Frequently Asked Questions

Design + Build

  • The cost to build a custom home in Colorado varies greatly depending on size, complexity and finishes. As of 2024, it is challenging to build a custom home with nice finishes for less than $2,000,000 (not including land). We are often asked, ‘What is the cost per square foot to build a custom home in Colorado?’ The answer to that question also varies wildly. As a general answer, a custom home will likely cost somewhere between $375 - $500 per square foot, not including land, however, that cost could go well over $1,000 - $1,200 per square foot. It is important to clarify what is included in the cost to build a custom home. Is landscaping included? Does the home include solar or geothermal? A pool? Factors like these, plus unknown site conditions like soils conditions, foundation design, utility infrastructure, etc. can all make a significant impact on the total cost as well as cost per square foot.

  • In short, it is the process of hiring one company to oversee and manage the process of designing and building your custom home, rather than hiring separate companies for the three main tasks: architecture, interior design, and construction.

    Having these three tasks executed by three separate companies (architect, designer, and builder/general contractor) increases the risk for cost overruns, finger pointing and missed expectations.

    At Gowler Homes, we oversee every detail of the plan design process (architecture), material, finish and fixture selections (interior design) in addition to being responsible for budgeting, scheduling, and construction management (build).

    The benefit of hiring a single company to plan and execute your project is that there is a single point of responsibility for the outcome of the project. At Gowler Homes, our Design + Build process will ensure that every detail, from start to finish, is consistent with the vision for your home and within budget.

  • Our custom home design phase ( we call this Project Development) takes an average of 6-8 months as of Q1 2024. During the Project Development phase, we prepare all of the architectural, engineering, interior design, finish selections and labor and material specifications needed to build your home. We then create a project schedule and budget for the project based on these design documents BEFORE construction starts so there are fewer surprises once construction begins. Our philosophy is that the more detailed we get during the Project Development phase, the more efficient the Construction phase will be

    The Gowler Homes Project Development phase includes:

    Architectural Floor Plan Development, Exterior Elevation Design and Material Selection

    Site Plan Development

    Survey and Lot Staking

    Structural Engineering

    Foundation Design

    Roof Truss Design and engineering

    Soils Testing

    Utility Design (electric, water (or well) and wastewater (or septic), natural gas (or propane)

    HVAC system design

    Lighting Layout and Electrical Design

    Interior Design and Finish Specifications (cabinetry, tile, flooring, counter tops, lighting and plumbing fixture, doors and millwork, appliances, etc)

    Exterior 3D Renderings

    Permit review submittal through building department

    Comprehensive bidding and estimating

  • Building timelines vary depending on site conditions, weather, and the complexity and size of the project. Most of our homes are completed within 12-15 months after we break ground. The timeline for larger, more complex projects can extend beyond this.

  • Unfortunately, no. Due to licensing and permit requirements, schedule implications, warranty, and liability concerns, we do not allow homeowners to perform work on their home.

    Trust us, we will make sure it’s done right, on time, and on budget. You can spend time with your family and enjoy the process without getting your hands dirty!

  • Absolutely! Your home is covered for a full 12 months by the Gowler Homes warranty. We take a proactive approach to addressing any items that may need to be addressed after you move in. We schedule a 30 day post move in walk through as well as an 11 month inspection to ensure that your home is performing the way it was intended to.

  • Our founder, Matt Gowler has been building in the Colorado Front Range since 2003. Our team of talented project managers and superintendents bring decades more of professional luxury custom home building experience.

  • Yes, we will coordinate the installation of your well and septic system as well as the electrical and natural gas/propane connections.

  • We design and build all of our homes with high performance standards in mind, including energy efficiency, as well as water and air quality. We have experience with photovoltaic solar systems, ERV systems, water treatment and filtration systems, advanced thermal insulation techniques, radiant heating systems, geothermal and more. If you have specific home performance expectations or requirements, please let our team know!

  • Yes. We currently carry a class C homebuilding licenses to build all along the Colorado Front Range, including: El Paso County, Douglas County, Castle Rock, Lone Tree and Elbert County.

    We carry $2,000,000 liability insurance on each project and workers-comp insurance on all employees. Additionally, we secure a Builders Risk policy for each individual custom-home project, in accordance with the client’s lender’s requirements.

    We also require that any trade partners that work on our projects carry insurance and licenses.

Financing

  • Yes, all of our projects are customer financed. We will help guide you to great local lenders who can make the financing of your new custom home simple and easy. We will handle all the financial administration and accounting for your project and work directly with your bank to request project draws on a monthly basis, with your approval.

  • If you choose to finance your project, there may be up to 3 different loans involved in building a custom home:

    • Land Purchase Financing

    • Construction Financing

    • Permanent Financing

    There are also loan programs that combine your construction loan and permanent loan into one process. We highly recommend that you consider a “construction to permanent” financing option.

    The benefit of using a construction to permanent loan is that there is only one application, one set of closing costs, and one appraisal. Also, your interest rate is set when you close on the construction loan, which means that you eliminate the risk of rates increasing during construction.

    Lastly, when doing a construction to permanent loan, the appraisal is completed pre-construction, which means that you don’t have the risk of the home not appraising after construction is complete.

  • Most land loans require a down payment of 25%. However, the down payment requirement is bank specific and you may find a lender who has lower down payment requirements. Land loans typically have short terms (12 -24 months) because there is an expectation that you’re going to build on the land. If you are planning on buying land and waiting a few years to build, you’ll want to ensure that the loan you choose meets your needs.

  • Most lenders require that you put a minimum down payment of 10%-20% of the total construction + land costs for your project. Typically, a lender will count any down payments made on the land as well as builder deposits or pre-paid expenses (like Project Development costs) toward your cash down payment requirements, but check with your lender to make sure.

    If you financed your land, the construction loan will typically pay off the land and roll that loan into the construction loan.

    Construction loans are typically interest only loans with a term of 12 months. Meaning, that you only pay interest on the amount that you’ve drawn from the loan. For example, when you close on the loan, the balance will be $0, so you wouldn’t be accruing interest. After month 1, you’ll have incurred expense for excavation and foundation, so you’ll begin to pay interest on the balance of the loan. This increases month by month as construction continues until the end of the project.

    A benefit of having a construction loan is that there is a 3rd party involved to verify the progress of the project. Most banks inspect the project monthly to ensure that the funds being drawn from the loan are being used to build the project.

  • Once construction has started, we will make requests for payment on a monthly basis. We call these ‘draw requests’. Each draw request will include a detailed invoice that lists every cost incurred on your project for the previous month. We request reimbursement for those expenses and provide documentation to substantiate every penny that is spent.

    You and your lender will review and approve the draw before it is funded. Most banks do a project inspection with each draw request to ensure that the work that we have requested payment for has been completed.

    You’ll make construction loan payments to your lender based on your loan terms and the amount of the loan that has been funded to date. Naturally, this loan balance grows during the course of construction.

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