Working with Your Builder: A Designer’s Field Guide
If you’re building a custom home in the Fargo-Moorhead area, the single most important thing I can tell you is this: bring your designer in before the foundation gets poured!
Most homeowners don’t know this.
A couple times a year I get the same call: a client eight or nine months into their build calls my number and asks if I can help them figure out finishes and tile choices before the drywall crew shows up next week.
Well, I always can. But, it’s just not the best version of the project. Let me walk you through why timing matters and how the designer-builder relationship actually works when it’s set up right.
Who does what?
The confusion I see a lot: people assume builders make the same decisions designers make. Some do, but most don’t.
Your builder is responsible for:
Foundation, framing, roof, and mechanicals (HVAC, plumbing, electrical)
Building code compliance and inspections
Structural decisions
Construction schedule and coordinating
Selecting materials for foundational parts of the house (insulation, sub-flooring, framing)
Delivering the house on time and on budget
Your designer is responsible for:
Visible surfaces - flooring, tile, countertops, paint, wall coverings
Cabinetry design and hardware
Lighting plan (fixtures, where they go, dimmers)
Interior doors and millwork selection
Furniture layout and specifications
Final styling
Now, there’s always going to be overlap. Builders will often have standard selections they’ll offer if you don’t specify something else. Some have great taste and an eye for design! But, almost none of them have the time or bandwidth to be your finish-selection consultant on top of running your build.
That’s where your designer steps in! My job is to be your trusted partner on the design side so the builder can focus on what they do best - building
Timing: When to bring your designer in
Earlier the better is what I always say. In an ideal world, I’m on the project before finalizing plans. Why?
Your plans have design implications that are cheaper to fix on paper than in framing. Here’s a few examples:
A kitchen island is 7ft long, which fits three counter stools but probably not four
The mudroom bench is drawn 24 inches deep, which won’t hold a boot rack under it.
The linen closet in the primary bath is 12inches deep, which fits one folded towel.
None of these are structural issues, but all are easy to fix at the planning stage.
The selection schedule
Once construction is underway, your builder will hand you a schedule. This document lists every decision you have to make and when your builder needs the answer.
A typical Fargo-Moorhead or Minnesota Lakes Country custom home selection includes:
Flooring (hardwood, tile, carpet)
Kitchen cabinetry (door styles, wood, stain or paint)
Kitchen countertops (material, color, thickness)
Kitchen backsplash (tile, layout, grout)
All plumbing fixtures (faucets, showerheads, drains, toilets)
Bathroom vanities and tops
Custom shower tile
Lighting fixtures
Interior doors (style, hardware)
Millwork (trim, casing, base, crown)
Fireplace materials
Exterior finishes (siding, stone, trim)
Garage door style
Paint (all rooms, plus trim and ceiling)
… And many more.
This is where a designer is helpful. My job is to have you ready to answer all these questions before the builder asks, with a package that reads as a cohesive house rather than a stack of decisions made under pressure. Wondering if you need a designer (or another professional)? Check out this other blog post I wrote.
How I work with builders
Each relationship is different, some love working with a designer - it makes their life easier. Cleaner selections, fewer change orders, clients who feel informed and calm. My job in this relationship is to communicate clearly, help you hit deadlines, and get your house built quickly.
What this saves you
Money, first. Change orders sent from decisions made under pressure or reversed after installation will start to rack up.
Time, second. Your builder’s schedule depends on you being ready. Not being ready to make key decisions can set you behind weeks, if not months.
Sanity, third. There’s a specific kind of stress that comes with picking 60 finishes across a house you’ve never lived in, on deadlines you didn’t set, with your family/marriage/budget/calendar in the mix.
Building custom?
If you’re building custom in the Fargo-Moorhead or Minnesota Lakes Country area, let’s talk before you finalize plans. My 90-minute consultation is where we can scope design - and like I said, the earlier the better.