Horizon Construction Services

06/07/2025

Check out the before and after photos of a kitchen & dining room remodel that we did recently.

05/15/2025

Why building an ADU might be the smartest move you make this year.
If you've been thinking about adding more space, creating extra income, or preparing for the future without buying a new home. An (ADU) Accessory Dwelling Unit is a smart move.

1. Extra Income- When used as a short-term or long-term rental.

2. Ideal for multigenerational Living- An ADU offers a private space for your aging parents or have a college graduate moving back home.

3. Flexibility that grows with you- A guest house, a home office, a retreat from your spouse, an art studio or whatever use fits your needs.

4. Building departments are more welcoming of ADU's more than ever before- It creates more living space without the sprawl.

5. Whether you want to support a family, generate income, or make your property work harder for you, an ADU could be the solution you've been looking for. With the right design and a solid plan, you can unlock a whole new world of possibilities- right in your own backyard.

Contact Horizon Construction Services to learn more.

02/14/2025

I'm sure you have noticed the colder temperatures and the snow that has been sticking around for the last week but have you noticed ice dams on you roof eves and at your gutters? Keep a close eye on roof and gutters for snow melt and ice dams, once ice dams form the water and ice can creep under your roofing shingles and start to create water damage. Excessive ice dams and water creeping under your shingles will cause water damage in your attic and walls, and if it gets really bad you will notice water leaking out of your ceiling. Keep an eye out for this and be proactive because water damage will start the growth of mold and start rotting building materials on your home. A lot of time, water damage is minimal or is not visible from inside of your home but the damage is quietly taking place in you attic or walls as the insulation has absorbed the water and is now holding onto the water like a sponge. Once this happens, bad things happen in those unseen cavities of your home. See diagram below for what ice dams look like and the damage they can cause.

02/10/2025

Ashton Jeanty our BSU star Running Back made it on the Pizza Hut Super Bowl pre-game commercial.

The NFL Draft is still 74 days away but #2 is already making a splash alongside NFL legends Rob Gronkowski and Howie .

01/28/2025

11/07/2024

This five point buck stopped by the other day to say hi on one of my remodel projects. 

10/19/2024

Now that nighttime freezing temperatures are upon us, as homeowners we have some items that need addressed.
1- If you have not yet scheduled to have your sprinkler system blown out, hurry up and get this scheduled because most companies have their schedules booked for the season. Make sure you have it done before the first part of November.
2- Now is a good time to go around your house and to close all your foundation vents. This will help in preventing cold winter air getting into your crawl space and freezing your plumbing pipes. When we get those long snaps of cold weather some homes will be more vulnerable to their plumbing pipes freezing.
3- Now is a good time to disconnect your garden hoses from your homes hose bibs. Once the weather starts freezing the hoses connected to the hose bibs will freeze and the freezing will continue into the hose bib and can split the hose bib inside of your crawl space. You don't want this to happen because you will have a constant stream of water running into your crawl space which can create a bad mold problem.
4- Now that leaves are falling, they love to float into your gutters and plug up those gutters and down spouts. You should plan on someone cleaning out your gutters & down spouts in November/December once most of the leaves have fallen. Once the gutters are plugged up with leaves they will not function properly and could cause potential water damage to your home, especially once those leaves turn into a frozen block in the gutters.

03/05/2024

How long does it take to remodel a home?
The first two questions that a homeowner asks when they’re considering remodeling their home is, “How long is this renovation going to take?” And how much will this cost? As you would imagine, the answer is complex – just like any construction project! Every home renovation is a one-of-a-kind project with its own set of unique scope, variables, challenges, and expenses. Because of that, each home renovation will have its own unique construction schedule and expenses.
The short, but VERY incomplete, answer to the question “How long does it take to renovate a home?” It takes 4 to 12 months to complete a remodel on a home. However, some single-space renovations can take less than 4 months and some whole-home remodels with or without additions can take longer than 12 months. The cost of the remodel is wildly different with every home.

TYPICAL HOME RENOVATION PROCESS
Our home renovation process takes 6 steps. If optimizing your timeline is a priority for you, we suggest involving a homebuilder very early on in the process. Oftentimes, you can combine Steps 2 and 3 by interviewing your builder candidates as you walk them through your existing home and share what your renovation wish list entails. Once you’ve selected your builder, they will usher your project through the architectural design phase, the pre-construction phase, and the construction phase.

