One of the first steps in building your dream home is the site preparation. This can be viewed as an overwhelming task, but this is what we specialize in and will work with you to take the stress away and achieve a great outcome.
Meeting Consultation
The first face to face meeting (after a phone call, scheduling the meeting, and along with some basic questions) is by far the most important step. This meeting is what will tell both us if we are a good match. Due to the high level of service we offer, we like to ensure that the client is going to be satisfied with what we offer. Often, we find we work best with those who have a vision and a desired outcome. For those looking for a cookie cutter experience, they are probably best going elsewhere as that is not what we pride ourselves in. However, we will always offer a professional alternative to accomplish the work.
The main goal of this meeting is to establish ground rules for the project while making sure we are on the same page as the client with regard to the scope, deadlines, and budget. In addition, we will walk the site with the client, while establishing the boundaries of the house, all the way down to the landscaping, ensuring that we understand the details that you want. An example being, perhaps we cut down a few more trees to let the light shine on the front yard and keep those that will shade the back. We will go through and address big issues, as we want to keep open and honest communication with our clients. For example, the septic system is a huge constraint when working in unincorporated areas as this could dictate if you’re will even be able to build a house. It’s all about what makes sense, what is possible based on the scope of the land, but also what you want. We have a saying here, “you are the hand, we are the paintbrush.”
Permitting
This is by far the most crucial step in the process. This is where you learn the legal constraints of what you wish for us to accomplish. Building permits are where most people wish to begin and is where knowledge of the process is mandatory. This is when the client will likely turn to us and ask, “what comes first?” That can be a very hard question to answer in short. For example, sometimes when land is bought, a water certificate has already been received, applied for, and approved. This means the client is good to go with a well. If not, then the client must start there. Afterall, no water for most likely means no house but some clients are okay opting for a cistern that will need to be refilled on a regular basis. Our job is to determine all hurdles, scenarios, and possible solutions to meet our client needs.
Oftentimes with raw land, an access permit is needed. This is issued by the county fire marshal and is in place to ensure fire trucks have safe ingress and egress to a reasonable distance from your planned structures. Although this is one of the less stringent applications that will be needed, filing for an address number through the county is another step that needs to be taken. Permitting can feel like a long, drawn-out process that takes time and will require some patience. However, we will make sure to keep our clients up to date as there will be a series of back-and-forth intermittent communications throughout this process.
The next action is a septic permit, along with a septic installation permit. At this point, our clients will get to see actual physical work happening on their land. A perc test is required, which is a simple process involving a series of pits dug and tests run. After the test pits have been inspected and approved, the county inspector will send the perc requirements to the client to then hand to a designer. The designer will help you to design a system for your desired house (septic systems are based off bedroom count).
After all the land permitting has been approved, you will use these permits, and all information that has been gathered, to apply for a building permit. This permit will be based on the requirements set forth by the land your dream house will reside on. Keep in mind this is not a sure fire, hole in one, or slam dunk set of directions to getting approved. Kittitas County, and the entire state of Washington, is very unique and inhabits a multitude of complex ecosystems. All of which are handled very differently, and oftentimes we find the need for variances and changes in design to comply with what the county is asking of us. This process can be daunting and we are always here to help, whether its handling all of it, or some of it for our clients. We spend the time so you don’t have to.
Clearing and Access
It’s time for us to get to physical work! This step in the building process can come with a lot of variables. For those who are looking at building on raw land, it is vital to consider what is already there and how to use it best. Often, undeveloped land has no existing roads leading to it, which ties directly into the access permit, and will thus need a road to be built. We typically start by adding a culvert at the road with a ‘construction entrance’ built over it and clear a rudimentary road. This often involves cutting trees, pulling stumps, and scraping the ground of all organic debris. Then laying a hearty layer of appropriate sized and type of rock to provide safe and efficient ingress and egress for well drilling trucks, heavy equipment and the property owner alike. This first road is not to be mistaken for the access road required by the access permit. Though we will build this in the desired location of the driveway, it will be out of spec and essentially temporary. It will likely branch, going to the well pad, and to the future home site. At the home site we will do the same process for building the road, clearing trees, vegetation and freeing the ground of organic matter. Once this is all done, the lot is mostly cleared (I say this because we can always take more, but it is typically better to leave as much as possible until the foundation is poured to help gain perspective). We can then work on the access road to permit spec. This varies on the length and slope of the driveway but is usually pretty straight forward.
