Building With Linwood

Linwood offers construction services in many geographic areas. We have one of the largest teams of expert builders in the industry supported by a full range of specialist contractors and manufacturers.

Using the Linwood Design and Material Package gives us the benefit of using high-quality plans, premium lumber and other outstanding materials and components in getting the basic structure of the building to the important lock-up stage.  In addition, as a major industry player, we have significant buying power with both labor and finishing material suppliers. This gives us a big cost advantage in all stages of constructing and completing the home.

This also means that we can offer fixed pricing at low rates for an extended period. This is a major advantage for our customers given the length of time typically needed to obtain permits and other approvals.

We have been involved in the construction of over 10,000 custom homes and other commercial buildings. As a result we have a unique understanding of all the challenges and opportunities that arise in building many different types of projects. This experience has been incorporated into the scopes of construction contracts that we are able to offer while getting the full benefits of using the Linwood system.

Detailed Scope of Work

There are a lot of trades involved in building a custom home.

They often work independently and not in a coordinated manner.

Unless you can see the whole sequence of work, it is easy to miss significant budget items.

Having a clearly detailed scope of work based on your chosen design and taking into account the characteristics of your site is therefore extremely important.

It outlines all the tasks that need to be completed at each stage of the project to reach a successful result.

The Linwood scope of work shows everything that should be included in your budget as well as the associated cost.

You are able to see what is involved and the financial impact of any change decisions you may choose to make.

The finalized scope of work becomes an integral part of a proper written contract.

Proper Written Contracts

The contract defines the legal obligations of Linwood and the customer. The work to be done is itemized and a corresponding payment schedule based on performance milestones. The wording is clear, so misinterpretations are avoided. Poorly worded contracts are usually the reason for disputes between customers and builders.

Both parties to the contract must be able to fulfill their promises. The key one is for us to be able to perform specified work at the stated price. Any guarantee is only as good as the intent and financial ability to honour it. Unlike Linwood, many small builders have minimal, if any willingness or resources to make good if they have under-bid on contracts.

Linwood is a substantial company with many years in business. Our financial strength is evidenced by the substantial guarantees needed to support so many new home warranties. We have an unblemished reputation for completing work on the terms we promise.

Faster Construction With Minimal Risk

Linwood Construction Services is a full-service builder. We take your project from beginning to end and have a vested interest in seeing it through to completion as quickly as possible. This means making sure that all necessary work is completed in time to start the next stage of construction as quickly as possible.

Even in the current market, key outside resources such as engineers or surveyors are in short supply. As a major industry player, Linwood has priority status with these resources and other suppliers so we can move projects ahead more quickly than other builders.

We also have a large group of experienced local builders and a network of skilled trades available to work on projects for our customers. These are supervised by highly experienced senior project managers who schedule the resources needed to get your home built faster and at the best possible price.

As a result, Linwood is one of the few builders that offer customers the ability to fix the price of a large component of their project. The extent of this commitment is detailed in each type of written contract. We are able to back this up and minimize your risk because of our financial strength.

Own General Contractor

The person ultimately responsible for building the home is known as the General Contractor. Most financing institutions will insist on a licenced and insured professional General Contractor. In exceptional circumstances, the homeowner may act as their own General Contractor if they have the level of expertise necessary and access to their own construction resources.

You may have an existing relationship with a local General Contractor that you want to use for your project. Alternatively, Linwood may not have a team readily available in your immediate area.

The good news is that your Linwood package will work equally well no matter who you choose as your local general contractor.

Our Project Advisors will work with you to help select the right independent contractor for your project and make sure they understand the significant benefits and the best use of the Linwood home package.

Best Use of the Linwood Home Package

The contents of the Linwood home package have been refined over more than 50 years in business and used in the construction of over 10,000 houses. The objective is to help you build a great quality custom home at the lowest realistic price.

Most of our customers have never built a new home before and do not know what is involved in completing their project successfully. The key to good decision-making is having the right information to start with. Our experienced Project Advisors start by helping you develop your design concept so that it gives you the look and interior layout you want, can be built on your property and meets your budget needs.

The advice and help you get in this process is the first critical step in developing a Linwood Design and Material Package that is customized specifically for your project.

The package includes custom concept design, detailed permitting plans, and premium materials and components not available from lumber yards. Wall panelization is a very popular option that helps you reach the lock-up stage even more quickly.

Materials are carefully selected from national brand-name manufacturers for looks, performance and value. Linwood has long-established relationships with these suppliers to make sure our customers have priority in delivery as well as preferential pricing. The ability to offer meaningful warranties is also an important part of the selection criteria.

