Over the years, my brother Brent and I have been asked countless
questions about the things you need to know before building a custom
home. Where do you start in the planning and design process? What
should a homeowner’s expectations be before, during and after construction?
How involved should a homeowner be in the construction process? How
truly customized can I make my home? All of these questions and more
come up in our meetings with potential clients who are thinking about
building their dream home. They realize the importance of and the need
to understand the process and the critical ingredients to a successful project.
To us, it’s a simple and straightforward process because we’ve been in the
custom home design and building business for more than 16 years. I think
B&B Builders offers an advantage to our clients because we set out to
create a company the way we thought it should be done and how we’d like
to be treated if it was our home under construction. Our clients come to
us with their dreams and we design a home the way they want, not what
we think they should have. Integrity, quality and service are the benchmarks
of our company–when we say we’re going to do something, we do it-at
the price we quote. We are open and straightforward about costs, and if
you need to talk to us you will rarely have to wait until even the next day.
We also share the belief that it is important to provide, not only a one of
a kind home, but a unique and exceptional experience, one that can only
be achieved through a process that is designed to be effective and efficient.
If you have never built a custom home, or you are considering building
another one, then this book is for you. We’ve combined our decades of
experience and knowledge to write this book to save you time, headache
and money. It is equally important to us to help you prevent the heartaches
and disappointments that result from a lack of planning and to give you
sound advice. Brent and I also decided to write this book because of the
satisfaction we get from helping people realize one of life’s great
accomplishments: planning, designing and building their dream home.
Our desire is to share practical information in an easy-to-read format to
make you comfortable with the entire home building process.
We first learned about hard work from our father when we were just
kids. When I was 12 and Brent was 10 years old, we helped our Dad

build the house that he still lives in today. It always made us feel good
to hear Mom and Dad tell people that we helped build that home. Dad
owned an ornamental iron business and Brent and I worked alongside him
to fabricate and install railings, spiral stairways, fireplaces and etc. The
work was hard and the days were long, but we learned that keeping track
of time or watching the clock wasn’t what was important. The important
thing was to complete the job that you set out to do. Dad believed in
staying on the job until it was done and making sure it was right the first
time. We also learned how important it is to treat people the way you
would want to be treated. Dad’s approach to business is evident in our
company today–we give clients the home they want for the price we quote
them and remain open and honest through the good news and the bad news
as well. Our business philosophy has afforded us many repeat clients and
referrals that have helped make B&B Builders one of the top builders in
the area.
At B&B Builders we know that every custom home we build teaches
us something new. If we find a process that helps make the construction
run smoother, then we incorporate it into our workflow. Over the years,
we both have gained a lot of wisdom in the school of hard work as well
as the school of hard knocks. B&B Builders has consistently received top
honors in the Parade of Homes and we’ve earned a stellar reputation among
our peers, our trade partners and most of all our customers for our designs
and home building process. We always cringe when we hear horror stories
from people who rushed into a building project without the benefit of
experienced professionals and a realistic plan and strategy. At B&B
Builders, our goal every day is to first listen, and then coach and lead
people through a process that we have fine-tuned over many years to ensure
the success of our clients. We want your story to be one that ends well and
one you will take great delight in sharing with others.
Home is the place where you gather and spend time with your family
and friends, a place that you love to live in and where you create memories
that last a lifetime. We want you to experience a sense of accomplishment
and satisfaction that comes from creating your own unique home. From
our first meeting with clients, we set out to form a realistic budget and
construction plan. Throughout the home building process, we schedule
regular meetings at the job sites with our clients. To ensure our clients
remain in the loop on every detail of the project, we set up an email link
on our website. When a homeowner has a question, they can directly

contact a project supervisor, architect, designer, Brent or myself. Everyone
involved in the project automatically receives a copy by email and any
responses. Help is just a click away and we find this form of communication
helps keep the building process running smoothly and efficiently.
Your home is much more than a physical structure; it is an extension of
who you are. Making the choice to build a quality custom home should
be a rewarding and exciting adventure. Without the right guidance and
the right team it can become overwhelming and be a frustrating experience
filled with problems and delay. Our desire and hope is that this book will
be a helpful resource that not only equips you with the tools you need to
evaluate and plan well, but also provides you with the confidence and
inspiration to build your dream home.
Ben and Brent Johnson