Decisionmaker and all others who are having a rough time, I hope things get better soon my heart goes out to you hearing your stories and frustration. Someone compared this process to pregnancy and childbirth and I think that is true. Dreamed of, prayed for, all that fun in 'planning' :), then when you are actually expecting it is so exciting then it is so scary, then you feel sick for...months...then you feel better then the last weeks drag on and on and finally you don't think you can take it and then after great work and pain you get the greatest gift you have ever known and forget all the bad things and feel the joy. I hope you will all feel the joy SOON. For myself, I tend to be a 'researcher' and feel empowered even in the midst of a stressful situation if I am prepared for it and know why things are happening. So I am wondering, if you could share what in particular has caused you the most stress and if you could have done anything to avoid it or if it is just a part of the building process? Beehappy2007, I immediately thought of The Owner Builder Book, and Amy Johnston's Book when you asked about resources so there is a second recommendation for you. As for your land purchase, I am sure a lawyer will tell you this, or even an escrow officer: get a title report and make sure there is a provision for title insurance in the contract. You might also check on the availability of utilities and water. If there are going to be higher than average costs for septic, utilities or water or if there are zoning restrictions or easments it can affect the 'usability' of the land and therefore affects the value. Bellamay, From this and other posts I have read from you, you seem to be a builder with integrity that truly cares about your customers and others who are building homes. Perhaps you could share from your point of view how some of the stress and heartache can be avoided...or at least lessened? I know I would appreciate any helpful advice on how to have a smoother build and I'm sure others would too. Thanks.

Hi Caroline, Thanks I will check out the Pottery Barn shelves. I have emailed a few custom wood shops. I will report back just in case someone else needs this info. I did the 2nd coat of Waterlox last night and it still is pretty smelly : ( The drying conditions are not great though. I have 2 space heaters and the windows open a crack during a Nor'easter : ( I live in an old Boston single family brownstone and my neighbor rang my bell last night at 11pm to complain about the smell! (His house is attached to the right) Ugh. I have no idea what to do... I can't wait until May to finish the floors! Ughhhhh construction!

For a spec home, the builder/developer typically writes their own generic list of specs and allowances for the project to build a plan that they have selected. This helps ensure they are able to control the building costs and process through their chosen team with as little input from the client as possible. A spec house builder proposes what they think you will want in the home and will usually make simple change order adjustments up or down based on your selections during the project. As a custom builder, I can tell you that simple process doesn’t cut it for most custom home building projects. Custom homes begin with the vision of the client and architect as a collaborative effort. The architect usually provides an extremely detailed set of building plans and an accompanying set of building specifications for each project. It’s best for the Owner to have selected their Builder early in the design process so that we may review the evolution of the project and suggest ways to control the budget. We have had a number of clients over the years who called in a panic after the plans were complete and they began receiving their first bids on the project from other builders that far exceeded the budget. They were painted into a corner without knowing how much the project would cost. Good architects help eliminate that problem early. Anyway, our job as a custom builder is to review all the plans and specs and develop a list of any problems we see that need to be addressed as well as evaluate the allowance values that are sometimes established by the architect during the bid process. Our job is to evaluate someone’s vision and assemble all of the details to make it happen. After a series of lengthy planning meetings between Owner and Builder before the contract is signed, we hash out as many potential selections, upgrades, value savings deducts as possible and then use the architects specs as a guideline to create our own contract set of specs for the owner. This process of getting to know the client is what defines most custom builders. The more we know about the client, what inspires them, their trigger points which may affect the project, the better. And when it comes time to build the home, every detail has to be perfect and the client owns your schedule until the home is done. We charge more because custom homes take up way more time than spec homes. As for allowances, we provide allowances for things like tile, flooring, cabinetry, countertops, appliances, water wells, etc. The appliance allowance includes a quote from our preferred vendor with all model numbers. When the time comes for the client to pick out certain products, they know the budget, and they are welcome to shop as many vendors as they wish. My time is included to help with coordination if they chose my preferred vendor. I charge extra for additional coordination time to evaluate multiple vendors because that process requires much more time. I hope this helps. Every builder has their own method that works for them. This is just how we approach the process. Best of luck!

I'm not a lawyer but since 1971 I've been the primary or assistant project architect or owner's rep for countless construction disputes some involving hundreds of thousands of dollars and far more complicated than the OP's problem. To my knowledge, in none of them was the intervention of lawyers needed. Well I have been a lawyer for 15 minutes or so and ran capital project development for a petroleum company and eventually for a country. I can tell you for sure having been in a few contractor disputes, that the lawyers were always involved. Involving a lawyer doesn't mean going to court and suing someone. It means being fully informed. The advice to work out a problem that could amount to a significant amount of money without seeking legal advice from someone who doesn't have a vested interest is simply good advice. Frankly, you may well be a great architect, but you suck at dispute resolution. You would have the OP go to someone who has a vested interest in paying less rather than spend a couple of hundred dollars or less to loop in their attorney. ETA: Just to be clear, the OP has noted a question about a diminished value claim, a detrimental reliance cause, and stated that they had concerns about the integrity of the architect and builder. Your advice is to work it out with the architect, the one with questionable integrity... ETA2: RES deleted the referenced post...