FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions

Absolutely; this is a key differentiator underscoring the quality of our homes as we provide lateral and gravity structural analysis of your home by a licensed engineer. This is not to be confused with the engineering commonly received for manufactured items like trusses or joists.

Design-build might be an unfamiliar term to some prospective owners but it's actually a very simple and practical way to approach a complex process. By definition, design-build is a method to deliver a project in which the design and construction services are coordinated by a single entity. The system relies on a single point of contact responsible for the entire process and minimizes risk to the owner and it reduces the delivery schedule by overlapping the design phase and construction phase of a project. See graphic on our Home page outlining the benefits of this delivery method. The design-build concept translates to all aspects of the project, from inception to completion are done under one roof. Working as an integrated and cohesive team keeps the client's construction project running smoothly, allowing for a faster construction schedule, lower unit costs and increased innovation. Simply put, design/build saves the client money and time when completed by B. Watts Design Builders.

From Principal Owner Brandon Watts, "it's all about the skills, experience and integrity of our people that you will interact with and the best-value and quality of our work, not how many we can build and turn in a year. This is your home and we want every aspect of it to be perfect for you"! Separate from our core values, there are many things that make B. Watts Design Builders stand out amongst other builders. First, we are a full-service design/builder that can provide you complete construction services from start to finish. See FAQ on the difference between a design/builder and traditional design-bid-build contractor. We have experience from major metropolitan areas having some of the most challenging and rigorous permitting requirements but also being connected to some of the most sought-after luxury and tech savvy 'smart' projects in the Pacific Northwest. We continually invest in programs that enable our clients to visualize their projects before they are built. See FAQ on visualizing our work. Overall, given our building values and our combination of building the highest quality homes, making the process enjoyable, providing real world models of the proposed build, giving you price certainty in real time, respecting your time, and providing the best customer service makes our work product unmatched in this area.

Give us a call! Each custom home build is unique. We can help you determine the first steps. Building your custom home or project is an exciting journey, and we would love to partner with you through the process.

As a provider a premiere construction services, B. Watts Design Builders leverages the technology of 3D modeling with all of our projects. Our clients understand and know exactly how the project will look on the outside and inside before breaking ground. This has proven to not only save our clients' money but our schedules are improved as well because re-work or change orders are mere non-existent.

For purposes of keeping our proprietary process confidential, please contact us to learn more about the building process. Overall, our process is set up with the intention to help avoid surprises in the design process and to give more control and understanding to you throughout the project. The process of building a project is the most important and expensive investment you may ever make. Having the designer and builder working together with you, discussing size, style, budget and finishes right from the start, greatly increase the chances of having a successful (predictable outcome) and enjoyable project.

The time it takes to build a home varies greatly depending on the design and size of your home. Generally speaking, from the time we break ground to the time we turn over the keys it generally takes 9-12 months. Larger, luxury homes that involve pools/spas, waterfalls, wine cellars, or amenity view decks with water features can take longer. Our relationship with our clients doesn't end there. We offer each of our clients a courtesy 30 day move in inspection where we request final punch-list inspections are completed.

Every project will have a CPM (Critical Path Method) schedule developed for it outlining critical milestones and activities. Each of these activities have assigned responsible parties to them with expected completion dates.

B. Watts Design Builders guarantees our homes to be free of any defects for one year after the completion of construction. We provide our homeowners with all manufacturer warranties for products installed in the home for one year.

When considering custom home construction, it is also very important to consider your financial situation beforehand. We recommend working with a lender on getting prequalified for a custom construction loan early on, so you can identify your actual budget. Construction loans are meant to provide temporary financing during the build process. Mortgage financing will come along after your home has been completed, and it will be used to pay off the construction loan. B. Watts Design Builders has preferred lenders available to you, and we can help you learn about the different kinds of construction loans and strategies for managing this process.

Because every home we build is unique and different, we cannot tell you a specific value without first working with you to develop the home of your dreams. However, given our past experience with custom constructions and commercial projects, we are able to look up budget estimates of similar projects in real time to help guide you and keep you connected with your budget. Additionally, to manage this critical part of the process, we have three important budget checkpoints: The first occurs when we receive feedback from you from our 31-page questionnaire. Through this document, we gain critical knowledge of your expectations. We will apply this to our past estimates to provide a live cost per square range that we will design to, commonly referred to Target Value Design. Next, we will update this estimate once we have completed the schematic design. This is a rough estimate and is meant to serve as a steering tool to make sure you feel comfortable with the project and costs. The third checkpoint occurs after your project has gone through structural engineering. In order to provide you with this estimate, we take your project through a "Top 10 Vendor" exercise where we show your plans to our top vendors to get a clearer picture of your budget. We look at value engineering key elements to save you money at this time. At this point, we will utilize this budget as part of the contract with B.Watts Design Builders. Whereas commonly all finish selections may not be determined at that time, we will utilize allowances that allow you to be in control of how the finishes are selected and how budgets are allocated.

Our pricing can include everything from start to finish - from demolition (if applicable) through our fees, land feasibility, and all labor, materials and equipment. Whereas permit fees or site conditions can sometimes be a variable, we discuss with our clients the allowances we will carry for these items.

We would prefer to be involved with our clients before they purchase the land their home will reside on. There are various facets of planning we may take advantage of based on your goals and needs such as: house design to conform with the lot characteristics such as site elevations, street corners, trees or existing landscapes, ect., Complementation of surrounding architectural styles-what style architecture is your neighbor's house, energy performance based on house orientation. In general, the earlier we are involved with you in the process, the better the final result of your custom home will be.

Absolutely. If you own a lot and would like us to build a custom home on it, we can get started right away. If you are interested in building a custom home on your land and would like more information, give us a call or email so we can start the process! You can reach out to bwattsdesignbuilders@gmail.com or 509-540-5937.

Absolutely! We have developed and maintained many key relationships and partnerships with design teams outside of our business and look forward to working with the Team you select.

Yes, we can provide complete site work packages and prefer to do so.

There are several options and strategies to managing this. Please contact us to discuss the lending and living/housing options available with this.

Yes, we have many key real estate partners in the area that specialize in vacant land. Please contact us to be referred to an agent.

Yes, we often have vacant off market properties ready for new homes. Please contact us to discuss options available.

No. Our mission is to provide each and every customer a true custom experience so for that reason we don't template anything. Every single project we complete begins with a blank piece of paper in our design software so the possibilities are endless from there!

Absolutely!

If you have spent a lot of time searching for the perfect home but have not been able to find one that is just right, a custom home can help you reach your goals. With a custom home, you can include personalized touches that give the home a distinctive "you" feeling!

You and Principal Owner Brandon Watts will conduct a final walk-through and you will receive the keys to your new custom home. Additionally, you will receive a B. Watts Design Builders Homeowner Notebook with a list of utility companies in order to transfer all utilities to your name. Also included are all the operations and maintenance manuals and warranty packets.

As a native Walla Wallan born and raised here, we take serious pride to be involved in the community. Whether it is serving on charity boards, helping with community fundraisers, donating to local charities, collaborating with local nonprofits to build homes for those in need, or buying Christmas gifts for children in need in the local schools, B. Watts Design Builders is committed to being a community leader.

Absolutely. If you have land that you would like to sell or subdivide, please contact Brandon Watts at 509-540-5937 as he would be happy to review and discuss options for purchasing.