Custom Home Design Process

Superior craftsmanship, personal attention, and complete customization are the hallmarks of a Robin Ford home. For more than three decades, Robin Ford and his team of craftsmen have built the finest custom homes and renovations in Carroll County, Maryland and the surrounding region. Our commitment to quality has led to our designation as a Certified Green Professional, Certified Aging-In-Place Specialist, Indoor airPlus partner, and ENERGY STAR® Partner. When you work with Robin Ford Building and Remodeling, Inc., you receive consistent, transparent communication, and personal attention from Robin, who visits the job site on a regular basis to ensure our standards are upheld. Contact us today to schedule a consultation, and see why Carroll County residents have voted us as “Carroll’s Best” 16 consecutive years and counting.

Our Building Process

Questions to Consider Prior to 1st Meeting…

1. Do you have a house plan selected? Or of the sample plans here on our site, which best meet your living needs? Also, we can customize any house plan for you…
2. What style of home do you prefer? – Two-story, ranch, bungalow…
3. What interior spaces do you require? – Number of bedrooms and baths, 1st or 2nd floor master bedroom, family room, formal dining/living, study/office, keeping room, breakfast area…
4. Approximate square footage?
5. Interior finishes? – Hardwood, tile, carpet, other wish list or must-haves
6. Exterior finishes? – Stone, brick, HardiePlank siding, vinyl siding
7. Do you have bank pre-qualification? This will help determine your budget.
8. What is your budget?
9. When would you like to begin your project?

Pre-Planning Meeting:

1. This typically is your first meeting, to establish your overall needs and desires in your new home. This includes reviewing house and floor plans from your wish-list to determine what is feasible for your budget, as well as discussing financing options and typical procedures. Please refer to the questionnaire above and on our Contact Us page.
2. You will also discuss building lot options – yours, ours, or we can assist you in your search. If you own your building lot bring your plot/site plan and well and septic information.
3. If you already have a house plan chosen, we can provide a general pre-estimate price.

Construction Financing:

With a budget and/or pre-estimate price, you can contact lending institutions to determine your eligibility for construction financing. The following are lenders we have worked with and recommend.

• BB&T now Truist Mortgage
  Barbara Ringrose
  401 Englar Rd
  Westminster, Maryland 21157
  BRingrose@bbandt.com
  www.bbt.com/bringrose
  Cell: 443-797-2104
  Fax: 410-857-4556
• New Windsor State Bank 
NWSB / ACNB Bank
  
Jack Bowers

  Res. Mortgage Loan Originator
  South York Plaza Office
  York, PA 17402
  
jbowers@acnb.com
  www.nwsbbank.com/personal/mortgage-loans/meet-the-team
  Office: 717-339-5203
  Cell: 717-408-8617
• First National Bank Corp. – FNB
  Robert Reilley
  Mortgage Banking Specialist
  1505 York Road
  Lutherville, MD 21093
  ReilleyR@fnb-corp.com
  Office: 410-868-6033
• Provident State Bank – PSB
  
10045 Red Run Blvd., Ste. 390

  Owings Mills, MD  21117
  mortgages@psbinc.net
  
www.providentstatebank.com/Mortgage/TeamDirectory
  
Office: 410-413-2481
  
FAX: 410-413-2467
• First National Bank Corp. – FNB
  
Lorie Patterson
  Mortgage Banking Consultant
  220 St Charles Way
  York, PA
  PattersonD@fnb-corp.com
  www.pattersonl.fnb-online.com
  Cell: 443-340-4922
  Office: 443-595-6037
• Sandy Spring Bank
  Jeff Starcher
  
6831 Benjamin Franklin Drive
  
Columbia MD 20146

  Cell: 410-707-5651
  
Office: 301-617-4204
  
jstarcher@sandyspringbank.com
  
www.ssbjeff.com

1. You will work with Robin to determine general preferences for interior and exterior finishes that will impact budgeting, such as siding, brick, stone, windows, HVAC, kitchen, baths, flooring and other important options.

2. Final House Plan Review

   Once you have received, reviewed and approved (with our assistance) your final house plan design, we will send out your house plan to our subcontractors for a bid on each job phase. Robin will then prepare a workable house price based upon your preferences and budget – we allow about 2-3 weeks for this process.

3. Pricing Approval and Building Contracts

   Upon your review and approval of the house pricing, we will move forward with the construction contract and specifications. These documents will outline in detail the construction building agreement and specifications for interior and exterior finishes including but not limited to siding, brick, stone, windows, HVAC, electrical, plumbing, fixtures, kitchen, baths, flooring and/or builder allowances for these items.

4. Finalize Financing Commitment

   If not already determined, choose your lender and obtain final approval for your construction financing – this will be necessary for our next steps.

5. Selections Worksheet and Distributors for Selections

   These documents are provided to help you break down the final selections process into 4 manageable sections and to give you a time frame of when we need to have your finalized selections so construction can proceed on schedule.

6. Building Permit Application

   Once the construction contract and specifications are signed and we have bank loan approval we can submit an application for the building permit. The permitting process in Carroll County takes about 2-3 weeks. Once we receive the permit we can begin breaking ground and the exciting process of building your custom home.