Build it right from the first decision.
Most builds that go wrong were set up wrong: a lot that didn’t fit the plan, drawings that didn’t match the budget, a “fixed price” full of allowances, and a big deposit before any permit. We take you from lot to permit to a signed builder contract, on your side of the table, so construction starts with a real number and a clean file.
Why start with us
Most stalled builds started as a preconstruction problem. A builder walks off or a budget breaks, and the cause is almost always upstream: an unchecked lot, conflicting plans, a scope written by the builder, and payment terms that put the owner’s money ahead of the work. Build-Ready is the same discipline we use to rescue stalled projects, applied before anything goes wrong.
Sound familiar? These are the calls we get, and every one of them was preventable before the first shovel:
- The lot that costs more than the house plan assumed. You close, then learn it needs an engineered septic system, fill for a flood elevation, or a utility run nobody priced. Site work that can run into the tens of thousands, found after the money is spent.
- Bids you can’t compare. Three builders, three different scopes, three numbers. The low bid is low because of what it leaves out, and you find out at the first change order.
- The “fixed price” full of allowances. Cabinets, flooring, fixtures and site work are left as placeholders. The final cost shows up one change order at a time.
- A big deposit before a permit. The schedule slips, the builder gets busy elsewhere, and your money is already in someone else’s account.
- The lender who won’t close. The plans, the budget and the builder contract don’t line up, so underwriting stalls and your rate lock runs out.
Whose side is anyone on? Two minutes on why homeowners need someone in their corner.
Who it’s for
Families building a home
You own a lot, you’re about to buy one, or you have a plan you love and no idea what it really costs to build here. You want someone who knows the process to run it with you, and you want to make each decision once.
Investors and developers
You’re starting a spec, rental or infill build, splitting a lot, or adding an ADU when Virginia’s by-right ADU law takes effect July 1, 2027. You need a cost you can underwrite, a lender-ready file, and a builder who prices the same scope as everyone else.
Not the right fit if you want someone to find the land for you, you need a builder to start next week, or you’re looking for the cheapest bid regardless of scope. Build-Ready is for owners who want the real number and a clean file before they commit.
How it works
Four phases from lot to signed builder contract. You decide at every gate, and nothing in the next phase starts until you approve it.
Before you buy (optional): Lot Screen. Found a lot, or your agent has a few in mind? We check zoning, setbacks, utilities, flood zone, easements and obvious site-work cost drivers, and tell you whether your home fits and what the dirt is likely to cost before you’re under contract. One lot per screen, results in 3 business days (target).
- Lot + Build Feasibility (10 business days, target). Zoning, setbacks, utilities, flood and site-work cost drivers, drone footage, a realistic budget range, lender fit and monthly cost, a design brief, and a go, adjust or rethink recommendation.
- Design + Budget (about 2–4 months). Your licensed architect, engineer and surveyor coordinated, the design priced at every milestone, value-engineering options you choose, and one complete scope and selections schedule.
- Permit + Lender Package (typically 1–3 months, by county). Permit submission and county comments tracked to issuance, plus the budget, scope, schedule of values and plans your appraiser and construction lender need.
- Builder Path (2–4 weeks). 2–3 licensed, vetted builders bid the same scope, including at least one with no Foundation First relationship. Bids leveled line by line, any relationship disclosed in writing, and a contract with no deposit before the permit and pay only for inspected work.
Then: Build Oversight through Closeout (about 6–8 months for a typical custom home). Change orders priced before the work, draws only for inspected progress, lien waivers at every draw, monthly drone progress footage, a complete closeout file, and an 11-month warranty walk.
What you walk away with
Every gate ends with something on your desk you can act on, and you keep it whether or not you continue:
- Lot Screen: a one-page lot report covering zoning, setbacks, utilities, flood zone, easements and site-cost flags, with a clear buy, negotiate or walk call.
- Feasibility: a go, adjust or rethink memo, a line-item budget range, and the lender types that fit your project and your numbers.
- Design + Budget: one complete scope and a coordinated plan set from your architect and engineer, checked against your budget before anything goes to permit.
- Permit + Lender Package: the permit submitted and tracked, plus a lender-ready package: budget, schedule, plans and builder qualifications in one file.
- Builder Path: 2–3 bids on the same scope, leveled side by side, with our recommendation and the contract terms we would change before you sign.
Pricing
| Service | Fee |
|---|---|
| Lot Screen (optional, before you buy) | $750 per lot; credited to Feasibility if you buy that lot and continue within 60 days |
| Phase 1: Lot + Build Feasibility | $3,500 fixed for a single home; 50% to start. Multiple lots or units: custom quote |
| Phases 2–3: Preconstruction Controls | $2,500/month, billed in advance, 3-month minimum |
| Phase 4: Builder Path | Included in Preconstruction Controls |
| Optional: Selections + Allowance Coordination | $2,500 fixed |
| Optional: 3D renderings | Quoted per project |
| Construction: Owner’s Rep Oversight | $3,500/month, when a full-service builder holds the contract |
| Construction: Build Coordination | 10% of hard cost, paid per draw, when our licensed partner builds. No markup on labor or materials |
Design, engineering, survey, soils, permit and legal costs are paid directly to the provider at cost. We never front project costs or hold construction funds.
Not a new layer of cost. Every builder’s price already carries overhead and profit to run the job, about 26% of construction cost nationally (NAHB, 2024). When our licensed partner builds, our 10% plus the partner’s disclosed fee (about 5%) is that overhead, not an addition to it. With an outside builder, we ask bidders to credit the administration we take over. Your proposal shows the total for every path and says plainly which one costs you less.
How we protect your money
- Your money never sits with us. Construction funds move through your lender’s draw process to the licensed builder, only for documented, inspected progress.
- No builder deposit before the permit. Any deposit is capped at 10%.
- Licensed professionals do licensed work. Licensed architects or designers draw, licensed engineers stamp, and licensed builders hold the contract and pull the permit.
- One shared record. You, your lender and your design team see the same budget, schedule, decisions and documents.
- You keep everything we produce, even if you stop at a gate.
Frequently asked questions
Do you find land for me?
We don’t sell or broker real estate. Bring us the lots you or your real estate agent are considering, and we’ll tell you whether your home fits and what the site is likely to cost.
Are you an architect or a builder?
Neither. We work on your side of the table and coordinate licensed architects, designers, engineers and builders. You can bring your own or choose from our vetted partners.
I already have plans. Can I start at Phase 2?
Yes. We’ll review your plans against your lot and budget first, and quote a starting point.
Why not just get a builder to price my plans?
A builder prices its own scope, with its own allowances and exclusions. We build one complete scope first, so every bid prices the same house and you can compare them line by line.
How long from lot to groundbreaking?
Often 4–8 months, depending on design decisions, the county’s permit review and your loan. Phase 1 gives you a realistic window and the decisions that control it. These are targets, not guarantees.
What if the numbers don’t work?
Then you find out for $3,500, before you pay for full drawings, sign a loan or sign a builder contract.
Starting a build? Get the real number before you draw a line.
Send us the lot address, your plan or rough square footage, and your target budget. On a 15-minute call we’ll tell you what we would check first and whether Feasibility makes sense, before you spend anything.
Already building and it stalled? See New Build Rescue.
Foundation First coordinates licensed design, engineering, GC and trade partners and does not perform architecture, engineering, real estate brokerage or licensed construction. Lender, inspector and county approvals remain independent. Targets are not guarantees. Foundation First does not provide legal, tax or accounting advice.
