How we build

We start with the lot, not the plan. A boundary and topographic survey shows slope, setbacks and drainage. On foothill parcels the slope often decides where the house can sit.

A geotechnical report follows. Foothill ground can be decomposed granite, clay that swells when wet, or shallow rock, and each one changes the foundation design and the budget. We would rather know eight weeks early than in week three.

We then settle the drawings and file the permit. Where the parcel sits near open rangeland, we ask the local fire authority early what it requires, because the answer can change siding, vents and the first five feet around the house.

We clear and grade, then dig the footings. Footings must sit below the local frost depth so freezing ground cannot lift them. The building department sets that figure for your parcel, and we build to it.

Underslab plumbing goes in over compacted gravel, then the inspector checks the footings and the pre-pour work. Only after that does the concrete truck come.

The slab is kept damp and left to cure before walls load it. Boise summers dry concrete fast, so curing is managed, not assumed.

Walls, floor joists and rafters go up, typically 16 inches apart on center. The engineer's details for hold-downs, shear walls and the ridge beam are followed exactly, and checked on site.

Windy foothill sites make bracing and temporary protection part of the daily routine, not an afterthought.

Before anything is covered, the framing inspection takes place, along with rough-in checks for electrical, plumbing and mechanical. We photograph every wall while it is still open.

Roofing goes on first, then the windows, then the weather-resistant barrier with taped seams. From this point the house can take a storm.

For wildfire-aware building we favor a Class A roof assembly, such as standing-seam metal over a fire-rated underlayment, and tempered dual-pane glass. Gutters are metal and kept clear of debris.

Flashing is detailed at every window, roof valley and wall joint. Most water damage starts at a flashing detail, so we photograph these before they are covered.

Siding is chosen for the site. Fiber cement and metal are noncombustible. Wood has a place on porch posts and soffits, kept off the ground and detailed to shed water.

Attic and crawlspace vents get ember-resistant mesh, and the first five feet around the house is planned as bare gravel or stone, not mulch.

Inside, insulation is installed and inspected before drywall. Foothill nights drop fast, so the thermal envelope matters as much as the finish.

Drywall, cabinetry, flooring, paint and fixtures go in, trade by trade. We close each room before the next trade starts, so finished work is not damaged by the one after it.

The final inspection and certificate of occupancy come before handover. Landscaping follows the drainage plan from step one, which keeps water moving away from the foundation.

We walk the house with you and write every item on a punch list. You get the list, the drawings as built and the photo folder from the whole build.