A successful custom home begins long before construction.
Our design process is intentionally thorough. Architecture, materials, finishes and major selections are developed before construction pricing is finalized – allowing us to price the home you actually intend to build.
Rather than relying heavily on allowances and assumptions, we solicit real subcontractor bids and material quotes based on a well-developed set of plans and selections.
Better information creates better decisions.
Every Daley Design + Build home is extensively developed in 3D before construction begins.
These renderings allow our clients to experience the architecture, materials and key spaces while changes can still be made thoughtfully – and efficiently.
By the time construction begins, everyone should share a clear understanding of what we’re building.
Custom homes evolve. Priorities change. Opportunities emerge.
Our open-book, cost-plus approach keeps those decisions transparent, giving clients visibility into actual project costs rather than hiding them behind broad allowances or predetermined pricing.
The objective isn’t simply to establish a budget.
It’s to establish the right budget for the home we’ve designed together.
Design thoroughly. Price intelligently. Build confidently.
During the Design Phase we will develop custom floor plans and explore all facets of the exterior and interior design, along with finalizing selections and specifications. By doing this we ensure that all Design elements have been thoroughly analyzed, detailed and specified for accurate bidding. Design Phase results in a “Design Package” containing: Architectural Plans & Specifications (with Product Photos), Site Engineering Plans, Landscape Plans, and a set of interior and exterior 3D Renderings.
During the first half of the Bid Phase we will competitively bid out the design for all major construction elements (including foundation, framing, roofing, windows & doors, cabinets, countertops plumbing & lighting fixtures, tile, etc.), and develop an actual construction budget based on real material quotes and labor bids. This is an open-book process where the customer is welcome to review the bids with us to discuss lowest bid vs. best subcontractor for the job. We are all about saving our customers money, but you typically get what you pay for, and bottom-dollar subs don’t typically produce top quality work.
During the second half of the Bid Phase the customer, builder (and realtors if applicable) can have an open and honest discussion about the projected build cost and total project budget, along with discussing the terms of Daley Design + Build’s Cost-Plus Construction Contract. DD+B’s cost-plus Builder Fee % is guided by a sliding scale that varies by total projected construction cost.
In a Guaranteed Maximum Price contract (used by most other builders), any money the builder doesn’t spend can be kept as additional profit, which incentivizes some other builders to cut corners and deliver a sub-par product.
In a Cost-Plus contract, the Builder Fee is determined by the total cost of labor and material invoices paid (Total Cost x Variable Percentage Builder Fee), so cutting corners and not spending money only whittles back the Builder Fee. Therefore given that all of our projects are run on a Cost-Plus basis, you can be sure that we are implementing all of the best practice details that really should be incorporated into your project. We believe that the true quality of a home is determined by how well / cleanly things are implemented in places that will never be seen when the build is complete.
Our goal is to make the Construction Phase as fun and stress-free for the customer as possible. At this point in the project, you should be focused on enjoying watching your new home come to life. One step at a time, all of the pieces come together like clockwork until your new home is ready for your move-in. We expect to have periodic meetings with each customer to answer any questions that come up during the construction process. Want to see how it all comes together? Explore our recent custom home projects in the Gallery.
These are custom homes…and sometimes customers come up with new/different ideas during the construction phase about how they’d like to see something finished. These are easily addressed under the Cost-Plus contract as there are no typical Change Orders (where the builder might be making a 50% mark-up on your change). We take mid-construction changes in stride, and the Builder Fee on these changes is the same % as already agreed in the Construction Contract Builder Fee. This transparent, open-book build process is what sets us apart from other luxury home builders in Cincinnati.
Building a custom home involves thousands of details. Keeping track of them shouldn’t be one of them.
Daley Design + Build provides each client with private access to their project through Buildertrend – giving you a centralized view of your home throughout construction.
From your computer or phone, you can follow progress, review schedules, access project documents, track selections and stay connected with our team.
Whether you’re across town or across the country, your project remains within reach.
Clear communication. Organized information. Fewer surprises.
