Building in Gratis
A lot of Gratis homes were built well the first time. Those are worth remodeling rather than replacing.
Based in Gratis, we treat Gratis as home ground rather than an outlying job. A crew that is not spending hours in a truck starts earlier and stays later, which shows up in the schedule.
Truth, trust and transparency is the standard we set for ourselves, and it shows up in how we schedule and communicate.
We run the same sequence on every project: design, site preparation, structure and then finish.
If you are planning something in Gratis, the first step is a conversation and a set of drawings.
What building here involves
Older homes locally were often built better than their replacements, which is why so much of our work is remodeling rather than tear-down.
Ice damming in January and driving rain in spring are both routine. Both find flashing and underlayment that were not installed correctly.
Ice damming in January and driving rain in spring are both routine.
Permitting and inspection is part of what we handle. Every jurisdiction runs on its own schedule and has preferences about how submissions are assembled. Knowing that ahead of time is the difference between a build that moves and one that waits.
Less driving means more building, and it means we can come back promptly when something needs a second look.
What we build here
Premium Exterior Painting
Prep is most of the job
Wash, scrape, prime and caulk before a drop of finish coat goes on.
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Custom Home Builds
A house built around how you live
A house designed around how you actually live, drawn with an architect and built by the crew that drew it.
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Luxury Home Builds
Estate-level building, start to finish
High-end residential work where the finish carpentry, the stone and the structure all get the same attention.
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New Home Construction
Ground-up construction on your lot
Site prep, footers, foundation walls and framing through final trim, managed by one team.
Read moreScope, schedule and staying in touch
Our scope document says what is included, what is excluded, what we expect to find once walls are opened, and how a change gets priced. It takes longer to write than a one-page quote and it is why our jobs usually finish where they started.
Expect a stage-by-stage schedule with named risks attached. Late selections and long-lead products cause more slipped dates than anything happening on site.
Expect a stage-by-stage schedule with named risks attached.
There is one point of contact who knows your project, and they are reachable. Most frustration in construction is really a communication failure.
We would rather find the small stuff with you at the end than have you find it alone in month three.
Where Gratis sits
Preble County6 towns
Home ground. Our shop is in Gratis and most of these towns are a short drive.
Building in Preble CountyThe person who walks your property is on site while it is being built.Samuel Hand
What we put in writing
You get a forty-year warranty on standing seam metal or thirty years on dimensional shingles, installed to the standard those terms require.
The manufacturer covers the material; we cover the installation. Anything that is ours to fix, we fix.
Gratis questions
What warranty comes with a standing seam metal roof?
The standing seam metal we install carries a forty-year warranty. Dimensional shingles carry a thirty-year warranty.
Who is actually on site during my build?
Our own crew handles the core work. Samuel is on site through the build, not just at the start and the end.
How do you handle changes once we have started?
Changes get written down, priced and approved before they happen. Nothing gets built off a hallway conversation.
Can you remodel an older home, or only build new?
Both. A good share of our work is remodeling houses that were built well and are worth keeping.
Do you give a written scope before work starts?
Always. It states what is included, what is excluded, what we expect to find once things are opened up, and how a change gets priced and approved. A one-page quote is how disputes start.
Who pulls the permits?
We do, and we deal with inspection scheduling as part of the job. You are not calling a building department.
What happens if you find something unexpected?
We stop, document it, price the options and talk to you before proceeding. On older houses that is a normal part of the process, not an emergency.
Building in Gratis?
If the timeline matters, say so early. Gratis permitting has its own pace.