Our Process: Foundation & Set Builds
Learn how the process works from start-to-finish when you do a Foundation & Set project with Next Modular
Foundation & Set Process Overview:
Phase 1 – Preliminary Conversation & Estimates: Initial conversation (WHAT to build, WHEN to build, WHERE to build, HOW MUCH to spend), preliminary estimates over phone/email, first in-person meeting to see model home and decor options, revised home estimate.
Phase 2 – Pre-Construction: Pre-Construction Agreement, first site visit with Project Manager on your property, site plans, foundation quotes, engineered home prints
Phase 3 – Foundation & Set: Construction loan closing, modular home ordered at factory, ground breaking, foundation install, home setting, project turn over, customer continues with construction
Our unique Foundation & Set option is the perfect choice if you want to save tens of thousands of dollars and are ready to get your hands dirty! With this option we will 1) install the foundation and 2) deliver and set the home. You coordinate everything else (septic, well, garage, etc), and save thousands!
Phase 1 – Initial Conversation
When you first contact us, you will have a ton of questions for us, and we will have some questions for you! This initial phase is all about information gathering, and we will generally want to cover the following things:
- what you want to build (home style and foundation type)
- where your land is located and what condition it’s in (old foundation? Lots of trees? etc.)
- when you want to build (any time within 9 months or less is considered ASAP to us)
- how much you are targeting for an overall project budget
If you don’t know the answers to some or any of these at this time, that’s ok! Your personal Home Consultant will work with the info you have on hand. During the first conversation, your Home Consultant is gathering information from you that will help us more accurately estimate your project costs.
This initial conversation usually happens over the phone and/or email, but we can also set up in-person meetings if that’s more your speed. We’ll also ask you to send us any custom plans or prints you have at this time, if you’re doing a custom floorplan (or a floorplan from a different modular website).
Phase 1 – Preliminary Estimates & Meeting
After the initial conversation, we will be armed with enough information to put together your preliminary Home and Foundation Estimate. Since you’ll be taking on everything other than the modular home and the foundation (think septic, well, garage, etc), you will want to start getting quotes for these things, BUT we are more than happy to help you get some ballpark costs figured up based on what we know from doing prior projects in your area. We’ll typically email you the initial estimate.
Once you’ve received and reviewed your initial estimate, the next step is to coordinate an in-person meeting with your Home Consultant to go over more specific details on the various home options and upgrades available (think: siding color, countertop upgrades/options, further details on site conditions, etc). This in-person meeting usually takes place at the Model Center, where you can walk through our display homes and see physical samples of the various decor selections available. This will usually trigger a whole bunch of additional questions, which is good!
After this meeting, your Home Consultant will revise your home estimate to include the options and upgrades you are interested in putting in the home and email that to you.
This is also the right time to start talking with a bank about getting a construction loan for your project, since you now have a good idea of expected project costs. Since you are choosing to coordinate a large portion of the project yourself, the bank will consider this a “self-build” construction loan. There are very few banks willing to lend for a self-build loan, BUT we have established relationships with several fantastic lenders that WILL do this type of loan for you when you build with us.
