Design Process
Building a custom home is a wonderful and educational experience. The process of seeing your dream home from start to finish is amazing. The first step is to select a builder who complements your personality, who you feel will build you a quality home, and who responds to your concerns with respect.
Sigma Builders takes building the right home for you and your family very seriously. Your home is most likely your largest purchase. We understand that while designing and building a new custom home can be exciting and fun, it can also be intimidating and sometimes a little scary. Our building process helps ensure that our client’s experience is exciting, unique, pleasurable, and predictable.
Finally, balancing between desires and cost, our experience and expertise will help you make well-informed decisions, which will allow you to have your dream home and will provide you with the best long-term value in your new home.
Phase 1 – Initial Meeting
During this phase, we get to know more about you and your lifestyle needs. Tell us your hopes, ideas, and thoughts. Bring pictures, clippings, drawings, and your Houzz idea books and Pinterest boards.
We want your new home to exceed all of your expectations, so we take this time to ensure that we understand not only your budget but all your needs and desires from a quality-of-life standpoint.
Phase 2 – Your Homesite
Some of our clients have already acquired a homesite, while others choose from one of our available lots. We can also assist you in locating the perfect home site based on various factors including location, homesite size, price point, amenities, and school district.
Phase 3 – Initial Ideas and Planning
Once we have an idea of the type of home and the lot you are desiring, we define high-level specifications for the home, which drives a preliminary budget range.
During this phase, we continue to listen to your needs and desires. We determine the project scope with you and may share examples of homes and ideas that fit your desires to help define specifications and budget.
With the budget range established, it is a good time to check on financing. We have several lenders and will match you up with one to fit your needs. They can usually pre-qualify you within a couple of days.
Phase 4 – Designing Plans
At the end of this phase, you will have defined the architecture plan for your new home. Accomplishing this can take several routes depending on your desires and previously procured items.
We offer a full in-house design-build service or can work from a third-party set of plans acquired from an architect or online resource.
Phase 4 (con't) – Designing Plans
Our design build process takes our customers from general ideas to a fully custom designed set of plans. After gathering all the necessary survey work, ranging from topography evaluation to tree surveying, we will work with our architects and designers to put together a set of plans that fits your property and your needs.
The design stage can start either from an existing plan or home you’ve seen or completely from scratch. We will work in stages from preliminary floor plan layout to custom exterior elevation design and finally a full construction set of plans. You will have complete design control, working hand in hand with Sigma Builders, our architects, designers and interior designers. Please see our idea gallery for homes that Sigma Builders have designed and/or built.
Phase 4 (con't) – Designing Plans
If you have already acquired a full set of construction plans from a third-party architect or online resource, we are more than happy to work from that point. Depending on your current status of selections and specs, we will create a plan to allow us to work with you to obtain all of the information needed.
While not all homebuyers need this, we do offer technology service options to help you better understand design decisions. With rendering and 3D architecture tools, you can see your design decisions before breaking ground. Optional items include elevation rendering, virtual tours, kitchen design, furniture placement, landscaping and hardscaping options.
Phase 5 – Selections
We know from experience that these selections are critically important in making your custom home yours. Thus, we work with you to set up a selection schedule that will include a timetable for when certain selections are due.
If desired, one of our designers will help work through the selections process with you. In addition, we have a very strong relationship with our vendors and they are available to assist you during the selection process and help make this time both fun and easy. You are never on your own during this process. We know that while exciting and fun, the selections process can sometimes be overwhelming without experienced help to guide you. We do not maintain a design studio with limited selections. As we are a custom builder, we work with you to pick out selections that meet your desires and budget.
Phase 5 (con't) – Selections
While our homebuyers have the option to pick any selections, we also know that not everything fits into their budget, so our experienced personnel work with you to find the “look” and “feel” within your budget.
Once the selections have been made, both the builder and client will date and sign the specifications sheet acknowledging that both parties are in agreement. As a custom builder, we know that selections can change during the construction process. When a final selection changes, we have the client sign a selection change order to ensure that both the builder and client are on the same page. The timeliness of these selections is imperative so that the construction process is not disrupted.
Phase 6 – Approval and Pre-Start Activities
Once you approve the architectural plans and the selections, we will then be ready to finalize the contract price. The contract will include the specifications, time to complete the home, and the contracted price.
There are several items that need to occur before construction can begin:
Phase 6 (con't) – Approval and Pre-Start Activities
- Ensure that financing for the project has been secured
- Septic engineering and permitting (if applicable)
- Acquire necessary building permits
- Have design approved by the Architectural Control Committee (if applicable)
- Site meeting with your construction manager
Phase 7 – Construction
Now that all the preliminary work is done, the excitement can begin.
Our construction team will meet with you prior to start to share the construction schedule, to ensure you have online access to our construction software, and to open communications to the team. Each of our homes has a dedicated project manager so you know exactly who is managing your home's construction and who is working with you. Our team will be in constant communication with you throughout the construction process.
Phase 7 (con't) – Construction
We will re-confirm all of the selections that were made during the bid process. You will have the opportunity to make adjustments to those selections if needed and provide the final approval. The timeliness of these final approvals is imperative for our construction schedule.
For timely project completion and complete customer satisfaction, Sigma Builders proficiently coordinates all construction elements, schedule, and trades through an integrated on-line system. This system includes a downloadable app for your smartphone and tablets. All of our trades, project managers, and construction personnel use this system to ensure the construction of your home is on-time, within budget, and aligns with our high-quality standards. You have access to the system to monitor, comment, and participate in the construction of your home. Through the system, you can know what is happening with your home daily; you can upload comments and pictures, as you visit the site and communicate with the project manager.
Phase 7 (con't) – Construction
While selections changes after the start of construction usually cause time delays and/or additional expenses, we understand that with custom homes, often the homeowner will make some changes. All of this can be tracked within our online system so that you can request the change and approve the price and time changes.
Sigma Builders is dedicated to delivering your dream home with quality. Sigma Builders meets or exceeds the quality requirements of the Builders Association of Greater Indianapolis (BAGI), Indiana Builders Association (IBA), and National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). We are proud to be members of these associations. During the construction process, we perform quality checks during all phases of construction.
Phase 7 (con't) – Construction
New building innovations and technologies are always available and many have been proven to increase the functional usability, strength, durability, and efficiency of homes. Sigma Builders is committed to staying informed and aware of products and methods that will provide homeowners with an exceptional home. Sigma Builders maintains a culture of active learning and innovation.
View more details of the construction process, quality checks, and inspections.
Phase 8 – Welcome Home
We take great pride in our homes and want you and your family to be as proud of your new home as we are. Prior to completion of your home, we will perform a final walkthrough with you to ensure that the level of craftsmanship meets your expectations. Additionally, all of our homes come with a 2-10 warranty.