Whatcom County Home Builders

Our Services

Whatcom County Home Builders enables you

• New Home Construction
• Home Additions
• Home Renovations
• Our Expertise
• Design and Construction Options

Many homeowners want to play a significant role in building their homes. We understand this and provide our customers with a variety of practical building options based on their experience and time available.

A number of clients like to act as the general contractor but may need project management services in certain technical areas of construction. Some want their builder to take the structure of the home to the lock-up stage and then complete the interior finishing on their own. Whatcom County Home Builders gives you flexibility to structure a working relationship that makes sense.

New Home Construction

Whatcom County Home Builders can provide everything you need to get your new home project completed. We can also provide you with valuable information about what is involved in the building process. This allows you to make informed decisions when planning your project in the following key areas:

• Selecting the right design for your property
• Choosing the right materials
• Creating a realistic construction budget
• Obtaining building permits and approvals
• Site preparation and utility connections
• Excavation and foundation work
• Building to lock-up
• Finishing the interior to occupancy

Building a custom home has become more involved over the years as homes have become more complex in design. Also, building code requirements are more demanding. This means that more construction expertise is required to successfully build a home. As a result, most homeowners prefer to hire a professional to act as the project manager.

It is important to choose the right design for your property and the right combination of materials suitable for the Whatcom County area. There are many design possibilities and thousands of building components with different performance characteristics to choose from. The focus should be on developing a site specific design that can actually be built on your property. Whatcom County Home Builders can help you in all areas to get your new home project completed.

Home Additions

A new addition may be just what it takes to accommodate a changing family or special lifestyle needs. You can expand a kitchen, add a bathroom or change your existing home into the home of your dreams. Whatever you have in mind, Whatcom County Home Builders can help.

As with any construction project, an addition to your home requires careful planning. Before you decide to go ahead with the project, it is important to clearly identify the features you want. Just as important is a thorough inspection of the current structure so that any existing problems can be corrected at the same time.

The key challenge is to make sure that your addition meets your living requirements and looks like an integral part of the existing home. You will likely need help from a professional designer who can take your ideas and prepare blueprints that will meet structural and permitting requirements.

At Whatcom County Home Builders, we have the experience to assemble the resources needed and perform the work to professional standards.

Home Renovations

Construction techniques for new homes have changed rapidly. Most of these improved techniques also apply to renovations. This is why it is important to select the right materials and professional builders, just as if you were building a new home.

Whatcom County Home Builders can help you plan ahead before the actual renovation takes place. The idea is to make it look better, work better, last longer and be more comfortable. Before renovating, it's important to assess the condition of your home to determine if there are any significant underlying problems that must be addressed before or during your planned renovation project. Consideration should be given to:

• Various elements of the home to be upgraded
• A look at lifestyle needs and comforts
• Replacement of inefficient or worn building components

A professional renovation makes your home more attractive as well as safer, more efficient and more durable. We can give you a realistic estimate and perform the work to meet building codes. We can also help you access professional designers if required.

Working with Whatcom County Home Builders gives you the assurance that you are getting someone with experience in the Whatcom County area.

Our Expertise

Building a new home, renovating your existing one or planning for a home addition requires careful planning and the right expertise to get the best result. Whatcom County Home Builders has the experience and resources needed for any major home construction project.

Custom home projects require a variety of professional resources that understand the details of the project and work efficiently together. Although these people act independently, they need to be available at the right time and at different stages of the project. Whatcom County Home Builders has a network of professionals who are used to working as a team.

Using a proven system means a much better finished result and more value in your home. Skilled people and the use of quality materials will pay for themselves during the construction. The building goes faster which saves labor costs and reduces construction waste.

Some of the more crucial areas where expertise is needed include:

• Obtaining permits and approvals
• Design and material selection
• Structural load bearing and other engineering requirements
• Assembling the right human resources
• Constructing the home to meet building code standards
• Controlling and managing the project

Whatcom County Home Builders has full access to a wide range of technical experts including designers, drafts-people and engineers. In custom home construction, all projects are unique to some degree. The key to a successful outcome is to identify all the variables in the building process and make sure they are included in the budget.

We use the proprietary Custom Builder XPM ™ system, which was developed specifically for estimating the cost of custom home projects. This process enables you to plan ahead and make the right decisions to minimize the risk of budget overruns.

Design and Construction Options

Your choices of design, materials and construction method play a major role in the look and feel of the finished home. There are many ways to combine different construction types with design and material that creates the perfect home for you. Some may choose spacious open plan living, abundance of natural light and the ambiance of natural timbers while others prefer more traditional and easier to build structures.

Different construction methods will be required depending on the type of structure selected for the home. Conventional framing is the most common option. More complex homes may involve the use of post and beam, timber-frame or log structural components. In some cases, these components may be combined with a conventional frame to get a more cost-effective result.

Building different types of homes takes special skill sets. Whatcom County Home Builders uses the best construction practices no matter what design and structural materials are selected. We recommend the use of higher quality materials as they give a better finished result, reduce labor costs during the building process and minimize waste.