A: The first step is an initial architectural design consultation where we discuss your vision, budget, desired location, and timeline.

During the consultation we listen and understand your needs and create a personalized design-build plan and project brief. If you already own a lot, we'll schedule a site assessment and feasibility study.

The first and most critical step is the Initial Discovery Consultation. This meeting is the foundation for your entire custom home architectural project. It's not more a casual chat; be ready for a deep dive into your vision for the home.

Defining Your Vision and Lifestyle:

• We discuss your ideal function needs, architectural style (e.g., modern farmhouse, mountain retreat, mid-century modern), essential features, and how you plan to use the space (family, entertaining, remote work). Our aim here is to ensure your design is tailored to your lifestyle and needs.

Establishing a Realistic Budget and Scope:

• This is where we openly discuss your desired total project cost. We'll review the average costs per square foot for the North Georgia area and help align your expectations with your financial reality. A clear, preliminary project budget give us a guide for your design so we can execute on a plan you can build within your means.

Site Review and Feasibility (The Lot):

• We will take time to review your property's address or site survey. Crucial factors like topography (slopes, flat land), tree lines, required setbacks, and accessibility are discussed. This informs the preliminary site analysis to determine if the lot is suitable for your desired home design and budget (e.g., will it require a complex foundation or driveway?).

• If you do not own a lot, we discuss your target area and help define the criteria for your perfect home site, which we can assist you in finding.

Creating the Personalized Design-Build Architectural Plan:

• Based on the vision, budget, and site details, we outline the next steps in our collaborative design-build process. This includes securing a formal design agreement, scheduling a complete site assessment, and kicking off the architectural drawing phase with our in-house team.

This consultation solidifies the partnership and transitions your dream into a detailed, manageable design-build plan.

You can schedule your free design consultation by calling or texting us at 404.465.2011

Another good first step is to download our free ebook "How To Design Your Dream Home"

Reynard Custom Homes exclusively specializes in truly custom home projects; we do not use pre-designed or "spec" home plans. Our commitment to unlimited design revisions during the initial phase ensures your home is a completely unique reflection of your needs, style and budget.

Here's what that means for your project:

1. The "Designed From Scratch" Advantage ✍️

Your home is a bespoke creation tailored to your specific needs and the unique challenges and opportunities of your land:

• Individual Style: The design starts with your specific aesthetic, whether it's a modern mountain home, a classic rustic lodge, or a sleek contemporary design. It's built around your vision, not an existing template.
  

• Lot Topography: In North Georgia, lots often have slopes, views, or unique rock outcroppings. Designing from scratch allows us to optimize the home's placement, foundation (e.g., walk-out basements), and orientation to maximize views and natural light—something impossible with a fixed custom floor plan.
  

• Budget Alignment: We design the home to fit your project budget from day one. Instead of imposing expensive modifications on an existing plan, we select materials and structural components during the design phase to align with your financial goals, avoiding costly surprises later.

2. Portfolio for Inspiration, Not Duplication

While we don't sell plans, our portfolio is an invaluable resource. When you see a feature you like in a past project—such as a specific kitchen layout, an outdoor living space, or a window arrangement—it serves as a starting point. Our architect (James Knight) extracts your concept and integrates it into your original design, ensuring your final home is the first of its kind.

3. Unlimited Design Revisions & Collaboration

We understand that perfection takes time. Our design phase includes unlimited design revisions to guarantee the final architectural blueprint is exactly what you envisioned. This collaborative approach means you work directly with our design team to refine every detail—from room dimensions to roof lines—until you are ready to approve the final construction drawings. This thoroughness is key to eliminating costly change orders during construction.

At Reynard Custom Homes, we believe the best homes are built through complete collaboration! 🤝 Your involvement is not just encouraged—it's essential—because we're creating your vision, not ours. ✨

A True Partnership from Concept to Blueprint 📐

You will be the primary decision-maker, working directly with a dedicated team lead by James Knight:

• The Architect/Designer: ✏️ This is your core partner who translates your ideas, sketches, and inspiration photos into a tangible custom floor plan. You'll meet with James to review preliminary drawings, discuss room flow, and refine key elements, such as window placement, to maximize your North Georgia mountain views. ⛰️

Once the architectural layout is finalized, you move into the exciting phase of selecting the fun, personalized elements! Your consultant will guide you through choosing all the materials and finishes, ensuring they fit your aesthetic and the established project budget.

