Top 10(+) Reasons to select Jeff Sowder Incorporated
The key to having a positive experience designing and building your new custom home in the Roanoke Valley or at Smith Mountain Lake is to select a builder that has their act together. Below are 10+ reasons why Jeff Sowder Incorporated is a company that will exceed your expectations in delivering work your family will be proud of for many years to come.
- Educate the client Our desire is to educate the client on the process of designing and building a custom home. Our clients are some of the most educated in their respective fields, yet this is typically a new experience for them. I once had a surgeon (who daily will cut into the human body) tell me that building a new home scared him. We can explain how the process works smoothly so you can enjoy the construction of your new home. By the way, the surgeon and his family enjoy their new home.
- Peace of mind We set clear expectations for the quality of the work and the process. We have a solid written Contract package (including Specifications and Allowance Schedule) that clearly describe the obligations of the client and the contractor and virtually eliminates disagreements. We have customer-friendly paperwork that allows you to know where you stand financially at all times. We have a Change Order process that allows no extra work to proceed without your approval and signature.
- We make it easy on you We have an organized and efficient process from the first client contact through project completion and warranty which minimizes your potential anxiety about the design and build process. We break down the many finish selections required into smaller chunks so you can focus on what is most important at the time. We don’t overburden you or wait until the last minute and demand a product selection.
We keep you organized We give you a Home Owner’s Manual at contract signing that helps keep you organized throughout the design & building process. At the end of the job, we organize all of the homeowner maintenance manuals & materials and provide a bound Home Owner’s Maintenance Manual, including contact information for the major trade contractors, for you to refer when maintenance issues occur.- No pricing surprises When we enter into a Professional Services Agreement with a client, we have an ‘open book’ pricing process where we share our Detail Cost Estimate with you so you know where your money is being spent. Our pricing is ‘Fixed Price’ so you know what you will pay for your home. We have long-term relationships with the area’s best known vendors and suppliers. We receive ‘lowest and best price’ pricing due to our long history of on-time vendor payments. They respect us because they know we respect them.
- We listen to you We communicate. We keep you involved during the design and pricing phase so your wants and needs are addressed. We keep the lines of communication open throughout the project by using weekly jobsite meetings, at a dedicated time each week, to review the job status and scheduling of critical items. At this meeting, we will review the status of your finish selection items and answer any of your questions. We will return your phone calls by at least 9:00 am the next business day. We find that email is a very efficient way to communicate information between our weekly meetings.
Quality trade contractors, managed properly We have an ongoing relationship, some over 15 years, with some of the best craftsmen in the area who know what is required to contractually complete the job and meet our specific JSI quality requirements. Our trade contractors are selected for their quality and reliability, not because they are low price. Saving a few dollars on labor is no bargain if it results in unacceptable work. We properly schedule our trade contractors to keep the work flowing smoothly.- Professional design services We have relationships with the best local and regional architects and designers for the clients that utilize our design / build services.
- Continuous improvement We invest in continuing education and networking with national building leaders to bring ‘best practice’ procedures, processes & systems to each project. Through feedback received from clients, trade contractors, and other sources, we revise and upgrade our processes as necessary to provide better service.
Peace of Mind Part 2 We have a written Quality Assurance Checklist inspection system that minimizes mistakes and rework. This includes extensive ‘behind the walls’ inspection checks to ensure the work meets the Contract requirements and our own specific JSI quality detailing.- Peace of Mind Part 3 We are the only Roanoke Valley and Smith Mountain Lake custom home builder who independently surveys our clients for customer satisfaction during the construction and warranty period (see GuildQuality.com).
- Personal attention Jeff Sowder, the company Owner, is involved with your job on a daily basis. We are involved from the first meeting through the warranty phase and beyond.