The Elevation Build Method
Six phases, one team, no surprises.
Every Elevation project — custom home, addition, remodel, commercial build — runs through the same six phases. Each phase is documented: what happens, who's involved, what you receive, how long it takes. This is the page to read before you sign anything with any builder.
01
Discovery & budget
We start with the truth about your project's scope and cost range.
Typical duration: 1–3 weeks
You run our cost estimator or call us. We review your lot or existing home, sketch the scope, pull flood/wind zone and overlay data, and issue a written feasibility memo with a target budget range — grounded in lot conditions and 2026 material + labor markets, not a brochure.
Who's involved
- You (homeowner, owner, or authorized representative)
- A principal or senior PM from Elevation Builders Group
- Where applicable, a preferred architect or designer we partner with
What you receive
- A written feasibility memo covering zoning, flood zone, wind zone, soils pre-screen, and any overlay-district constraints
- A target-budget range tied to your specific scope — not a per-sqft generic
- A written next-step proposal so you know exactly what you're agreeing to before any design fees are paid
02
Design & specification
Your design meets your budget before detailing begins.
Typical duration: 4–12 weeks depending on project complexity
A licensed designer or architect translates your program into scaled plans, elevations, and a 3D massing model. We price at schematic, at design-development, and again at final — so the design never drifts away from the budget. You choose finishes from a curated selection meeting your tier; every decision goes into a written specification.
Who's involved
- Licensed designer or architect (in-house or partnered)
- Your PM at Elevation
- Structural engineer where required (second-story additions, coastal foundations, complex spans)
- Interior designer partner on luxury projects where you want one
What you receive
- Schematic plans + 3D massing
- Full construction drawings at design-development
- A written specification covering structural, mechanical, envelope, and finish decisions
- A line-item estimate that matches the specification (no hidden allowances)
03
Permits & engineering
We pull every permit. You never chase a city office.
Typical duration: 6–14 weeks depending on jurisdiction and overlays
We submit the building permit to the applicable jurisdiction (city or unincorporated county), coordinate any historic-district, scenic-corridor, HOA architectural-review, water-management-district, or FEMA flood-certificate approvals in parallel. Engineering drawings are sealed where required. We manage every revision until the permit issues.
Who's involved
- Elevation's permit coordinator
- Local building department (city or county)
- HOA architectural review committee if your parcel sits in one
- St. Johns River Water Management District on lakefront / coastal work
- Engineer-of-record for the sealed structural drawings
What you receive
- A copy of every submittal + every agency response
- Permit issuance confirmation before any mobilization
- A pre-construction meeting on your site before crews break ground
04
Construction
Weekly progress reports. A written schedule. A single point of contact.
Typical duration: Project-specific. Typical custom home: 8–12 months. Typical addition: 4–7 months. Typical K&B remodel: 6–10 weeks.
Your PM runs the job. You get weekly progress updates with photos, schedule delta vs. the approved plan, and budget actuals vs. plan. Every change order is written and priced before any work proceeds. Inspections are scheduled by us. You have a standing Friday call slot on your calendar — use it or don't, but the slot is yours.
Who's involved
- Your Elevation PM (single point of contact for the whole build)
- Our site supervisor (on your job every day crews are working)
- Our subcontractor bench — the same trades we've worked with for years
- Sister-company trades where integrated: Elevation Windows and Doors, Elevation Electrical
What you receive
- Weekly written progress report with photos
- Schedule delta against the approved plan
- Budget actuals vs. plan, line by line
- Every inspection scheduled and recorded by us
- A standing weekly call slot on your calendar
05
Quality assurance & punch list
We find it before you do.
Typical duration: 1–3 weeks at project close
Before the final walkthrough we do a rigorous internal QA pass against the specification and the code. What we find, we fix. Then we walk the project with you, document every item you flag on a shared punch list, and close each item before the final inspection. The certificate of occupancy doesn't come from us — it comes from the local building department after the real work is done.
Who's involved
- PM + site supervisor
- You
- Local building inspector (for the CO)
- Specialty trade returns where a punch item requires one
What you receive
- Internal QA report (handed to you even if you don't ask)
- A shared punch list maintained in writing until every item closes
- Certificate of Occupancy (CO) from the local building department
- As-built drawings reflecting any field changes
06
Handoff & 1-year post-close support
Your builder's phone number doesn't go dead at closing.
Typical duration: Ongoing — standing warranty + one-year check-in
You get a branded close-out package: O&M manuals, warranty documentation, as-builts, wind-mitigation certification where applicable, and contacts for every major trade. At six months, we check in. At one year, we come back on-site, review the home or project with you, and close out any warranty items in one visit. Callbacks outside that cadence — you still call the same phone number.
Who's involved
- Elevation Builders Group (written warranty + post-close support)
- Applicable manufacturer warranties (appliances, roofing, windows, mechanical) transferred to you
What you receive
- Written warranty with defined response times
- O&M manuals + warranty paperwork for every major system
- Wind-mitigation binder where applicable (valuable on your homeowners' policy)
- As-built drawings, digital and printed
- A 6-month phone check-in and a 1-year on-site visit
Ready to run Phase 1?
Our cost estimator is where every Elevation project starts. Share your project type, lot, and finish level — we'll email you a written cost range grounded in how we actually price jobs across Central Florida.