driving that — a school year, a lease, a sale of your current home? I'll give you honest numbers (they're further down this page), and we'll talk about whether your target date and your project actually fit each other.

Decisions & communication

A custom build asks you for hundreds of decisions, some on short fuses. Who in your household decides, and how fast can you turn things around? And how do you want to hear from me — a weekly call, an email summary, texts for the quick stuff? We set the cadence before we set the foundation.

Allowances & selections

Some items — tile, plumbing fixtures, lighting, appliances — get budgeted as allowances until you've made final selections. I'll explain how allowances are set, what happens when a selection comes in over or under, and the selection deadlines that keep the schedule honest.

Change orders

Changes happen on every project, and they're fine — as long as they're written down. Every change gets priced, gets a schedule impact, and gets your signature before work proceeds. No verbal handshakes that turn into disputes at the end. I'll walk you through the exact paperwork early so it never feels like a surprise.

Who does what

A custom build goes well when both sides know their job. This is the honest division of labor.

Your responsibilities

  • Financing and draw requestsKeeping the construction loan in good standing and approving draws promptly so subs and suppliers get paid on schedule.
  • Timely selections and decisionsHitting the selection deadlines we set together. A late tile choice can stall three trades behind it.
  • Design approvalsSigning off on plans and revisions at each gate so we never build from a drawing you haven't blessed.
  • Course-of-construction insuranceIf you're financing the project yourself, builder's risk coverage is typically in your name. I'll tell you exactly what to ask your agent for.
  • Utility accounts at closingPower, water, gas, and internet move into your name when we hand over keys.
  • HOA and CC&R awarenessKnowing your community's covenants and review requirements. I'll handle the submittals, but the obligations run with your land.
  • Prompt responses during correction cyclesWhen the city or your lender sends comments back, fast answers from you keep review clocks from restarting.

My responsibilities

  • Feasibility and due diligenceZoning, setbacks, critical areas, utilities, soils — the homework that tells us what your lot will actually allow.
  • Permits and entitlementPreparing, submitting, and shepherding every application through the city, including correction rounds.
  • Engineering coordinationStructural, geotechnical, civil, and energy — I manage the consultants and make sure their work agrees with itself.
  • Scheduling and subcontractor managementSequencing the trades, holding them to dates, and owning the schedule end to end.
  • Code compliance and inspectionsBuilding to code, calling inspections at the right moments, and standing on site when the inspector shows up.
  • Budget tracking and transparent reportingYou see where every dollar stands — committed, spent, and remaining — on a regular cadence, not just when you ask.
  • Quality controlWalking the work at every phase. I catch it before the drywall hides it.
  • WarrantyThe relationship doesn't end at keys. I stand behind the house after you move in.

The timeline

These are honest Eastside numbers, not brochure numbers. Every project moves at its own pace, but a full custom home on this side of the lake generally runs 18 to 30 months from lot purchase to move-in.

01

Feasibility & due diligence 2–6 weeks

Zoning and setback review, critical-areas check, utility availability, preliminary soils, and a reality check on budget versus program. This is where we find out what the lot will let us build — before you spend real money on design.

02

Design & engineering 3–6 months

Schematic design through permit-ready drawings, with structural, geotechnical, and energy work folded in. The pace here is mostly set by decision speed — yours and the design team's — which is why we talk about decision cadence on day one.

03

Permitting 3–9 months

Review timelines vary widely by jurisdiction — Bellevue, Kirkland, and Sammamish each run their own queues, and a clean infill lot reviews faster than one with steep slopes or streams. I track the correction cycles and keep the application moving; your job is fast turnaround when comments need an owner decision.

04

Construction 10–14 months

Excavation to final inspection for a full custom home. Weather, inspections, and selection timing all play a part, but a well-managed schedule on a typical Eastside lot lands in this range.

A note on teardowns and infill lots: if there's an existing house on the property, plan for additional time up front — a demolition permit, plus an asbestos survey and notification through the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency (PSCAA) before anything comes down. It's routine, but it has to happen in order, and it belongs in the schedule from the start.

Before you book a feasibility consultation

You don't need plans or a finished budget to talk to me. But the families who show up with the items below get more out of the first hour than the ones who don't. Here's how to come prepared.

  1. Know your all-in budget range

    Not just construction — the whole number: land (if you don't own it yet), the build itself, soft costs like design, engineering, and permit fees, and a contingency on top. If you can name a range you'd be comfortable in and a ceiling you won't cross, we can have a real conversation instead of a vague one.

  2. Know your financing direction

    Cash or construction loan? If it's a loan, talk to a lender first — even one phone call. You don't need final pre-approval to meet with me, but knowing whether the bank's number and your number agree saves everyone months.

  3. Bring the parcel address — or the candidates

    If you own land, bring the address so I can pull zoning and parcel data before we meet. If you're still shopping, bring the lots you're considering. Evaluating a lot before you buy it is some of the most valuable time we'll ever spend together.

  4. Sketch a rough wishlist

    Beds, baths, approximate square footage, and the spaces that matter to how you live. Pull a handful of inspiration photos — a saved folder or a shared album is plenty. I'm not judging your taste; I'm learning your language.

  5. Separate non-negotiables from nice-to-haves

    Every budget meets reality at some point. If you've already sorted "the primary suite must be on the main floor" from "a wine room would be fun," you'll make the trade-off conversations fast and painless instead of slow and emotional.

  6. Name your timeline drivers

    A school-year start, a lease ending, a job relocation — whatever is pushing your dates, tell me. Real constraints shape how we sequence design and permitting; vague urgency doesn't.

  7. Decide how you like to communicate

    Weekly calls? A written summary every Friday? Texts for quick questions? There's no wrong answer, but knowing your preference lets me set up the project around it from week one.

  8. Bring your questions about the team

    Ask who actually does the work — who designs, who engineers, which trades are mine and how long they've been with me, and who you'll be talking to day to day. You should leave the first meeting knowing exactly whose hands your house will be in.

Insurance & coverage

Before a shovel hits the ground, the coverage is in writing — so everyone knows exactly what’s protected and who’s responsible.

The coverage in place

  • Builders Risk insuranceThe home is covered while it’s under construction — fire, weather, theft, and damage to the work in progress. I confirm who carries the policy before we start, so the structure is never left exposed.
  • General liabilityBig Mike Builds carries its own general liability insurance on the operation of the build. You get a certificate showing current coverage before work begins.

How the trades are verified

  • Subcontractor certificatesEvery trade on your home provides a current certificate of insurance carrying their own liability and workers’ compensation. I track them, and no sub works on site without one.
  • Put in writingWho holds which policy — and who’s responsible for what — is documented before construction begins, so there are no gray areas if something happens on site.
Next step

Let's find out what your lot can do.

A feasibility consultation is a working session, not a pitch. Bring the list above and we'll trade an hour of conversation for a clear-eyed read on your budget, your land, and your timeline.

Request a feasibility consultation