Checklist for Building a Luxury Custom Home in Denver

Building a home in Colorado means access to breathtaking views and 300+ days of sunshine. However, before you relax on your deck watching a legendary sunset, you need a checklist for building a luxury home in Denver to help guide you and save time and money. We'll walk you through the steps involved in building a luxury custom home and show you what the new home-building process looks like. 

Building a Luxury Custom Home Checklist

Creating your ideal home takes careful planning, expert guidance, and a straightforward process. This custom home build checklist breaks down what you need to have in place before building a custom home. We've added details about the process to help you know what to expect at every stage.

1. Land Acquisition 

This is just a fancy term for buying the land on which you'll build. Of course, the cost to build on your own lot also varies. If you're buying land in or around Denver, Colorado, you'll want to consider the following.

Zoning and Regulations

Your team will check if the land is zoned for residential construction and supports your home's size, style, and features. Work with your builder to confirm compliance with local regulations and to see what you can do to prepare for your new construction. 

Topography and Orientation

The land's orientation can dramatically impact your home's design and livability. A west-facing lot offers breathtaking sunsets and mountain views, while a south-facing home optimizes sunlight exposure in the winter. Remember: the direction your driveway faces impacts how quickly the snow melts on that surface.

A heavily wooded lot may require clearing, and all lot preparation entails grading.  If your lot is remote, utilities and water/sewer lines may need to be connected—all of which add time and expense to the construction process.

Utilities and Access

You don't want a lot that you can't access. Part of the process is confirming that the lot allows access for construction vehicles (or making that access possible), checking on utilities, and setting them up if they're absent. It's the nitty-gritty details that matter. Our process allows us to walk you through every detail.

2. Budget for Land Preparation

Site work is crucial to building a custom home and can significantly impact your overall budget. However, it's also a lesser-known part of new home construction.

Site Work

What is site work? This term means prepping the land for construction, such as clearing vegetation, grading the terrain, and addressing drainage needs. In Colorado, site work costs can vary based on the lot's topography, soil conditions, and accessibility.

Extra Expenses

Other site work expenses include utility hookups for water, electricity, and sewer systems. Unexpected challenges like rocky terrain or poor soil may increase costs, so it's wise to set aside a contingency fund. Collaborating with a builder like Sheffield Homes allows you to get accurate estimates and helps you plan for this part of the process.

3. Pre-Construction Phase

Before construction comes the pre-construction phase, which is crucial for setting your project up for success. 

Set Your Total Budget

Know what you can spend (set a maximum) and allocate a realistic budget for your project. You want your money to match your goals, and building a budget like this helps avoid costly overages midway through the project. You also want to ensure your budget is realistic for a custom luxury home.

Hire a Trusted Builder

Select a builder who understands the requirements for building a house in or near Denver. You want experience, transparency, and a stunning portfolio of successful custom home projects. 

Apply for Permits and Approvals

Your builder will handle the permitting process, but it's helpful to familiarize yourself with local requirements to stay informed. When you trust your builder, however, you can confidently leave this often complicated process in their capable hands.

4. Design the Plan with Your Architect and Decorate with Your Interior Designer

If you work with a design-build team, the design phase involves working with an architect on the same team as your builder. This is where your vision begins to take shape. You'll communicate with the architect to design a layout that best suits your lifestyle and needs and take advantage of the Denver metro area's stunning surroundings.

Finalize Construction Drawings

Detailed construction drawings are the blueprint for your dream home. These documents guide every building process step, helping everyone be on the same page. Your team should know if you want to make any changes before these drawings are finalized.

Interior Design

Partner with an interior designer to make finish selections that reflect your style and household's operation. From flooring and countertops to fixtures and lighting, these choices are the details that make your house a home. Your interior designer will help you choose both on-trend and timeless finishes. 

5. Construction: Building Your Home

In the construction phase, the hammer and nails finally get put to use, and you begin to watch your goals take shape from the ground up. Here's what you can expect during the construction phase. 

Site Preparation

The lot is cleared, utilities are installed, and the foundation is excavated to prepare for construction. Depending on the site, this phase may take longer than expected. It's imperative to do it right the first time.

Foundation and Framing

This is when the foundation is poured, and the home's structure begins to take shape with walls, floors, and the roof. You can see that a house is starting to form.

Systems Installation

Your team installs plumbing, electrical, and HVAC systems, forming your home's working infrastructure. Think of this phase as your home's life force.

Interior and Exterior Finishes

This phase includes installing drywall, flooring, cabinetry, siding, and roofing, bringing your home's design to life. This is when you see the personality of your home take shape.

Final Inspections and Finishing Touches

Once the home passes inspections for safety and code compliance, your building team applies the finishing touches.

Final Walk-through and Move-In

It's time to come home to your luxury custom home. When you work with Sheffield Homes, we conduct a final walk-through to verify that everything is completed to your satisfaction, and we provide a warranty to back up our work. 

Steps to Building a Luxury Custom Home

Here's a streamlined new home-building process to guide you. We've condensed the steps above so you can refer to them when needed.

• Find and Buy Land: Sometimes easier said than done.
• Find Your Team: Work with an experienced design-build team.
• Plan Your Design: Work with your architect to finalize the layout.
• Obtain Permits: Your team should check that all necessary approvals are in place.
• Start Construction: You can watch your home be built from the ground up.
• Complete Inspections: Your home should pass the required checks at each construction stage.
• Move-In: Finish with a detailed new construction checklist to ensure everything is ready.

Your Builder Checklist

We've discussed finding the right team multiple times and even mentioned how design-build can help you with this aspect. Understandably, choosing the right team is critical to your project's success. Use this luxury builder checklist to evaluate potential candidates and get a feel for what you need to look for.

1. Proof of Experience

Look for builders with a proven track record in luxury custom home projects. You don't want a builder unfamiliar with the work involved in the new home construction process. On every website, you should find a thriving portfolio that shows experience and skill.

2. Colorado Expertise

You want a builder familiar with Denver's high elevation, terrain, and dry climate who knows when to assume hail or snow might fall. In addition, you want to be sure your team is comfortable with all permits and local regulations.

3. Reputation and Reviews

Read testimonials and reviews to gauge the builder's quality and attention to detail and to see if their building style matches yours.  

Building in the Denver Area

Building a luxury custom home in Denver and surrounding areas is a chance to create a space curated for your family in one of the most desirable regions of the country. With this detailed custom home checklist, you'll feel confident every step of the way—from buying land in Colorado to completing the new home-building process. Our home-building services are designed to make this experience as enjoyable as possible.

Colorado's spectacular mountainscapes, focus on outdoor living, and inherent call to adventure provide the perfect backdrop for your luxury home. It's more than a house—it's a lifestyle. It's time for your custom home dreams to become reality. The mountains are calling, after all.

Contact Us

If this checklist has inspired you to build a new luxury custom home, our team is ready to help.

Contact us today for a consultation. It may be time to start building a home that rivals your dreams.