New Houses Built Into the Grade
A new house on a slope is mostly decided below the first floor. Grading, retaining, foundations and drainage come before framing, and we plan them in that order.
From survey to foundation plan
A new build starts with a topographic survey, a soils report and a grading plan. Those set the foundation type: spread footings, a stepped foundation, grade beams on caissons or a mix of them.
Access and staging on a steep site
Concrete may need a pump line, lumber may need a lift and the street may need a delivery plan. We work these into the schedule and the price before ground is broken.
Framing, envelope and finish
Once the structure is out of the ground, the house goes up in sequence: framing, roof, windows, insulation, systems and finishes, built to Title 24 and, where they apply, the state's wildfire rules.
New Construction: questions
Yes. We can walk it with you and explain what the grade, the access and the setbacks are likely to mean for a build.
Yes. We can price from finished plans, or join earlier to help the design fit the ground and the budget.
Site work, foundation, structure, envelope, systems and finishes as separate lines. We avoid a single per-square-foot figure, because on a slope it hides the biggest variable.
Have a lot in mind?
Give us the lot address and a sketch of the house you have in mind. The ground gets looked at before the house gets discussed.