Phase 2 – Pre-Construction
Once you are ready to move forward the next step is to move into the Pre-Construction phase. During this phase, you will be introduced to our Project Manager. Our Project Manager and your Home Consultant will assist you to get the ball rolling on the following things:
- Updated Engineered Home Prints – these prints are much more detailed than what you see on the website, and they will reflect any changes you are making to one of our plans. If you’re doing a complete custom print, this will be the first draft of your engineered, computer drafted prints
- Initial Site Visit – Our Project Manager will meet you at your property to help advise you on home placement, and to bring to your attention any things that may have bearing on your project costs (such as trees you may not have realized need removed)
- Draft Detailed Computer Generated Site Plans – These will be needed for the building permit, which you will need to obtain, and they will show home/garage placement, septic layout, driveways, etc
- Soil Samples – These are necessary in order to get a septic permit if you will have a private septic system, and the septic location must be determined before these are done. Our Project Manager will get you some contacts for soil scientists who can take the borings for you if you need
- Submit for Septic & Building Permits – Our Project Manager will be available to advise you as you work through the permit process. We want you to get these early on, ideally before your loan is closed or the modular home is ordered
- Obtain Foundation Quote – The initial foundation estimate we provide you is based on historic cost data gathered over years of building modular homes, so it will be quite accurate! That said, we want to be sure on this cost before the loan closes, so during Pre-Construction our Project Manager will obtain one or more written quotes for your home foundation
- Other “Core Quotes” – Although we can help you with some ballpark estimates for items other than the foundation (like the well, septic, garage, etc) now is the time for you to begin compiling actual written quotes for all this stuff from the subcontractors you plan to use for the other big ticket items in your project, such as the HVAC, septic, and garage build. We call these your “Core Quotes” because they have the biggest bearing on final project costs. If we have contacts in your area for subcontractors that can do this work, we will be happy to provide some recommendations
Phase 2 – Pre-Construction
We have a Pre-Construction Agreement that you’ll sign when you are ready to move into this phase. This agreement costs $2,500 and it gets our entire team mobilized on your behalf. While building a home is not rocket science, there is a lot of time, travel and leg work involved just to get to the point where we can break ground, and that is what this covers. Ultimately, when you sign a full Construction Contract with us and begin construction, this $2,500 will be credited towards your home cost, so you’re not paying for anything twice!
Also, once you’ve entered the Pre-Construction phase, our Finance Consultant will begin to get involved behind the scenes with your lender to get them any paperwork they need from us (like insurance certificates), and any info or paperwork they need pertaining to your build, like copies of the engineered home prints.
The goal here is to move the process along towards the ultimate goal of closing the construction loan. In financial terms “closing” a construction loan actually means the lender starts the loan and pays out the initial money needed to get going on actual construction.
At some point during the Pre-Construction phase, once we have received the foundation quote, you are comfortable with the Core Quotes you’ve gotten from your subcontractors, and you have finalized your home prints and decor options/upgrades with your Home Consultant, we will draft the full Construction Contract for signing. You will want to send this to the bank right away so they can wrap things up on their end.
This phase of the process is somewhat fluid, as there are many moving parts, but the ultimate goal is to get the loan closed at the right time. You, the Bank, and everyone in our office has a part to play, and we’ll be there to guide you through every step of the way!
Phase 3 – Foundation & Set
As soon as the construction loan closes and we receive the home down payment, we will place your home order with the factory.
A few weeks before the home is scheduled to come offline, we will get the foundation in the ground, backfilled, and ready to receive the home. Before you know it, the day will come to set your home! One the day of set we will complete the following things:
- set home on foundation and fasten it together and to the foundation
- lift the roof in place and finish the shingles and ridge
- install house wrap on the ends of the home
- when we leave, the house will be safe, secure, and weather tight!
For jobs located within our Turn-Key service area (click here to see our service area map), we can also complete the interior button up work and exterior siding on the ends of the home for an additional charge, once you have heat and power turned on. See the FAQ titled “What’s included when I hire Next Modular for the setting and finish work?” located at the bottom of the Home Page for more info on this finish work.
For jobs located outside of our Turn-Key service area, you will need to coordinate to have this interior button up and exterior siding done on the ends of the home. It’s not a huge amount of work, but if you’d rather not take it on we can help you find someone to do it.
Final Thoughts
If this all seems completely overwhelming, you are in good company! Building a new home is a challenging but rewarding adventure, and when you choose our Foundation & Set option, all your hard work will be rewarded with tens of thousands of dollars in savings!
When you build with Next Modular, you get a team of caring, dedicated professional, and we are committed to guiding you through this process every step of the way. We’ll take the time to explain things in a way that makes sense to you. Above all, we truly want to build you a beautiful, affordable home that you will love for many years to come.
Take the first step today and reach out to us, we’d love to hear from you 🙂
