Custom Home Builder Greenville SC: What “Custom” Should Mean

If you’re looking for a custom home builder around Greenville, you’ve probably noticed that almost everybody uses the word. You’ll see it on yard signs in new neighborhoods, on websites with a page of floor plans to pick from, and on trucks belonging to builders who will take your drawings and build exactly what’s on the page. They’re not all doing the same thing, so before you start calling around it helps to know what you actually want “custom” to mean for your house.

To me, a custom home is one that starts with you and your land, not with a plan somebody already had on the shelf. That doesn’t mean every house has to be drawn from scratch by an architect, and it doesn’t mean a plan you found online is wrong. It means the decisions get made around how your family lives, what you want to spend, and what your lot will let you do, and the builder is working with you on those decisions the whole way instead of handing you a short list of options.

What I’d ask a builder who says “custom”

• Can I start with my own plan, my architect’s plan, or no plan at all? Some builders only build from their own library of plans and let you change the countertops and paint. That can be a fine way to get a new house, but it isn’t the same thing as a custom home, so ask early so nobody wastes your time.
• Are you building on my land or on yours? A lot of “custom” homes are built on lots the builder already owns in a subdivision. If you already have land, or you’re shopping for it, you want a builder who’s used to walking a raw lot and talking about where the house, the driveway, and the utilities should go before the design gets too far along.
• When do you want to be involved? You need a builder on your team before or just as the design is happening, so cost can help guide your decisions while they’re still easy to change on paper. If a builder only wants to see you once the drawings are finished, that tells you something.
• What happens when I want to change something? Ask how they handle a change once the job is underway, how it gets priced, and how it gets written down. Changes are normal on a custom home, and you want to know the process before you need it.
• What does your estimate actually show me? A line that just says “Cabinets — allowance” with no number or no idea of the quality behind it makes it hard to compare apples to apples. Ask what’s spelled out and what’s an allowance, and what happens if your picks run over it.
• Who will I be talking to once we start building? On some jobs you meet the owner at the sale and then hand off to a superintendent you’ve never met. Find out who is running your job day to day and how often you’ll hear from them.

Check the license, insurance, and references too, and read reviews the same way you would for any trade. Give a few builders a call, bring a list of what matters to you, and ask each one the same questions.

Red flags

• “Custom” that turns out to mean picking from three elevations and two cabinet colors.
• A builder who won’t look at your land or your plan until you’ve signed something.
• An estimate full of allowances with no explanation of what they cover.
• Nobody can tell you who will actually be on your job.
• Pressure to sign the same day.

How a first conversation with Built Up Homes goes

It starts with a free site visit or a sit-down, whichever fits where you are. If you already have land, we’ll walk it with you. If you have a plan, a Pinterest board, or just a list of what you want, bring it. Most people don’t build for a living, so this is usually where I can offer suggestions that save money or make the plan better. Once the vision is clear, we can give you a rough ballpark so you know whether to move forward or adjust. We build, so if you don’t have an architect, drafter, or designer yet, we’ll help you find one and work with them as one team from the start.

Once we’re building, I supervise the construction myself, so you’re dealing with the same person from start to finish. We hold a weekly update meeting so you know what’s coming up and what decisions need to be made, and you can call in between whenever something comes up. Every home we build comes with a one-year warranty. Use the same list above on us, too.

Related reading: First Time Building a House in Greenville SC? Where to Start, Best Home Addition Contractors Near Greenville SC: What to Look For, Addition or ADU on My Greenville Lot: How Do I Choose?, and Large Remodel vs Tear-Down in Upstate SC: How Owners Decide.

If you’re in Greenville or the towns we serve (Simpsonville, Mauldin, Taylors, Greer, Travelers Rest, Piedmont, Fountain Inn, Gray Court, and Laurens), reach out and let’s talk about your house:

• Web: builtuphomes.com
• Email: greg@builtuphomes.com
• Phone: 864-636-9402

Greg Palmer, Built Up Homes