What is a building allowance?

Creating Your Space

The biggest benefit of building a custom home, in our humble opinion, is creating a space that reflects the family that calls it home.  We love that homeowners are able to include elements that complement their family, their lifestyle and their interests for years to come.

Staying on budget

After you’ve finalized a floor plan and design for your home, we will offer you a bid that details how we’ve arrived at your home’s cost.  Allowances are a tool we use to ensure your personal selections don’t add surprise costs at the end of the process. They are based on the average expense of that particular category in a home of your size.

For instance, if most people spend ‘x amount’ on flooring, you will see that number reflected in your bid.  When you go to choose your own flooring, you can use the allowance as a gauge for your spending.  If your selections are less than the flooring allowance in the bid, you’ll see that difference as a credit to your total expense.  Conversely, if you select items that are more than the allowance, you’ll see this reflected as an overage to your total cost.

Categories such as windows, cabinetry, countertops, flooring, tile, light fixtures, plumbing fixtures, and landscaping are the spots you’ll see allowances built into your bid.  These categories reflect the areas that costs can vary greatly from home to home.

Making your home ‘YOU’

Based on the size and design style of your home, Dean and Colin will include allowances in your bid to give you the freedom that comes with building a custom home.  Do you envision lots of crown molding and millwork?  Are intricate chandeliers a must have in your formal dining room?  Do you love to cook and can’t fathom a kitchen without a Viking range?  An allowance does just that, it ‘allows’ you to adjust the items in your home to your preferences while keeping your budget in check.

Some examples of the way previous homeowners fulfilled their allowances are shown below.

 Light fixtures

 Appliances

 Outdoor entertaining

 Landscaping

Where will your allowances take you?