While there are many steps involved in building a fully custom home, it need not be a daunting task when you choose the right building partner. The Clark & Son Homes staff will guide you through every step of this process with personal involvement from both Jerry and Denise Clark.

There are four main areas in the custom home building process:
1. Choosing a building site
2. Choosing a home plan
3. Budgeting and Financing
4. Building your new home

Choosing a Building Site
Selecting a building site for your home is as important as selecting the style and plans for the home itself. The location should fit your personal lifestyle and families needs. Whether you are searching for the perfect urban neighborhood or an out-of-the-way country setting, Clark County offers the best of both worlds. Keep in mind that the building site needs to accommodate the style and size of home you want to build.

Clark & Son Homes offers homesites for sale from time to time and are available on a first come, first served basis. We concentrate on properties in Vancouver, Camas, Washougal, Hazel Dell, Hockinson, Ridgefield and Battle Ground. Each property is personally selected by Jerry and Denise. If you wish to build on your own existing site, we will provide a complimentary evaluation of the site, including consultation with a professional engineer if necessary. We can also advise you of zoning regulations.

Choosing a Home Plan
Once a building site has been determined, you have three ways to select your home plans. First you can choose from the Clark & Son Homes library of plans, which includes a wide variety of styles. You may find the home of your dreams among these plans, or simply an inspirational starting point.

The second option is for you to bring us your architect's plans. Clark & Son Homes will work with you and your architect from the beginning of the process and then build your home from those plans. We will work with you and the architect to ensure that the home design is right for your building site. If you already have plans drawn or are in the middle of the process, we will work with you and the architect to make any necessary modifications to accommodate the building site.

Finally, you can simply bring us your thoughts, photos and ideas. We have great working relationships with architects and design firms that will gladly work with you to create your dream home. We even have interior designers and decorators who specialize in new home construction design that can help you through the process.

Budgeting and Financing the Construction of Your Home
Once the design of your home has been approved, we will calculate a “preliminary budget.” After you have approved the final construction plans, an engineer plots the home on the site along with the accompanying grading plan and a building permit is ordered. While waiting on the building permit from the appropriate county or municipality, we move forward with pricing and compile the final budget for your home. It should be noted that Clark & Son Homes is a member of the BIA (Builders Industry Association), enabling us to draw from the areas best source of subcontractors and suppliers.

Cost-Plus vs. Fixed Price – The majority of our clients build with us on a cost-plus basis, which means that you know the net cost of components and services and our margin on these costs, which total to your final costs. Other clients prefer a fixed price, meaning that purchasers only know the final price but not the net costs or margin. The advantage of the cost-plus system to the buyer is that you are involved with making decisions on a cost/benefit basis. With Clark & Son Homes, you have the choice of which way you would like to work with us.

Building Your New Home
Once you approve the budget, Clark & Son Homes will finalize all of the permits and begin construction. Your primary contact during the building of your home is our Residential Superintendent, who has more than 20 years of experience and is one of our clients' most trusted liaisons. He will be on-site to monitor construction and quality control, and several clients have praised his genuine interest and enthusiasm for building their homes.

Our hand chosen artisans, tradespeople, craftsmen and suppliers have worked with Clark & Son Homes for years, and our long-standing relationships with them are based on their attention to excellence and efficiency. This provides you the assurance that the house is built to the plans, specifications and to the high standards of fit and finish that have become the hallmark of a Clark & Son built home.

While there are many factors that can effect the schedule for each new home, the following time frames is an approximate guideline for the building process:

• Design Stage   –  2-3 months
• Preliminary Budget  –  2 weeks to 1 month
• Working Drawings  –  1-3 months
• Final Pricing and Building Permits  –  6- 8 weeks
• Actual Construction –  This varies with the size and complexity of the home – Approximately 10-14 months (typically 2 months per 1,000 square feet above grade)
• Total   –  Approximately 15-23 months