How We Build

Communication and control are the first order of business. Owners are invited to make weekly site visits with a TOTAL CUSTOM employee to inspect the progress of the work and to continue the process of selection decisions.

• Each communication between Owners, TOTAL CUSTOM and its agents, trade contractors and material men are made in writing and transmitted electronically with the objective of just in time delivery to make certain the most current information is in the hands of the right people.
• All project documents are single source files maintained in the cloud that can be accessed remotely to avoid duplicate or conflicting information.
• Owners are given the email and personal cell telephone numbers (text) of the company managers who are available during business hours to discuss the details.

Safety is the second order of business. Owners, employees and tradesmen are required to adhere to OSHA regulations with respect to head and foot protection, electrical, fall and trench procedures. No craftsman are permitted to remain on site without proper equipment.

Cleanliness and safety go hand-in-hand. A clean work environment is crucial for safety, quality and morale.

• Special efforts are made to produce a dust free workspace prior to painting, staining and flooring installation.

• Prior to excavation, Owners approve the location of all new buildings in the field to verify each room’s exposure to sunlight, the view or privacy.

Skilled Craftsmen and select sources of supply have been developed and nurtured over many years. We believe we have the finest craftsman in the region working for our company.

• Owners may in many cases discuss the details of the work with the individual tradesman who will be performing specific tasks.

Employing skilled craftsman and sourcing the finest materials doesn’t automatically produce the best results. Every successful team needs a game plan. TOTAL CUSTOM has painstakingly assembled our proprietary construction methodology over decades to produce homes that will stand the test of time.

• Owners can opt to include a custom designed kitchen, mud room and master bath created to Owner’s specific requirements including personalized marble or tile patterns, ample storage, granite counters and under mount sinks.
• Owners are afforded the opportunity to select and tag unique materials like granite slabs, quarried fieldstone and nursery stock and to visit select sources of supply to test fixtures.
• Fasteners and steel connectors are specified and professionally installed to make certain all of the critical structural members maintain each buildings integrity including foundation anchor straps, sheer bracing and truss tie downs. Gypsum wallboard and plywood sub floors are field screwed to prevent pops and squeaks.

Each home is flashed, foamed, wrapped and sealed to make certain to the extent possible that precipitation stays outboard and conditioned air remains inside.

Technology will continue to be an integral part of our lives. Owners are invited to research the possibilities and are able to include the latest automation, security, audio, video and artificial intelligence within their new home.

Individual craftsman require certain “Conditions Precedent” in order that new work is not applied over improper substrate and that temperature, weather and protection are sufficient.

• Some materials required seasoning within a new building prior to installation.
• Prior to the arrival of a skilled tradesman to the site, inspection of the work of each prior tradesman is performed.

Even though the entire process is planed at once, the schedule is communicated and monitored on a daily basis. Activities are often weather constrained.

• Great care is taken to deliver materials on a just in time basis to avoid theft and damage. Completion milestones are updated monthly to keep Owners apprised of the proposed completion date.
• When ever possible, multiple trades are working on the project simultaneously when their scopes of work or locations don’t conflict.
• Even though we take our commitment to on time completion seriously, when given the choice between time and quality our employees will always choose quality.

Quality Control is a battle fought with boots on the ground on a daily basis to assure that the right information and the right material are present at the right time. We believe good craftsman can do excellent work when presented with ideal conditions and proper motivation.

Both TOTAL CUSTOM and the local municipality inspect the progress of work at eighteen (18) specific milestones that include: foundations prior to pouring, framing, each mechanical rough phase completed, insulation, pre-close in, each individual mechanical finish completion, millwork, casework, prepaint and preflooring.

• TOTAL CUSTOM completes a 200-item completion checklist prior to Owner’s final inspection and then repeats the procedure 30 days after occupancy.

TOTAL CUSTOM and its agents, trade contractors and material men maintain general liability, workers compensation when appropriate and vehicle insurance. Owners are named as certificate holders on the TOTAL CUSTOM policy and TOTAL CUSTOM is named as a certificate holder on the policies of each agent, trade contractor and material man. With this layered approach, Owners can feel assured that every effort has been made to safeguard their interests. Owners are encouraged to obtain a “Builder’s Risk” policy on the improvements in addition to their liability coverage on the lot to insure the material deliveries and work in place prior to completion.

TOTAL CUSTOM creates a custom written limited warranty agreement with each Owner detailing how to make a written or on-line claim and who to call in an emergency.

• There is no cumbersome 3rd party claims process; Owners speak directly to TOTAL CUSTOM employees.
• Manuals for the products and components installed in the buildings on the premises are assembled and presented to Owners at the substantial completion of the project together with a list of the websites where Owners can register for each manufacturer’s limited warranty.
• Owners are able to visit the home while under construction at any time by first making an appointment with the Builder so that a Builder’s representative can accompany the Owner to ensure the Owners safety.
• Prior to occupancy, Owners are invited to make a thorough inspection of the process with builder’s representative to compile a punch list of any items found to not be in conformance with the written Agreement or Standards.
• 30 days after occupancy, Builder will schedule and supervise tradesman to make any repairs required to make certain the Home is in compliance with the written Agreement or Standards.
• One year after occupancy, Builder will schedule and supervise tradesman to make any repairs required to make certain the Home is in compliance with the written Agreement or Standards.