WHAT YOUR BUILDER CAN DO TO STAY ON SCHEDULE
Although there are many things that are outside of a builder’s control, like weather, unexpected material delays and homeowners behind schedule making decisions, there are many more that are within their control. Here we share several ways that your builder can proactively keep everything moving smoothly during the architectural design, pre-construction, and construction phases of your home renovation.
During the Architectural Design Phase, your builder should:
• Thoroughly assess the existing structure of your home as much as possible by analyzing any existing architectural and engineering plans and by cutting a few exploratory holes in strategic locations of your walls/ceilings.
• Thoroughly analyze your renovation plans to foresee and mitigate potential constructability issues.
• Consult with a building performance specialist to perform a home forensic analysis to find out how your house is performing with heat gain and heat loss, and to find if there have been moisture intrusion issues in your home.
• Build a comprehensive budget by assembling and vetting hard bids from every trade and supplier that will be part of your renovation scope.
• Connect you with a qualified interior designer who fits your desired aesthetic, timeline, and budget.
• Provide you and your interior designer with a selections schedule that clearly sequences the material selections and decisions that will be required for your renovation.
During the Pre-Construction Phase, your builder should:
• Minimize HOA and permitting delays by proactively researching each entity’s requirements and by ensuring that application packages are fully complete before submission. Typically, the homeowner will need to work with their HOA for application and approval process.
• Build a realistic construction schedule and communicate that clearly to all trades involved in your renovation.
• Collaborate closely with your interior designer to ensure timely progress is being made on all material and finish selections needed. This step is crucial for budgets and to meet construction the schedule.
• Order materials that have a long lead time to ensure they arrive before they are needed.
During Construction Phase, your builder should:
• Keep an effective procurement schedule that ensures all materials are ordered to prevent any construction schedule delays.
• Require regular onsite meetings with you and your interior designer to keep the flow of decision-making moving smoothly.
• Continue effective collaboration and communication with you, your design partners, and all trades.
• Keep a well-run closeout phase that involves a continually updated schedule, quality control walk-throughs with the builder, checking all mechanicals to ensure proper functionality, and proper protection of finishes following each phase of installation.
WHAT HOMEOWNERS CAN DO TO STAY ON SCHEDULE
Along with your builder, there are many things that you as the homeowner can do to keep your home renovation on schedule. Here they are:
• Select the right builder (renovation contractor) very early in the process.
• Hire an interior designer when you start the architectural design phase. Make sure your interior designer and builder are on the same page and work well together, otherwise this will be a rough road ahead.
• Limit the size and scope of your renovation to match your desired budget and timeline.
• Start with a budget and build in a contingency for unforeseen necessities.
• Understand the lead time for products and materials when making selections, selections with long lead times will add time to the schedule.
• Finalize selections before construction begins.
• Stick to your original renovation scope and plans as much as possible.
• Avoid making changes to your material selections during construction.
As you can see, how long a home renovation takes depends on a variety of factors. The most important of which is partnering with an organized and effective home builder with experience in renovations to meet your scope. From there, you and your builder will work together to keep your home renovation moving smoothly and you will end up with the home you hoped for and an experience you can remember fondly.

03/02/2024

Inflation Cost Comparison

Amongst my peers, the most consistent theme we find with homeowners since mid-2022 has been their underestimation of what the project will cost. Most of the homeowners are consistently underbudgeting by as much as 60%. The homeowners’ expectations have not kept up with the rate of inflation. Nearly everything we purchase in the world since the Covid lockdowns in 2020 has pretty much doubled and in general prices have not come down, prices keep going up on almost everything we purchase. In a recent primetime show interview, the Federal Reserve Chair, Jerome Powell, stated something to the effect that the cost of nearly every product we consume in the United States will go up and the costs in general will not come down in 2024. So, why do most people think they can remodel their home for 40% of what it costs to build a new home. If you DIY your small project and purchase the materials on closeout or clearance pricing, then you might be able to perform a small remodel for half of what it would cost to hire the project out.
If you look back over the last 4 years of what has happened with the cost of everything we purchase in the United States and how inflation has affected all of us. The cost of raw materials, the cost to manufacture the products we consume, and the labor wages for some jobs have almost doubled in cost since 2020.
• Going through your favorite fast-food drive-through has doubled in cost.
• Stopping to grab your coffee at your favorite coffee shop has doubled.
• Grocery shopping has nearly doubled.
• Buying a new or used car has nearly doubled in the last 4 years.
• In 2024 almost every person in our country is now paying nearly a 40% increase in home and auto insurance, even though you haven’t had any claims on your policy.
The cost of construction has nearly doubled for the very same reasons as every other product we consume in this country.
When meeting with clients for a remodel, addition, ADU or shop, the common thought is that it is less expensive to remodel your home than build a new one. In simple DIY projects yes, it is less expensive to DIY a small remodel in one room but the issue with expenses lies with larger projects that you are contracting out. The time and expense to demo a room or a large portion of a house, like relocating walls to open up spaces or to reshape rooms for a better layout is expensive. Many times, moving a wall is much more complex than just moving it, especially if the walls are load bearing walls. That load bearing roof or floor needs to be temporarily supported. If they are, this means structural engineering is needed to figure out the correct beam size, post sizes and possible footing size. The bearing points for the beam take a lot of time and materials to accomplish the task. But it isn’t as simple as moving a wall and adding a beam to support a roof and or floor. You will need to replace flooring, drywall, trim, repaint these areas, relocate electrical, and possibly relocate plumbing and HVAC ductwork. It turns into a large project which now costs as much or more than new construction. In our current economy, when considering a remodel and/or addition, homeowners should double their budget and then add 10% to the doubled budget. This will then get you close to today’s pricing for a remodel, addition or shop.
Horizon Construction Services

10/16/2023

Part 4 of 5. Building a custom home is a dream come true for many people. It's an opportunity to design and construct living spaces that perfectly suits your needs, preferences, and lifestyle. While the process may seem overwhelming, with careful planning and the right approach, you can turn your vision into reality. In this blog, we will guide you through the steps involved in building a custom home and offer tips to ensure a successful and satisfying experience.

7. Obtain Necessary Permits

Before construction can begin, your builder will obtain the necessary permits and approvals from local government authorities.

8. Begin Construction

With permits in hand and financing secured, it's time to break ground. During construction, maintain open lines of communication with your builder, visit once every week or 2 to monitor progress but do not bug the workers, and address any issues promptly with your builder and not the workers. Communication with your builder is key to having the home built to your specifications. Be prepared for some unexpected delays or changes, as construction projects often encounter unforeseen challenges. Remember the house is a work in progress and many parts of the home will look unfinished until the very end but once the home is 100% complete it will look totally different. All the things that have been bugging you during construction will most likely not be an issue at this point.