Custom homes
New homes built to your plans and your lot, from site work and foundation through the final walkthrough, in Poulsbo, Bainbridge Island, Kingston and across Kitsap.
Pre-construction
Pre-construction services in Kitsap
Feasibility reviews, planning budgets, permit paths and schedules for homes and commercial projects, before the plans are final or the land is bought.
Who this is for
This service is for owners, developers and designers who want a builder's view before the plans are final, or before the land is bought: what can be built on a parcel, what it will cost, what the permit path looks like, and how long each step takes. It covers residential and commercial projects, and it is useful whether or not you end up building with us. The aim is a decision you can stand behind.
What's included
- A feasibility review of a parcel or building: zoning, access, utilities, septic or sewer, slopes, wetlands, shoreline and other constraints
- A planning budget that separates site, structure, systems and finishes, with the unknowns named
- Constructability and cost feedback to your architect or engineer while the drawings are still being drawn
- A map of the permit path: which authority, which reviews, and what each is likely to ask for
- A schedule that shows permit review, long-lead items and the wet season
- Help comparing bids and scopes
- Written notes you can take to a lender, a partner or a designer
- A clear next step: a firm estimate, or a reason not to proceed
How the work runs
Step 1: Goals and questions
We start with what you are trying to decide and what you already know.
Step 2: Site and building review
We look at the parcel or the building, and at the zoning and utility facts that apply.
Step 3: Planning budget
A range by component, with assumptions and unknowns stated so you can see what could move.
Step 4: Permit and schedule map
Which authority, which reviews, and where the wet season and long-lead items fall.
Step 5: Summary and next step
Written findings and a recommendation, including when the answer is not to build.
On the Kitsap Peninsula
The peninsula's rules vary more than most people expect, which is where early advice pays off. Poulsbo, Bainbridge Island, Bremerton and Port Orchard each run their own permit offices, and Kitsap County covers the rest, including Kingston, Silverdale, Suquamish and Seabeck. A lot on septic and a well is a different project from a lot on sewer and city water, and Kitsap Public Health District reviews the septic side.
Critical areas (wetlands, streams, steep slopes and shoreline) can limit where and how much you can build, and may require a study by a qualified professional.
Jim Laughlin has worked with other developers to plan and permit more than 500 units in and around Kitsap County, and Laughlin Development LLC, our sister company, works on land development and entitlements for larger parcels. For a single house or an addition the same habits apply at a smaller scale: check the facts first, price the unknowns, and keep the schedule honest about permit review.
Permit guides
The office that issues the permit depends on the parcel. Start with the authority that covers yours.
What it costs
Pre-construction is scoped to the question you want answered, so the first conversation is about scope: a single-lot feasibility check is a different job from a multi-parcel plan. We tell you what the work involves and agree the scope before we start. There is no price band for it, because there is no standard job.
What drives the effort: the size and complexity of the parcel, how many authorities and reviews are involved, how far the drawings have progressed, and how detailed a budget you need. A planning budget gets firmer as plans develop, and a firm price needs drawings.
Questions about this work
What is pre-construction?
It is the work done before building starts: checking the site and the rules, building a planning budget, mapping the permit path, and setting a realistic schedule. A builder involved at this stage can find problems while they are still cheap to fix.
Can you check a lot before I buy it?
Yes, and that is one of the best times to do it. Access, utilities, septic or sewer, slopes, wetlands and shoreline rules can all change what a lot is worth to you. Tell us the purchase deadline and we will plan the review around it.
When should I bring in a builder?
As early as you can: before you buy land, or while the design is still in schematic stage. A builder's cost and constructability feedback is most useful before the drawings are final, when changes cost the least.
How accurate is a planning budget?
It is a range with the assumptions and unknowns written down, so you can see what could move. It firms up as the design develops. A firm price needs drawings and a site visit, which is why we show you what is still unknown.
Can you review my architect's plans?
Yes. We can look at a set of plans for cost, constructability and permit issues and give your architect written feedback. It works best when your architect is open to it, and we are happy to work in whatever way suits the team.
What if the review shows the project does not work?
Then we say so, and why. A written explanation of what failed, whether it is the site, the budget or the rules, is worth far more before you have bought land or paid for drawings than after.
Talk with us about pre-construction and consulting
Call Ian Laughlin at (206) 226-1988, or send the details and we will set up a site visit.