Everything that happens between the first conversation and the day you move in. Honestly.
The process looks slightly different depending on where you're building. Select your market below.
Demolition & Site Preparation
For demolish-and-rebuild projects, the existing structure comes down first. Utilities are properly disconnected. The lot is cleared, graded, and prepared. This phase moves faster than most people expect — and it sets up everything that follows.
The First Draft
If you have a lot and a basic vision, we draw a preliminary floor plan — free, no obligation. We iterate until you say "that's it." Most clients who reach that moment don't need to think about which builder they're using. This is the beginning of the real conversation.
City Approval Process
Alamo Heights and Terrell Hills have municipal permitting requirements. We've been through this process. We know what the city expects, what triggers additional review, and how to get approvals efficiently without cutting corners on what they're checking. We handle this.
The Contract
Fixed-price contract. Signed architectural plans. Detailed specifications document. Once you sign, that's the price for the home we've agreed to build. If we find a spring during foundation work, that cost is on us. If materials cost more after you sign, that's our problem. No escalation clauses. No allowances. One number — and it doesn't move unless you change the scope via signed change order.
The Pre-Construction Conversation
Before we break ground, Carter sits down with every client and says this: things will go wrong on your job site. Every single time. Wrong materials will show up. Something will get built incorrectly. This is expected and unavoidable. These are our problems, not yours — and handling them is part of what you're paying for. We tell you this so that when it happens, you're not alarmed. You're watching us handle it.
The Invisible Work
Foundation. Framing. Mechanical rough-in. Insulation. The parts that get closed up before anyone sees them again. We vacuum every wall cavity before drywall. We use a third-party TREC-licensed inspector who we've worked with for decades — not because we're required to, but because we want eyes that answer only to the standard. Nothing gets closed up until it's right.
Finish-Out
The part most people focus on. We bring the same precision to finish-out that we bring to everything else. If the grout gap is 1/4 inch when the specs say 1/8 inch, we demolish and reinstall. Every selection in the specifications document is the standard we hold ourselves to. Not a suggestion — the standard.
The Walk-Through
Before you move in, Carter walks every inch of the home personally. Not a superintendent. Not a project manager. Carter. A list is made. Everything on the list gets resolved before closing. Then we hand you the keys.
After You Move In
Ten-year structural warranty. Texas requires six. Carter's direct line doesn't change after closing. The relationship doesn't end at the key handover. If something isn't right, you call the same person who built it.
The Land Tour (Optional but Recommended)
If you're still looking at land, Carter will tour it with you at no charge. He'll tell you what he sees as a builder — lot conditions, grading, septic siting opportunities, setback considerations, HOA constraints. Most clients who take him up on this say they wish they'd done it on the previous lots they looked at.
The First Draft
If you have land and a basic vision, we draw a preliminary floor plan — free, no obligation. Designed for your specific lot, your specific life. We iterate until it's right. Most clients who see their First Draft stop talking to other builders. We're not worried about you keeping the drawing.
HOA or County Approval
Most Hill Country communities have HOA architectural review processes. Some areas use county permitting. We've been through both — Vintage Oaks, Serenity Oaks, and dozens of others. We know what the ARCs expect and how to get approvals without redesigning the home.
The Contract
Fixed-price. One number. If we hit rock or a spring during foundation, that's on us. If lumber prices spike after you sign, that's our problem. No escalation clauses. The only way you spend more than what you agreed to is if you decide to, via signed change order.
The Pre-Construction Conversation
Same as every Hearthside build: before we break ground, Carter tells you that something will go wrong. It always does. And it's always our problem, not yours. We say this so that when it happens, you're watching us handle it — not wondering what it means.
Foundation and Site Work
Hill Country soil — caliche, clay, limestone shelf — behaves differently than city soil. Our foundation approach accounts for your specific lot conditions. Septic system siting happens here, coordinated with house placement, drainfield, and setback requirements. Getting this right at the beginning prevents expensive corrections later.
The Invisible Work
Framing. Mechanical rough-in. Building envelope — insulation, windows, air sealing. In Hill Country summers, the envelope is what determines whether your utility bills are manageable year-round. We build the envelope the right way, not the code-minimum way. Third-party TREC-licensed inspection before drywall. Nothing sealed up until it's right.
Finish-Out and Walk-Through
Every selection in the specifications document is the standard. Carter walks the home before closing. Everything that isn't right gets fixed before you move in. Then keys.
Ten-Year Structural Warranty
Texas requires six. On a Hill Country home — where the soil moves, the weather tests, and you may not be there full-time — the difference matters more than in the city. We provide ten years because we're confident in the invisible work.
Ready to start the conversation?
Whether you have land or are still looking, the right next step is the same — a conversation with Carter. No sales pitch. Just an honest discussion about what you want to build and whether Hearthside is the right fit.