Custom Home Builders in Charlottesville, Near You

Yes, we do. Energy efficiency is at the top of everyone’s list these days because people are more environmentally conscious and because of the cost of energy. Environmentally, we incorporate a number of components in our homes such as energy-efficient windows and doors and spray foam insulation.

One of the best ways to improve the overall efficiency of your home is by making sure that your basement or crawl space and your attic are conditioned and properly insulated. The additional costs of these services can easily be recovered in the first 2-3 years through energy savings.

We have a very clear understanding of what it takes for us to remain viable, and that each client has a budget that we need to work with.

Our pricing does not begin by simply calculating square footage. We build homes that are uniquely and specifically tailored to you. Thus, our pricing must also be specifically tailored to each project.

As a result, the price per square foot comes into play after all calculations (materials, subcontractors, architect drawings, etc) have been made. Square footage pricing lacks the guidance you should expect from your contractor and simply does not give you the level of detail necessary to make informed decisions.

First, which is more important: location and land features, or the design of your home? If the land is the driving force in your decision-making, the home must be designed to work with the land you select. Conversely, if you are set on a specific home design, serious consideration must be given to selecting the right lot to build on.

In terms of establishing a budget for you new home, some key factors that can affect cost include geographical location and general access, specific access from the right-of-way to the build site (including distance, slope/grade, condition of access road, etc.), soil/site conditions (is there a lot of rock or unstable areas the will require additional work?), slope of the building site and whether utilities are close by.

We can provide all the documentation and information you need to coordinate with a lending institution. Once you have a pre-approval letter we can move forward and begin construction.

We will request a downpayment in order to get started, but after the initial deposit we will work directly with your bank or lending institution to obtain future payment draws as we hit certain benchmarks on the project.

We would refer you to your preferred insurance or financial services advisor to answer that question. At a minimum, we would recommend that you have a builder’s risk policy in place.

During construction, this policy protects materials and other things on the job site that may get damaged or stolen during the construction process. It is an inexpensive and temporary insurance policy.

Yes, you can visit your home while it’s under construction. You’re welcome to visit out of your own volition and we will also have periodic meetings on-site to review construction together.

As a disclaimer, remember that your home will be under construction and will therefore be an active job site so make sure to be careful and take the necessary safety precautions.

If you already have a design, we can move forward on the process more quickly. If you do not have a design, we will bring in an architect and begin design meetings.

Once we have about 80-90% approval on the design and while the architect is working on final drawings, we can move into the estimation process.
Estimation can be a lengthy process because there are so many elements and considerations that need to be made.

(Note: Estimating takes a long time and financing approval takes a long time. So if you’re feeling like you are ready to build a home now then we need to get the process started because it could take about a month.)

Once we have a final design approved and a budget approved, we can move into the contract phase.

Whether you are an individual, a couple, or a family with kids, our custom home builders in Charlottesville can help you build the size home that meets all of your needs. From an 800 SF mountain retreat to 5000+ SF mega homes, Aaron has accumulated over 2 decades of skill and knowledge helping clients realize their dreams. A fully licensed and insured Class A Builder, Aaron & Co. has the capability and resources to build the right size house for you.

Value engineering is a way of helping clients align their homebuilding goals with their budget in a way that doesn’t compromise either. It is a term you will hear us use frequently during design and estimation. When budget challenges emerge, we look at recovering those budget dollars by refining multiple areas of the project in small ways, rather than drastically reducing or eliminating a single important piece.

That said, we strive to head off many of these challenges early on in the design phase, by working as a team with our designers, engineers, architects and, of course, you, our client.

We are happy to work with your architect if you’ve already established a working relationship with them. If not, we invite you to join our network of architects, engineers, designers, and subcontractors that are ready to serve you.