St. Louis Builder Harold Hamilton is a design-build custom home builder and remodeler.

Do you want a new home that's comfortable, durable, healthy , and uses energy and resources efficiently and responsibly ?

Or do you want to make your existing home more comfortable, healthier, easier and less expensive to maintain and lower your monthly utility bills ?

Do you want a new home that reflects your own personal taste and style ?

Or  do you wish your existing home had a little more space;  an updated floor plan customized for your changing lifestyle; a redesigned kitchen; new kitchen cabinets, counters and appliances; or a remodeled bath?

Do you want a new house that you can call home for a lifetime- where you can live safely, independently, and comfortably, regardless of age, income, or ability level, where you can enjoy the pleasures of living in a familiar environment throughout your maturing years, where you can enjoy the familiar daily rituals and the special events that enrich all our lives ?

Or do you need to remodel your existing home so you can live there safely, independently, and comfortably as you mature rather than seek assisted living and other arrangements ?

Or maybe you or a family member have special needs ?

The decision to hire a builder or remodeler can be intimidating.

We understand that and have developed what we believe is a very customer-friendly process

Getting Started

Building or remodeling a home is a very exciting and different experience. A great deal more of your time, thought, and personality will go into your home building or remodeling project simply because you will be directly involved in many decisions. Your own "mental scrapbook" of ideas can be arranged to create a new home or remodel your existing home to reflect your own personal taste and lifestyle

Pre-Design

The first step is to define the home or remodel that will be designed and priced

During this first step, we will listen as you describe your new home or desired remodel and review any information you may already have,  you may have a plan in mind or might simply have an idea, we will visit your existing home, take measurements- maybe some photos - and prepare a plan.

We will establish a target budget and a timetable for completion of design and pricing

Preliminary Estimate

The preliminary cost estimate is our best estimate of total cost of your new home or remodel project based on the available information, average unit cost cost for the same items in homes of similar size and quality, and, whenever possible, preliminary bids from our trade contractors and suppliers, it is not a bid

Preliminary Construction Documents

Preliminary construction documents consist of a complete set of preliminary construction plans and a draft outline specifications that can be used to solicit firm trade contractor and supplier bids and prepare a budget estimate

Budget Estimate

When we have received all the trade  contractor and supplier bids, we will prepare a budget estimate, unlike the preliminary estimate the Budget Estimate is our written offer to design and build your new home or complete your remodeling project for the total price shown

Allowances

Allowance are budget amounts for items the Buyer is allowed to select but which  may not have been selected prior to entering into the contract . If  the cost of the items selected by the Buyer exceeds the allowance , the sales price is increased by the difference. Common allowance items include cabinets, counter tops, light fixtures , appliances, tile, flooring, and landscaping. Low allowances could make the cost per square foot appear low. The average cost of allowance items in our past projects are:
 
- Cabinets  -  $11,987
- Counter tops  -  $3,080
- Light Fixtures  -  $2,206
- Appliances  -  $3,806
- Tile  -  $5,296
- Hardwood Flooring  -  $5,364
- Vinyl Flooring  -  $1,144
- Carpet  -  $4,696
- Landscaping  -  $10,099

But these prices are increasing due to rising material cost

Although it may appear advantageous to you we don't believe that requesting multiple bids on your new project is to your best interest. While it seems to make sense at first, we believe that there are some compelling reasons why you shouldn't do so.

Do you want a cheap home or remodel ? Looking for the lowest bid may assure you of the
"cheapest" home or remodel, but are you really looking for a "cheap" home or remodel ?
Shouldn't you be convinced that the quality and value are more important than a lower price ?

There is No Price Tag on Trust. Bidding the home or remodeling project out to "keep the Builder or Remodeler honest" is the wrong way to approach the process. If you don't trust us, why are you working with us in the first place ? When we work with a client, we do so based on a relationship of trust and confidence. It is our mission to design the best possible home or remodel within budget and make a fair return for our efforts

Bidding Mistakes Don't Help You . It is risky and unrealistic for you to hope that the Builder or Re modeler will make a large bidding mistake in your favor and then expect him or her to eat it after construction has begun. You must understand that a Builder or Remodeler  who realizes that a bidding error is going to reduce his margin will be difficult to deal with regardless of the contract.

Comparing Apples to Oranges. Add to this the difference in how jobs could be bid. If plans and specifications are poorly drawn and executed and/or if the bid instructions are vague and incomplete, the bids will be so far apart that it will be impossible to reconcile them and determine which among them is really the lowest. If plans and specifications are properly drawn and executed and if the bid instructions are complete, three competent and reputable Builders Or Remodelers  will appear with pricing that is almost identical. If this is so, Why submit to the stress of bidding out your project ? You should choose a builder or Remodeler  the same way as you would choose any professional-- reputation and warranty

Customer Service And one final consideration

Low Bid = Low Profit = Low Customer Service

Other services we offer:

Carpentry, Carpentry Repair
Insulation
Drywall, Drywall Repair
Taping
Painting
Electrical, Electrical Repair
Plumbing, Plumbing Repair
Termite and Water Damage Repair

 

Contact Information Let us put our experience to work for you, for information call or fill out the form below First Name: Last Name: Address Street 1: Address Street 2: City: Zip Code: (5 digits) State: AL AK AZ AR CA CO CT DE DC FL GA HI ID IL IN IA KS KY LA ME MD MA MI MN MS MO MT NE NV NH NJ NM NY NC ND OH OK OR PA RI SC SD TN TX UT VT VA WA WV WI WY Daytime Phone: Evening Phone: Email: Comments: Enter comments here!