Since most of us have spent more time at home in the last 12 months than ever before, we have a new appreciation for making a house a home. And because everyone plans to stay home more in the future, but reintroduce guests, most want some sort of outdoor space to entertain them. If you have been dreaming of improving your home, now is the time to do it, but it comes with a longer-than-expected wait time. It makes sense though … while remodeling activity continues to grow, so does project wait time.

Here’s what to expect…

When a homeowner calls us right now – we are anywhere between 3-4 weeks before getting to do an initial appointment with them.    Once we have done that initial meeting, it takes about 2 weeks to get a design back.  Once the design is approved and the contract is signed, we are looking at an additional 12-14 weeks to start construction.

Remodeling wait times aren’t just in Houston either, this stands for the entire country.

With more homeowners reaching out to construction firms, architects and interior designers to upgrade their homes, the wait time to start a new project is also on the rise.

If you look at the chart above, you’ll see that demand for construction services is strong, as the average wait time to begin a midsize project rose to 9.3 weeks. A year ago, the national average wait time was 5.4 weeks, meaning the average wait time is almost one month (3.9 weeks) longer than the same period last year.

-Houzz

Another thing to consider…

Cost of projects have gone up due to rising lumber and material costs.  Labor costs are also on the rise.  This is always subject to change, but it’s worth mentioning.

If you’re ready to move full steam ahead, contact us now!

IMMEDIATE NEWS RELEASE

2016 Star Awards & Excellence under 45 Awards Winners

The Texas Association of Builders (TAB) announced the 2016 Star Awards winners at the Gaylord Texan® Resort and Convention Center in Grapevine. The highly-coveted Star Awards are given annually in conjunction with the Sunbelt Builders Show™ to recognize excellence in all areas of the home building industry. In 1992, the Texas Association of Builders launched the Star Awards – the only statewide tribute to excellence in the home building industry.

The 2016 Star Awards recognized the outstanding work of builders, remodelers, architects, designers, sales professionals, marketing professionals, construction professionals and industry leaders in Texas and the Southwest. Entries were judged by a distinguished panel of industry experts from across the country.

Winners will be featured in the September/October issue of Texas Builder magazine. Click here to see a list of complete award winners.

Texas Custom Patios grabbed, “Remodeler – Best Outdoor Living Space” in two different price categories!  We are thrilled and honored.

We were recently featured in Hearth & Home Magazine for our gorgeous work in outdoor design. We are elated to be noted for our hard work and look forward to doing a dozen more designs in the coming month. If you are thinking about making your backyard beautiful for the holidays, the time to start, is now! Here’s a look at a cozy little corner of one of our award-winning projects.

A dramatic wood burning fireplace is the focal point of this outdoor living space (pictured above). It anchors one end of the gabled pavilion, soaring to the height of the vaulted ceiling. Though beautiful, this massive fireplace did create engineering and masonry challenges on the project.  “The manufactured beam running through the back of the fireplace required many hours of masonry work to make it look just perfect,” says builder Ryan Guikema.

That kind of attention to detail is evident in the entire Outdoor Room. The stone on the fireplace is carried through on the outdoor kitchen island and the seat wall. The seat wall itself is finished with cast-stone caps and low voltage lighting; it surrounds the entire project to define the perimeter of the room.

The ceiling of the pavilion is made of tongue-and-groove pine that has been whitewashed to contrast with the darker cedar beams. There are also curved corbels, rack bracing to match the beams, and columns finished in cedar.