All components are ordered and assembled for timely delivery to site so that they are available when needed and minimize the cost of the construction process. Materials are factory-organized and packaged together for easy identification and their use as identified in the construction plans.

The price of the home package is fixed for an extended period to give maximum cost certainty on a significant part of the home building budget. This is an important consideration given the volatility of the lumber commodity market. We maintain a significant inventory of material, purchased at seasonally low prices, to give our customers valuable protection.

You are guaranteed that there will be enough material, including siding to complete the home as fast as possible to the important lock-up stage.

Our highly detailed Linwood Construction Manual is made available to you so that you can understand what is going on at each stage of the project, how to select the right resources and avoid common pitfalls. This knowledge also helps you work with us or your own general contractor and get the best use of the home package.

The bottom line is that the contents of the Linwood home package have been designed to give you the home you want at the lowest realistic price no matter who is acting as General Contractor.

Selecting the Right Contractor

As most people have never built before, they may not realize they are taking on a lot of personal liability and risk unless they select the right contractor.

The first important consideration is their general track record and ability to build the type of home specified in your Linwood home package. You should check references from multiple sources, not just names given by the builder.

The scope and cost of work should be clearly outlined in a proper written contract. Contractors should be properly licenced, insured and in good standing with local regulatory authorities. Many small contractors are not in good standing.

Many contractors are not familiar with the building cost benefits of using the Linwood home package. This can lead to them quoting an unduly high price for the structural work.

General Contractors often use cost-plus pricing for the work involved in completing the rest of the project. In all too many cases, these are based on unrealistically low estimates in order to obtain the work. Of course, cost-plus pricing actually gives the contractor no incentive to keep the final finished costs down, in-fact the contrary. 

For these reasons, it is important to choose a General Contractor that you can trust. Your Linwood Project Advisor can help you select the right choice for a suitable General Contractor. 

Establishing a Realistic Budget

Establishing a realistic budget is crucial for securing financing and maintaining control throughout your construction journey. A well-planned budget ensures you are financially prepared for each stage of the project, avoiding unexpected costs and keeping your vision on track.

Your budget needs to include site development costs as well as the cost of building and finishing the actual home. These site development costs can be significantly higher than many people realize. Make sure you have realistic estimates or quotes in hand for this work.

Some owner-builders may choose to finance their entire project independently, while others may opt for construction financing through trusted lending institutions. Understanding your options and planning accordingly is key to a successful build. Financial institutions tend to disburse funds more heavily weighted to later stages of the project. This means additional funds may be needed in the early stages.

We have created a comprehensive guide to support owner-builders and help them develop a realistic and comprehensive budget. Your Project Advisor will also help you in the process of creating your Linwood home package.

Building to Lock-Up

Your Linwood home package includes permit plans and all the materials needed to build your new home on its foundations to the lock-up stage. At this time the exterior structure of the home is complete, secure, weather-proof and ready for interior finishing.

Lock-up Materials Include:

• Floors

• Exterior & interior walls

• Roof system

• Windows

• Exterior doors

• House wrap

• Siding

• Fascia, soffit & trim

We recommend that you do not play a direct role in building the structure of the home and hire an experienced framing crew.

If you do get involved, generally, you will be unable to get a fixed price on the framing of the home. Quotes will be on a cost-plus basis and this work will likely take longer.

After the foundation is in place, getting to lock-up usually takes somewhere between 3-5 weeks. This depends on the size, location and complexity of the project. Using the Linwood home package saves a significant amount of time to get to this stage. This can be important particularly if adverse weather conditions are an issue.

Building to lock-up typically takes only about a third of the time required to complete the finishing of the interior to turn-key. However, once you have reached the lock-up stage you can continue to finish the interior under virtually any weather conditions. This is ideal for you and your General Contractor.

Interior Design Service

Linwood offers interior design services in many areas.

Our team of experienced interior designers can help you create the look and feel you want in your new home.

We have preferential buying programs set up with major national manufacturers of finishing products so that you can take advantage of a great selection at attractive prices.

There are a lot of different elements involved in getting a harmonious and pleasing look on the inside of your home.

Our team can help you choose colour schemes and finishing materials. These include flooring, tiling, cabinetry, and millwork as well as plumbing, bathroom and electrical fixtures.

This service is a popular option for many clients, including ones who have chosen to work with their own builder. They find it easier to make interior finishing decisions once the basic structure of the house is in place.