Residential Contractor | Raleigh

Brad D. Cummings Construction Company is a residential contractor serving Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Lillington, Cary, Fayetteville and other towns. Below are some frequently asked questions that we hope you find useful as you consider a new home. If you have a question that isn’t answered here, please feel free to contact us.

Frequently Asked Questions

What do I need to do to start the building process?

Set a budget
Whether you will be paying cash or working with a lender, establishing a budget early is very wise. You may want to use an online mortgage calculator, or your computer may include financial software that has a simple version. By using the mortgage calculator, this allows you to enter your desired monthly payment, estimated interest rate, and desired financing time table, calculating the principle amount of your loan. Once you have established your desired monthly payment, it would certainly be beneficial to contact a lending agency to get pre-qualified at your budget amount. Compare loan programs from two or more sources. If you own the lot, you may arrange for construction and mortgage financing. By doing this, you can sit down with your builder and discuss your square footage budget, which will vary according to interior and exterior finishes.

Decide on a location
The feasibility of the site for the style of your home is an important issue. As experienced home builders, we will study lots, evaluate plans and determine how the two might fit together. Also, keep in mind the cost difference between raw land (with no utilities or road) and a finished lot (road installed and utilities available) is usually significant.

Decide on a plan
There are three ways to handle the plan stage of building:

1. You may choose to hire an architect whose professional experience and expertise can assist you during the design phase. Depending on the terms of your contract or the relationship between the builder and the architect, the architect may remain involved throughout construction. Architects can tend to be costly, but their professionalism and expertise may be worth the money.
2. You may choose to purchase your plans from a designer, through a book or off the internet. This may be the most cost effective way, but often you are forced to choose a plan that might not be exactly what you are looking for. Most stock design firms charge additional fees to modify plans from their original design. Also, on many occasions, the plans are over-drawn; too much information on a plan can lead to confusion in the field among sub contractors. We have worked with many online designers in the past and have had great success working with plans by Don Gardner and Frank Betz.
3. One of the most popular and cost effective methods of design is design-build. The design-build approach brings together design and construction expertise, usually resulting in greater continuity of service. At Cummings Construction, we are proud to offer custom design services as well as plan modification services. The joining of design and construction can save you time and money. Please contact us for more information on our custom design-build options or to schedule your free, no-obligation design consultation.

How long will it take to complete my home?
Depending on the style, size, and finishes, new construction may take anywhere from 3 months to more than a year. Be sure to discuss your time table up front with us, making sure we are aware of any target dates you may have. We try to keep things moving as quickly as possible without rushing or sacrificing the quality you expect and deserve.

How much will my home cost?
The exact price of your home can be determined only after the design and all your selections are complete and finalized. We can assist you with a rough budget from the beginning, but the numbers change with each choice you make. Even the lot conditions, soils, etc. can impact the cost of your home. Prior to construction, your contract cost will be set and finalized. The price will only change with signed and approved (by client and builder) change orders or overages in allowances.

What is a change order?
A change order consist of any changes or additions you may make to the project once the contract has been signed, for example, making your bathroom larger, upgrading your shingles, or upgrading to stone veneer versus brick veneer. Overages/underage in materials, labor, or any other expenses tied directly to the original contract specifications are absorbed by the builder and do not affect your cost.

What are allowances?
Allowances are “place holders” in your contract price to cover such items as cabinets, appliances, flooring, light fixtures, plumbing fixtures, etc. Allowances are preferably based on selections you have made with our vendors. If you have not met with our vendors we will attempt to accurately budget appropriate allowances based on your specific request for finishes. However, we recommend that you meet with our vendors prior to signing our construction agreement to assure accurate allowances totals.

Where do I make my selections?
Cummings Construction has partnered with some of the finest vendors in our area to provide showrooms, catalogs and products to assist you in your search for you selections and finishes.

Do you offer any type of warranty?
Yes, Cummings Construction offers a one-year warranty on all of our projects.

Can I obtain a list of client references?
Yes. We encourage you to do so. If you are interviewing multiple builders, we also encourage you to do the same for them as well. Contact us and we will be happy to send you a list of client references as well as trade references. We’ll also be happy to provide you with a sample construction agreement and contract specifications upon request.

I’ve heard you are more expensive than other builders, is this true?
No. When we are asked to price a project, we price it as competitive as possible. On occasion we may be more expensive than other builders, but that may be due to a variety of factors–allowances included in the construction agreement, differing specifications, or difference in quality, just to name a few. When pricing multiple builders, it is extremely important to make sure all builders are pricing the project the same. If we are pricing similar projects, we feel very comfortable competing with any builder.

Where do you build?
Our building radius currently includes Harnett County, Lee County, Cumberland County, Moore County, and Wake County. However, please don’t hesitate to contact us if you live in an area not mentioned. We would be happy to view you location and decide whether it’s feasible for us to work in your area or not.