Key Milestones for Your Input 🔑

You will be actively engaged through several crucial stages during the design phase:

Concept & Schematic Design: 💡 This is the 'wish list' stage. We gather every detail, from the number of bedrooms to the orientation of your garage. Your role here is to provide us with your preferences and requirements, ensuring the initial concept aligns perfectly with your lifestyle. Design Development and Detailing (The Refinement): 🖥️ We present detailed drawings and 3D renderings. You provide feedback on sightlines, kitchen function, and exterior elevation. Our commitment to unlimited design revisions during this phase means we will make as many changes as necessary to ensure the plan is absolutely perfect for you. ✅Before moving to construction, we finalize every material detail and produce a precise cost breakdown. Your approval confirms that the final blueprint and the projected total project cost are as expected, giving you confidence in the project's direction. Your role is to bring the vision; our role is to apply our expertise to make that vision a reality! We're excited to start designing with you and bring your dream home to life! 🌟

Building a truly custom home is a multi-stage process that requires meticulous planning. While the timeline provided is a realistic average, we want to explain the factors that can cause it to fluctuate, especially when building in areas like Blue Ridge, Ellijay, Blairsville or Jasper, GA vs Atlanta, Sandy Springs or Brookhaven, GA for example.

Phase Average Duration

Key Influencers

Design Phase ✍️ 2–4 Months Client Decisiveness is paramount! This time is influenced by design complexity, the number of revisions, and how quickly you finalize the custom floor plan. Being decisive here reduces the risk of costly change orders later.

Permitting & Pre-Construction

📋1–3 Months

Local Factors play a huge role. This phase involves navigating diverse Local County Regulations (e.g., Gilmer, Union, Lumpkin Counties are much different than Cobb, Fulton or Dekalb Counties) securing neighborhood HOA approvals, and finalizing your construction loan. Rural county offices often have different processing times than metro areas.

Construction Phase 🏗️10–14 Months

Flexibility is key.

The timeline is influenced by the extent of site preparation needed (especially on North Georgia slopes), managing unpredictable weather ⛈️, and the coordination of material lead times (specialty windows, cabinets, etc.).

Navigating the various approvals is one of the most complex, time-consuming, and risk-heavy parts of the pre-construction phase. At Reynard Custom Homes, we incorporate local knowledge into our service. Our commitment to this process is unwavering, ensuring your project is in safe hands.

Here is how we manage this essential phase:

1. Navigating Local Zoning and Building Codes 🏛️

The rules vary significantly across North Georgia counties (e.g., Gilmer, Lumpkin, Fannin Counties are much different than Cobb, Fulton or Dekalb Counties). We engage with all the required local public entities to ensure your design is fully compliant:

• Zoning Compliance: We ensure your home's design complies with the zoning laws for your specific district. This includes adherence to mandatory setbacks (distance from property lines), maximum height restrictions, and permissible uses for the property. Non-compliance with these laws can lead to costly delays and redesigns, which we prevent by our thorough understanding and management of the zoning process.

• Permit Application & Submission: We compile the complete application package, including architectural drawings, site plans, and all necessary affidavits. We partner with your licensed general contract these to submit them to the relevant county or city planning and development office (e.g., Gilmer County Planning & Zoning).

• Code Review and Revisions: During the county's review process, questions often arise concerning state or local building codes. These can range from structural concerns to material choices. Our team is the direct point of contact, making necessary code-compliant revisions to the plans quickly to keep the process moving and prevent any potential delays.

2. Securing HOA Architectural Approval ✍️

Building in an HOA-governed community adds a layer of design review that is separate from the county's permitting process. We handle this to prevent costly rejections:

• Initial Guideline Review: Before the design is finalized, we meticulously review your community's Covenants, Conditions, & Restrictions (CC&Rs) and any specific Architectural Review Board (ARB) guidelines. This ensures our design complies with material restrictions, color palettes, minimum square footage, and architectural styles.

• Formal Submission: We prepare and submit a complete package to the HOA or ARB. This typically includes detailed renderings, a materials list, and a site plan showing the home's placement.

• Advocacy and Communication: If the board requests revisions or clarification (a common step), we act as your advocate, explaining the design elements and negotiating approval, ensuring the integrity of your custom home vision remains intact while meeting neighborhood standards.
  

Our Goal: We aim to aid and assist you in all bureaucratic hurdles and delays—which can take anywhere from 1 to 3 months—so that when the permit is issued, construction can begin without administrative stops. This is our commitment to you, ensuring a smooth and stress-free process.

Cost & Warranty: Your Custom Home Investment 💰

The cost of a custom design and build varies widely based on size, architectural complexity (e.g., modern mountain home), material selections, and site conditions.

We work with you to establish a detailed budget during the initial consultation. We use a transparent pricing model to ensure you understand where every dollar is allocated.

Understanding Your Custom Home Budget

The simple price-per-square-foot model is often misleading for truly custom homes. The final cost isn't determined solely by size; it's heavily influenced by the finish level and the complexity of building on North Georgia's unique terrain.

