A doctor we built for had us build a second house and a medical office after that.

One family had us build 4 houses as their family grew, and we recently finished a commercial build out for their new company, Babyology.

Another family had us build, starting with the family patriarch, and we have built for one of his son’s and daughter’s.

A doctor in Anchorage had us build his first house, and we did 5 remodels/additions to his house. H later referred us to build a house for his brother in law.

Another client in Anchorage is still in their house we built in 1980, and we have done 4 remodeling projects at that house. We recently did a major remodel to their kitchen to accommodate the grandchildren, and we have completed 4 commercial remodels for their business. We are now working for two of their children, currently remodeling 2 projects for them.

We remodeled and built a new corporate addition to a dental office, and continued to build/remodel 5 additional offices for them, also building a new house for one of the dentist partners.

We built a home in Douglas Hills only to come back 20+ years later to do an addition and remodel.

We can only tute our own horn so much, but when our customers tute theirs it speaks volumes.

In the market for a custom home, remodel or addition? Just starting dream, that OK too. Contact us today for a free initial consultation.

Recently a client who was interviewing us to build their new home asked, “Why should I use you to build for us”?

I quickly answered:

1. We have been in the building business since 1974, and have weathered many storms in our industry.
2. We are progressive in our thinking and designing, but we also know what stands the test of time. Many new companies in our industry do the “now thing”, following trends and features that we have seen go by the wayside, leaving the “dated house” syndrome. Limiting your investment because of not knowing past experiences.
3. We have been doing many of the features required for “Energy Star Rating” for several years. We recently had a house Energy Star rated, doing nothing different than we typically do, and our rater said “You had one of the best tests we have ever seen in this size house”.
4. We have a staff that has been with us for several years. Including many of our subcontractor teams that have been with us since the mid 1970’s.
5. We have a list of customers that will vouch for us and our product.
6. We have had several repeat customers.

I suggested they contact a couple customers. We just finished a house for one and a commercial build out for the other. I wanted them to see how our customers felt about working with us, especially in this current economy. Allowing current customers to transparently express their views on their experience is far more powerful than us promoting ourselves.

We would love to build or remodel your next project, and if offered the opportunity, we hope you’ll feel like our most recent customer who said , “We like your experience and track record. Let’s proceed with the plans”.

We put together this video loop for the recent Trend Home Garden and Remodeling Show. We hope it captures how building a custom home with Perry Lyons of P.L. Lyons Inc is a true concept to completion journey. Enjoy!

We would love for you to bring in your cocktail napkin sketch, sit in our chairs and watch your dream home come together before your eyes. It doesn’t cost a thing for us to give you a ball park estimate. Of course we never leave it that. We do a full and thorough takeoff and estimate before we begin your custom home building or remodeling project. Contact us today at 502-244-0114, email us at perry [at] pllyons [dot] com or contact us online at any time to set an free initial consultation.

When selecting a draftsperson or architect to design my building project, who should I choose?

My experience over the years has varied. We have been involved with architectural firms. individual architects, draftsmen, and drafting firms. All have a place in the market, and many times the project itself dictates the firm or person that should be used.

If you are thinking of working with a building contractor, many times it is wise to get their counsel first.

If you have already decided to work with; lets say a draftsman, look at some plans he has finished in the past. Ask for references. Ask if he does work for builders. Ask those builders how they feel about that particular draftsman.

DO NOT BASE you final decision solely on price. Some draftsmen do not produce a good detailed sets of plans, and it becomes apparent when trying to obtain building permits. It also allows for interpretations in the field, that should be detailed for field crews. Much like a successful business needs a business plan, your building project needs a good set of building plans.

A good quick check is:

Are the beams sized and the dimensions detailed, or does the plan have the notation: “verify in field”, or “builder to verify”,or even notes like “lumber salesman to verify”. Obviously this draftsman does not know what he is doing, or does not want the responsibility of detailing the plans. Do you really want him designing your project?

Contact us to take your home from concept to completion today.

What do you mean estimate verses “guestimate”?

An estimate for a construction project is arrived at much like an estimate for your car repair after an accident. You list the parts and labor and give an estimate. With one huge exception: the construction estimate does not have a standardized cost manual like the automotive repair center does. Additionally, there are many more products to define for the end cost. For this reason, you must be sure that your building contractor is giving you a good detailed estimate, and not just a “guestimate”.

A detailed estimate will always have “take off” information that drives the list of final costs. If you get a lump sum cost for your project, ask your builder for an itemized list of costs that produces the final number. Ask for the details that define the itemized list of costs. This assures a detailed estimate, and most likely a pleasing and enjoyable final result.

If someone quotes a per foot price, beware! There are no details tied to that figure, and something as small as a faucet or specified window manufacturer can alter the per foot price by thousands of dollars.

Download our detailed cost estimate here.

When building your dream custom home, what comes first: the Chicken or the Egg? In this scenario the Chicken being your lot and the Egg being your home plan.

This could be debated either way and our emotions tell us design your plan first. After all that’s far more exciting then picking out a piece of barren ground. With 35 years of experience we think the opposite. Home plans can be a endless search without some parameters. A good first parameter- what size and what are the restrictions of your lot? If your lot will only allow for a home that’s 55 foot wide and 50 foot deep then you can narrow your plan search quite a bit. Thus allowing for the plan to be customized to your specifications.

On the other hand if you find your dream home plan or better yet have it designed, then you may have to compromise where you’ll build it.

These are suggestions to think about. After you have a lot, you’ll have some boundaries with which to start your plan design. At P. L. Lyons, Inc., we will help you look for lots, in your price range, and we specialize in working with you to design your plans.

Call us today to discuss your plans for building a new home or to discuss the plans and estimates for your custom remodeling project.

Recently, we shot a few videos showing how P.L. Lyons delivers a true custom experience. When laying out the custom kitchen cabinets on this contract home, Perry covers all the bases. Perry discusses how furniture will be laid out and even uses wood cut-outs showing customers where the kitchen table will sit.  He thinks through how doors will swing open affecting clearance. He talks about storage needs and the general flow of the space. Of course specific measurements are done as well. This is all before the actual custom cabinet supplier comes to officially measure and eventually install.

Have questions about custom building, custom kitchens remodels. Leave us a comment or contact us here.

In this housing market it’s important to differentiate yourself. Competition is pretty fierce for the few contract custom homes that are out there. We know how we view ourselves but we’ve realized that our potential customers don’t always see us the same way.

We’re not perfect. We make mistakes. We aren’t the cheapest nor do we want to be. We’re a smaller operation. We don’t follow a lot of fads. We aren’t for everybody basically.

What we do is build consistent quality homes that stand the test of time. We have been in the building business for 34 years. You can see our homes in subdivisions and on larger tracts/farms all around the metro area. We do not cut corners- any. We build each home like we or our family would live in it. We think about the costs and benefits of the latest techniques and materials without just adopting them blindly. We adapt and change with you during the building process. We help you take your home from concept to completion. We give you an advanced estimate before we begin your construction. We walk you through the financing. We build off of a set of detailed specifications and a HBAL contract. We’re there for you after the close for callbacks and questions you may have. That’s what custom means to us.

Enough about us. What does custom built mean to you?