Line item budget
A detailed estimate organized by trade and scope, with clearly stated assumptions, allowances, exclusions, and contingency. Updated as the drawings develop.
Preconstruction
The most valuable phase of the project.
Almost every problem that damages a custom home budget was solvable on paper months earlier at a fraction of the cost. Preconstruction is where that work gets done.
The Case for Early Involvement
A builder in the room during design pays for itself.
Architects design. Engineers calculate. Neither is responsible for what a detail costs to build in San Diego this year, or whether a specified material carries a nine month lead time.
When Laurcon joins during schematic or design development, we price the drawings as they evolve, flag details that are disproportionately expensive relative to their effect, and identify long lead items in time to order them.
Clients who skip this step often discover their finished construction documents describe a home that costs far more than the number they had in mind. Redesign at that stage is expensive and demoralizing.
Deliverables
What preconstruction produces.
Master schedule
A construction calendar built from real trade durations and current jurisdiction review timelines, including permitting and long lead procurement.
Site feasibility assessment
Access, staging, utilities, soils, drainage, retaining requirements, and neighbor impact evaluated before design assumptions harden.
Constructability review
A trade by trade read of the drawings identifying conflicts, unbuildable details, and opportunities to achieve the same result more efficiently.
Procurement plan
Long lead items identified, priced, and scheduled for order, from steel windows and custom millwork to imported stone and specialty appliances.
Permit strategy
A realistic path through the applicable jurisdiction, including design review, coastal considerations, and agency coordination.
Common Questions
About budgets and early planning.
When should we bring a builder into the project?
As early as schematic design, and no later than the beginning of design development. The earlier a builder joins, the more leverage there is to influence cost without compromising the design.
Can you give a budget before the plans are finished?
Yes, in ranges that tighten as the drawings develop. A conceptual budget built from square footage, site conditions, and finish level is genuinely useful, provided everyone understands its precision.
We would rather give you an honest range early than a precise number that turns out to be wrong.
What is value engineering, and does it mean cheapening the house?
Done poorly, it does. Done properly, it means finding where money is being spent without producing a proportional result, and redirecting it toward what you will actually notice and use.
We present options with the tradeoffs stated plainly and let you decide.
How much contingency should a custom home carry?
It depends on the project. New construction with complete documents carries less risk than a remodel with unknown existing conditions.
We recommend a specific figure for your project and explain the reasoning rather than applying a generic percentage.
Begin
Let us talk about your property.
Every Laurcon project begins with a conversation about the land, the vision, and the budget. There is no obligation and no pressure, only an honest read on what it will take to build well.