DESIGN BUILD

See the Design-Build Process

	DESIGN

One of the first decisions a homeowner needs to consider is the design of the home. Although we offer standard plans from various sources, most of our homes are custom-designed to meet the clients needs and inspired by the natural characteristics of the land. Understanding peoples lifestyles, listening to their wishes, and considering the individuality of the site contributes to the most successful design solutions. Unlike most people who design homes, my background in interior design provides an end-vision approach to home design, including furniture placement factors, a better understanding of how people really use their homes, and how traffic flows through it. We prefer to design homes using natural products, prep for lower maintenance and longevity, and use energy-efficient methods and environmentally-conscious building practices. Our designs incorporate elements of universal design for easier living environments for all, and Susanka’s “Not So Big” concept of placing importance in higher quality building methods and materials over larger than needed spaces.

NATURAL HOMES & TIMBERPEG

Design-Build Process

First, you must understand that designing a timberframe home is more involved than the typical standard construction where you pick a plan from a book and order it, give it to the builder and have him build it. The process of design-build is for those who want their home to reflect their needs and lifestyle and appreciate the distinctive design of timberframe construction. We have some concept drawing that can help get you started, but it is our discussions and your input, along with the land features that help dictate the specifics of your home design.

Here is the information on how we generally work with a client. Initially, we work with you to come up with the concept designs. These are smaller scale drawings with details enough to transfer our ideas to the designer at Timberpeg who will convert our design into working drawings. From those cad drawings, the computer will communicate with the frame-cutting equipment to provide us with precision-cut joinery to erect the frame as designed. Generally, ours is a flat fee, starting at $1500, but a slight increase if the project is complex or larger than 4000sf. There is an additional $500 after the Timberpeg drawings are complete and we have ordered the package. That is for the additional drawing, an overlay to the Timberpeg drawings, which addresses the mechanical and electrical planning. This is not included in the Timberpeg drawings, since codes and conditions vary so much across the country. But let me back up a bit.

After we are satisfied with the concept designs, we send the plans to Timberpeg Design along with a design deposit, currently starting at $4000, but also based on complexity. The design deposit is applied to the time it takes to draw the plans, plus cost of printing and mailing out the plans. You will get periodical accounting reports on what is spent. We will receive a preliminary set of plans, which we can review and red-line any changes and send back to Design. They will make revisions and send another set, Construction plans, if the changes were minor, or another prelim if they are major. When you place an order, the Final Plans are drawn and a loading date is set. If the design time takes additional drawing time, they will request additional monies to cover. ALL money sent to Timberpeg Design will be credited back to you on the package order. There is an architect and engineer on staff at Timberpeg, and they will check the drawings, however, you will have to hire a local engineer as well, to engineer the foundation, recheck and stamp the drawings, as NC requires the stamp be from a local engineer registered in NC. We have some that are familiar with timberframing and reasonable (if there is such.)

The financial steps to ordering are 10% deposit with the order (which also assigns us a loading date), 40% is due to Timberpeg 45 days before the loading date (they start to order windows, etc., then) and the balance of 50% is due just prior to shipping. The amount of time you need to plan for all this is approximately 3-4 months for design, and an additional 2-3 months for ordering. The Timberpeg package includes basically the whole shell of the house...frame, exterior walls including insulation, siding, windows and doors and roof system, including shingles and insulation and most of the hardware needed to install. The builder (Natural Homes, or other) will supply the foundation and first floor deck and any plywood needed to cover the outside of the structure, and a few miscellaneous other items, plastic, etc. All of the interior walls, systems and finishes of the home are the builder’s responsibility. The plans are drawn so that it is easy for the builder to see what he is to provide, as the Timberpeg-supplied items are labeled differently. As Timberpeg representatives, one of us is on site for the frame assembly to make sure that the crew understands the system and the frame is successfully raised. We are available to you (or another builder) at any time during the process.

If the home is being built in the Triangle area, Natural Homes can also be your builder. In either case, you will typically have two contracts that make up the price of the home. First, you will contract with Timberpeg to supply the package materials, and secondly, with the building company to erect the package, and supply all other materials and labors to complete the home. In some cases, it may be possible for the builder to contract for the complete home, which includes the builder buying the package and giving you one agreement.

This is a general overview of the process and steps that it takes to design your home and get to the ordering stage. There are many more details involved in design and in the building process. We will be glad to discuss further any questions you might have.

Joi & Ron Tannert
Art of Design/Natural Homes
213 S. White St.
Wake Forest, NC 27587

Back to TOP