House Cut (Finally!)
By this point, the client has spent weeks, sometimes months, working with us getting things ready. House designs have been picked and engineered. Everything is approved to start (sometimes you can get an early foundation permit to dig before the engineered plans are fully approved). Oftentimes this is when a survey will need to be done but occasionally, with smaller lots, it can be done sooner. This is a critical point where once the house is laid out, there is a limited amount of time, in an already time sensitive project to make sure you will be happy with how everything looks. We always suggest a survey and layout of the house as flags and stakes are much easier to move than a hole or an entire concrete foundation. After the client is satisfied with the layout, we will come in and meet to see if there are any trees that need to come out, if the driveway lines up nice, and if the landscaping you want will fit. Once all those details are good to go, it’s about time to start the building process. A big concern of digging a foundation is what to do with all the dirt, but this can easily be graded across the site or hauled off, or even be kept for use in creative landscaping. Usually, a house foundation takes between 2 to 5 days to dig out. At this point we will work with you to take one last look and make sure all is well before concrete is laid.
Utilities and Septic
Vital to the project is power as there is often a need for power before you see walls up as most contractors need it throughout the building process. We try to always pick a viable long term route that will not impede further development and use a temporary power pole (these can be rented). The approach we take is to install conduit and necessary burial markers per the utility's requirements. A word of advice; due to the proximity of telecommunication and fiber internet lines to power lines, we suggest always going with the option to add in conduits for these in the same trench as the power conduit as this will save thousands later, and infinite headaches. Once the foundation is in, we can trench to the house to extend the power conduit. At this point, we can also trench over the water (sometimes from a pump house; an entirely separate discussion) from the well to the house. Oftentimes we will be asked to leave what is referred to as a whip (a short length of pipe sticking above the ground) for the plumber to tie on to. Something others skip on, that we don’t, is a footing drain. This is something we feel is vital for all houses to ensure the house does not have issues for many years to come. A footing drain carries water away from the footing (the lowest portion of the foundation) to an area where it will no longer affect the house negatively.
We have seen best case, and worst-case scenarios in the building world. One lesson we have learned from watching others is to wait on installing the septic until the foundation is poured. Though we have code requirements for depth, which we must abide by. The safest bet is for us to make sure the foundation is tall enough to allow fall from the sewer in the house to reach the septic tank. Once we have confirmed this as true, we will begin to install the septic system. This is one of the last major permitted items that we will touch. Other than some possible small touch ups and a little bit of backfilling, we usually won’t be at the site again until most of the walls are up, or the house is nearly finished.
Final Grade & Touch Up
This is where the client really gets to be creative with how they use us. There are countless ways to turn this house into your dream home. For those moving to Kittitas County and surrounding areas, it is to take in the beauty of the landscape, and oftentimes that means being outside. Therefore, creating an outdoor space that the client can enjoy day in, and day out is a great addition. After some light touch ups, sometimes extensively near the house depending on the time of year the building took place, we will have a clean slate to work with. The client can now have us design the landscape, get it done by an outside designer, or they can choose to wing it if they are confident with their creative side. This could potentially lead us down a rabbit hole, but a fun and exciting one. It may start with a simple retaining wall, or some dry landscaping, such as a creek bed or garden mound, but it may end with a pond and fountain, or a series of engineered retaining walls that can set the client’s house apart from any others. Not only in the neighborhood, but the world. This is really where people realize what makes us different. They have worked with us through the whole process and now they see just how in love they are with the dream they built.
It doesn’t have to be the biggest and best, it just has to be yours.
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