Apex Mountain Custom Homes | The Building Process

Building a custom home high in the Colorado Rockies has unique challenges and specific requirements to assure your home is within budget and on time. Long tough Colorado winters and short workable summers make construction management paramount in delivering a beautiful, well-built home in a timely manner. Building such a home requires a vision and patience as well as an experienced team of professionals who can provide buyers with advice throughout the process, which can take more than a year, depending on the condition of the lot and the architecture of the home.

Apex Mountain Homes, Inc. is a local leader in construction management in the Colorado Rockies. Apex delivers homes that are both beautiful to look at and built to stay that way for generations to come. Custom homebuilder Apex provides luxury mountain homes for clients seeking the highest level of home development. We focus on custom design and unmatched quality, and delivery of customer expectations. We have built an impeccable reputation as a trusted custom home builder based on our exceptional customer service and meticulous attention to detail.

When you choose Apex Mountain Homes as your custom home builder you get relationships that ensure excellence and you get peace of mind. You get openness and transparency throughout the entire construction process. Every decision we make, we make with concern for your best interests. Our multi-step process will exceed your expectations.

Step 1 - Choose Builder

The home owner has decided on the geographical area where they want to build. They have ideas from magazines, open houses, previous experiences and talking with friends/family. The land has been purchased on which to build.

Now, the home owner will need to decide the selection of an architect and a home builder. Some questions to ask when choosing a home builder:

How much will it cost to build my home? Do we need a construction loan?
What is your Fee?
What services do we get from you and what services are sub-contracted?
How long will it take?
Who are your team players? (Architect, interior designers, landscapers, Office Manager (billing), Project Manager, etc.)
How are the subcontractors selected and are they local? Are they insured?
Who’s responsibility is it to make sure the land has water & sewer taps?
How often do we talk during the project?
How do we stay on budget and how often do we review budget?
How often should we visit the project?
How do we adjust when encountering surprises?
What are Change Orders and how do they impact the budget and timeline?
What is your warranty period and what does it cover?
What is the process for selecting external/internal finishes, appliances and building material?
May we see a typical budget?
May we visit some of your recent projects and talk to the owners?
I live out-of-state and will not be on-site regularly. How do you stay in touch with clients who live out-of-state?

Step 2 - Contract Options

When choosing Apex Mountain Homes as your home builder, a contract will need to be executed and signed by the home owners and Apex Mountain Homes. We offer three types of contracts:

Cost Plus A Management Fee. In this option, the homeowner and builder agree on the total cost of the project. The home builder provides a budget and a management fee. These fees range from X% to Y% and appear in the budget and the monthly payments.
Cost Plus A Management Fee & Incentive. In this option, the homeowner and builder agree on the total cost of the project and again the builder provides a budget and management fee. The incentive occurs if the crew “beats the budget” with the savings being shared between the crew and the owner. The incentive can increase focus and creativity while not compromising quality of the home (quality is maintained by the architect's plans and specification standards). The savings applies only to the building part of the contract, in other words, the percent that is not the owner selected options like appliances.
Fixed Fee. This option is used primarily for small and modest remodel projects and is what it implies a contract to complete a job on budget on time for a fixed fee.

Step 3 - Permits & Zoning

Apex Mountain Homes will obtain all building permits, architectural drawings and insurance requirements. A current agreed upon Tracking Budget Spreadsheet will be given to the homeowners.

Step 4 - Break Ground

The big day comes and at last we are going to break ground on your new home. The excitement of seeing your dream home, with your personal touches, starts to take shape. Throughout this process, Apex Mountain Homes will continually stay in contact with home owner.

Step 5 - Occupancy

As you approach completion of your home and we apply for the Certificate of Occupancy, there will be a list of items that need to be completed. This punch list helps to keep you informed of progress toward move-in and serves as a communication tool with the builder so that everything is completed to the owner’s satisfaction. We put on a great party every year, serving up fantastic BBQ, live music, cotton candy and a piñata for the kids. We look forward to you being a part of our family. At Apex Mountain homes, it’s a tradition to celebrate the independence of our clients on the 4th of July. We know you have a choice and we appreciate your business.