Frequently Asked Questions

Does Stanbrooke Custom Homes allow us to make changes to the floor plan?

So Stanbrooke gives us a quote on a home of lets say $97,950......what's the real price?

What is a fixed price builder?

Do I have to spend tons of money on upgrades to get a beautiful home?

Do I get to select what I want in the home?

How long does it take to build my home?

Other builders are quoting 90 days to build a home, why does it take longer for Stanbrooke?

Can I do work in my home?

How can Stanbrooke build great quality homes starting at only 47 dollars a square foot?

How do I know if my lot is buildable?

Who puts in my septic or well & why doesn't Stanbrooke include that in their prices?

What is "site work" and how much will it cost?

What's a construction loan and do I have to find my own lender?

Where does Stanbrooke build?

Does Stanbrooke Custom Homes allow us to make changes to the floor plan?
ANSWER: Absolutely! Take one of our plans that have been carefully designed and engineered as is. Or, make changes to it. You can also bring us your dream concept and we will make that a reality! Most builders at our price point do not allow changes of ANY kind.

So Stanbrooke gives us a quote on a home of lets say $97,950......what's the real price?
ANSWER: Just add applicable sales tax for your jurisdiction. Stanbrooke Custom Homes is a "Fixed Price" builder. Of course, you can add options and upgrades at additional cost.

What is a fixed price builder?
ANSWER: Many builders quote price "ranges" (sometimes called allowances) or charge a percentage over cost (cost-plus), which can change your price from day to day. This pricing method allows builders to estimate a very low “price”, knowing that the real price will be revealed when options are added later. Stanbrooke Custom Homes quotes fixed prices including our standard 2 ft. foundation with an engineered heat pump-ready stacked foundation and all your optional selections, signs the contract with you, and builds a home for you at that price. Guaranteed. Prices change only if you add options or upgrades or potentially if the start of your home is delayed for more than 90 days.

Do I have to spend tons of money on upgrades to get a beautiful home?
ANSWER: Absolutely not. We pride ourselves on offering "Affordable Luxury" to our clients. Stanbrooke has spent literally hundreds of hours selecting hundreds of great options for your home to help you maximize your dollars while getting beautiful and stylish options. If you don’t choose to upgrade any options, that’s fine, you will have a beautiful home with our standard features. Many of Stanbrooke’s standard features are considered upgrades by other builders.

Do I get to select what I want in the home?
ANSWER: We have a state of the art "Home Design Gallery" in Fife, off I-5 at exit 137 that allows you to do just that! We have hundreds of options for you to choose from. When you come to our gallery, you will find full working kitchen displays, tile, hardwoods, countertop options, lighting and a host of other options that allow you to personalize your new home. We make the process easy and don’t send you to a number of showrooms to make your selections. It’s All in ONE place.

How long does it take to build my home?
ANSWER: We build in MANY different jurisdictions each with unique building requirements on everything from permitting to inspections. In addition, we build homes in a variety of sizes, price points, and finishes. You should allow 1-3 months at a minimum to get all feasibility studies, paperwork and jurisdictional requirements prepared for permit submittal. Permitting itself takes on average, 1-6 months from the time submission takes place (some jurisdictions take longer, some take less). The foundation process happens as quickly as final site preparation occurs. The average time that it takes to build your Stanbrooke Custom Home is around 6 months from the time that you backfill the foundation.

Other builders are quoting 90 days to build a home, why does it take longer for Stanbrooke?
ANSWER: The biggest variables in home construction are the time it takes to prepare for submission for your building permit and the time required for jurisdictional review and approval for the permit. After obtaining the permit, and the completion of your site preparation requirements we begin building your home. And don’t forget, you have input during the entire building process. This may take a little longer than a production builder in a tract development, but then our customers usually put a higher value on having a home that more closely reflects their lifestyle.

Can I do work in my home?
ANSWER: This is handled on a case by case basis.

How can Stanbrooke build great quality homes starting at only 47 dollars a square foot?
ANSWER: Our volume and processes allow us to keep our costs low and obtain materials at prices that most of our competitors are unable to match. We DO NOT sacrifice quality in order to quote a low price. Other builders typically charge 85 to 110 dollars per square foot for comparable homes.

How do I know if my lot is buildable?
ANSWER: Stanbrooke Custom Homes will provide a preliminary Site Feasibility Assessment for you as part of the standard price of your home. Stanbrooke will also submit for the building permit on your behalf. While nobody can guarantee that a lot is buildable until a building permit is in hand, we take a lot of the worry and the headache out of the process.

Who puts in my septic or well & why doesn't Stanbrooke include that in their prices?
ANSWER: Stanbrooke will work with you on locating suitable contractors to help you with your site work. This is the most affordable way for our clients to get this work done. Each property is unique and warrants its own bid from an on site professional to get the attention that it deserves.  We can also include this work in your total project.

What is "site work" and how much will it cost?
ANSWER: With every property there is a certain amount of clearing, trenching, excavation, and utility hooks ups among other things that must be done to prepare the site for construction. Costs on this can range from $5,000 to $50,000 depending on the amount of work needed. Some sites have city utilities and some sites need private septic and wells put in. The only accurate way to determine site work costs are to have a professional bid put together from a site contractor.  Stanbrooke can provide you with a reference or include these costs on a turnkey basis.  Many of customers want to contract directly for site services because it can often save them money.

What's a construction loan and do I have to find my own lender?
ANSWER: A construction loan is designed to bring together all of the different aspects of building a new home on private property. The costs of the home, payoff on the land, and site development costs are all wrapped into one loan. The lender disburses these funds as work is being finished. At the end of the building process, you convert the loan to a permanent mortgage.
Stanbrooke has a list of approved lenders who specialize in the construction loan process and are ready to assist you. Talk to a Stanbrooke consultant about how you can save $1500 dollars by using a Stanbrooke preferred lender!

Where does Stanbrooke build?
ANSWER: Stanbrooke generally builds in the following Washington State counties: King, Snohomish, Pierce, Thurston, Kitsap, Mason,  and Lewis counties. This includes building within the city limits of the major cities, including Seattle, Bellevue, Tacoma, Olympia, Puyallup, Kent, Renton, Auburn, Centralia, and Chehalis.  Contact a Stanbrooke Home Consultant for special conditions that might apply.