1. Key Cost Drivers in North Georgia ⛰️

Beyond the finishes you choose (such as imported tile or custom cabinetry), the following items significantly impact your total budget:

• Site Conditions: The cost to prepare your land.3 Steep, heavily wooded, or rocky lots often require extensive clearing, grading, specialized engineered foundations, and rock excavation—which can add substantial costs compared to building on a flat, cleared suburban lot.

• Foundation Type: Due to regional topography, you may need a crawl space or a full basement rather than a simple slab, increasing complexity and expense.

• Architectural Complexity: Homes with multiple roof planes, numerous corners, large open spans that require steel beams, and custom window packages inherently cost more per square foot than simple, rectangular designs.

2. The Detailed Budget Breakdown

During the design phase, we move beyond ballpark estimates to provide a detailed, line-item budget that includes:

• Hard Costs (Materials & Labor): Framing, roofing, siding, plumbing, electrical, HVAC, and all interior finishes (e.g., flooring, paint, appliances).

• Soft Costs (Non-Construction): Architectural and engineering fees, permit fees, water/sewer tap or well/septic installation, impact fees (charged by the county), and construction insurance.

• Allowances: We aim to minimize allowances (estimated amounts for items not yet selected, like tile or lighting) by having you make choices early. When allowances are necessary, they are clearly itemized to prevent surprises.

• Contingency: We recommend allocating a contingency budget (typically 10-15% of the construction cost) to cover unforeseen issues (like unexpected rock during excavation) that are common in custom construction.

General contractors we select and partner with primarily use a Cost-Plus Fee pricing model but a Fixed Cost Fee is available as well.

This model is fundamentally based on transparency and is structured as follows:

$${Client Pays} = ({Actual Cost of All Materials and Labor}) + ({Builder's Fee})$$

The Cost-Plus Advantage for Custom Clients

Cost-Plus Model or Fixed-Price Model?

Budget Transparency

With a Cost-Plus Fee pricing model, budget transparency is high. You see every invoice and every cost. You know exactly what is paid for lumber, subcontractor labor, and appliances. This level of transparency is designed to provide you with a sense of security and control over your investment, by contrast to the estimated costs within a Fixed-Price Model since builders will typically need to include a markup on each item as well as a management fee.

Low. The final price is set, but the builder's profit margin and costs are obscured within that fixed number.

A Cost-Plus Fee pricing model offers high design flexibility. It allows for mid-stream design adjustments or material upgrades with a simple, agreed-upon fee adjustment.

This flexibility is in contrast to the rigidity of a Fixed-Price Model, where Changes often lead to expensive, non-negotiable change orders because the builder must protect their hidden profit margin. The aim is to accommodate a clients' evolving needs and preferences, ensuring a truly custom home-building experience.

Builder Incentive incentivizes quality and efficient construction management, as our reputation (and future business) depends on demonstrating value.

Can incentivize minimizing costs (potentially at the expense of quality) to maximize the hidden profit margin.

A: Yes, absolutely. A builder executes the plan; together an architect and the client create the vision. 💡 Understanding the crucial role of an architect in the building process, our in-house architectural service, led by James Knight, goes beyond drawing ✍️ to provide expertise in:

• Aesthetics and Function: Designing a home that maximizes your lifestyle, fits your aesthetic, and captures the best North Georgia views 🏞️. An architect's understanding of spatial design and their ability to balance aesthetics with functionality can significantly enhance the livability and beauty of your home. 🏠
  

• Technical Compliance: Ensuring the design is safe, structurally sound 💪, and compliant with local building codes and zoning laws from the start. 📜
  

• Budget Alignment: An architect designs the home to your budget 💰, ensuring that your vision is not compromised and avoiding common pitfalls where a client-provided sketch is too expensive or complex to build. ✅

A: We operate under a unified design-build approach. This eliminates the common friction and miscommunication between a separate architect and a builder. When you choose Reynard Custom Homes, you get:

• Seamless Communication: One point of contact throughout the entire project.
  

• Buildability Expertise: Our designs are inherently more accurate because the architect and the construction team are collaborating from Day One on materials, methods, and cost, reducing risk and costly change orders.
  

• Guaranteed Quality: The architect remains involved throughout the build to ensure the finished home matches the high standard of the original design.

A: While upfront architectural fees are an investment, they lead to long-term savings by:

• Optimizing the Site: Designing the foundation and layout to work with challenging site topography ⛰️, minimizing expensive grading, blasting, and complex retaining walls.
  

• Preventing Mistakes: Detailed, expert blueprints 📝 prevent on-site errors and rework (which are the most expensive types of delays). 🛑
  

• Value Engineering: The design team constantly makes selections and suggestions based on market pricing to balance your aesthetic goals with your total project cost, ensuring you don't overspend on an unnecessary structural element or an overly complicated design. ✅