Building a custom home shouldn’t feel like a leap of faith. Our custom home building process is designed so you see the budget at every stage, make decisions with real numbers in front of you, and never commit to construction until the design, the selections, and the price are all settled.
Here’s how clients move through our process in Northern Colorado, from the first conversation to the day you move in.
Every project begins in one of two places. Either way, the process that follows is the same.
| You Have an Architect | We Guide the Design | |
|---|---|---|
| Who designs | Your architect | Genco |
| Our role | Review your architect’s plans for cost and constructability, recommend savings, and price the work | Develop the design with you, refine it against your budget, and price the work |
| What you receive | A budget at each phase, ending in a final construction proposal | A budget at each phase, ending in a final construction proposal, plus the design documents |
We start by listening. We want to understand where you’re building, what you’re building, how you live, your budget, and your timeline. This is also where we’ll tell you honestly whether your goals and your budget line up.
Want a ballpark before we talk? Try our Build My Home estimator.
Before design gets far, we walk the property with you (and your architect, if you have one). We look at access, utilities, drainage, grade, soils, and anything that could affect cost or buildability.
This is also when we dig into the files. Zoning, soils reports, energy code requirements, and recorded covenants on the land can all shape what you’re able to build. We’ve seen covenants on vacant land that the owner never knew existed until we found them. We’d much rather you learn about those now than after the design is finished.
Pre-construction is where your home is planned, priced, and made ready to build. We work through it in three phases. At the end of each one, you receive an updated budget, and we confirm the direction together before moving on.
We establish the style, placement on the site, room program, and finish level, and test all of it against your budget. If you have an architect, we review their concept and flag the major cost drivers early.
You receive: a Conceptual Budget.The design takes real shape. Floor plans and elevations are developed, and we look closely at structure, building systems, and materials to find savings that don’t compromise the home. If you’re working with an architect, we provide written recommendations for them to consider.
You receive: a Design Development Budget.The plans are completed to a permit-ready level, engineering is finalized, and we price the full project.
You receive: your Final Construction Proposal.Pre-construction is billed as a single flat fee, paid when we begin. It covers all three phases: site review, design and cost development, and final pricing.
Nothing gets built until you’ve seen the final number and signed a separate construction agreement.
Early in pre-construction, we give you a selection schedule covering every finish decision, from flooring, cabinetry, and countertops to windows, tile, lighting, plumbing fixtures, siding, and roofing. Each category has a deadline, and we coordinate with vendors and trades as you choose.
Why the structure? Because selections are where custom home budgets usually go wrong. Allowances that don’t match the finishes you actually want are one of the most common causes of overruns we see. See what it really costs to build a custom home in the Colorado mountains for a real example. The more you decide before construction, the more accurate your final price.
When pre-construction is complete, you receive a proposal that includes:
Everything is laid out so you know exactly what you’re agreeing to before construction begins.
Once the construction agreement is signed and permits are issued, we build. You’ll have a clear point of contact and regular progress updates throughout. If you live out of the area or are building a second home, we plan communication and decision deadlines so the project keeps moving without you on site every week.
Before you get the keys, we walk the home with you room by room. Anything that needs attention gets addressed so you can move in with confidence. See finished work in our gallery.
A smooth build is a partnership. To keep your project on schedule and on budget, we ask clients to:
Major renovations follow a shorter version of the same approach. When you reach out, we’ll call you back within 24 hours, then visit your home to see the space and understand your goals. For larger renovations, we use the same phased planning so you see real numbers before work begins. Learn more about remodeling with Genco.
It depends on design complexity, whether you already have an architect, how quickly selections are made, and engineering and permitting timelines. Larger or more complex homes take longer. We’ll give you target dates for each phase when we begin, so you know what to expect.
No. You’re not obligated to build with us. Pre-construction is a flat fee paid at the start, and it’s non-refundable if you choose not to continue. If you do move forward with construction, your pre-construction fee is applied toward your build, so the planning work becomes part of your project.
Yes. Many of our clients do. We review your architect’s plans for cost and constructability, recommend savings, and price the work. Your architect remains responsible for the design, and you decide which of our recommendations to adopt.
Real planning takes real work: site review, cost development, value engineering, consultant coordination, and detailed pricing. Skipping it is how custom homes end up over budget. We charge one flat fee, so you know the cost up front, and it’s applied toward your build when you move forward with construction.
We’ll tell you as soon as the design appears to be exceeding your budget, not at the end. Each phase gives us a chance to adjust scope, materials, or design to bring the numbers back in line before the plans are finalized.
Schedule a consultation with the Genco team, try the Build My Home estimator, or call us at (970) 484-4500.
