07 The journal
The first-meeting talks, written down.
We publish the conversations most builders save for the closing table: costs in real numbers, and how to vet builders, us included. Read these before you interview anyone, and every interview will go better.
All journal entries
-
May 2026 · 9 min read
What a custom home really costs: the numbers nobody puts on a website
Per-square-foot ranges, the three budgets, and why allowances sink more projects than markets do. The talk we give at every first meeting, written down.
Tom Whitaker, Preconstruction Director
-
February 2026 · 8 min read
How to choose a builder, including how to vet us
Green flags, how to compare bids, the references that actually tell you something, and the questions we hope you'll ask everyone, us included.
June Hartwell, Founder & Principal
Two entries, on purpose: the two conversations that decide whether a project succeeds. Everything else we'd rather tell you across a table, where you can interrupt.
Begin
Read them, then bring your questions.
The best first meetings are with people who've done the homework. These two posts are the homework.
The studio: studio@hartwellhomes.example · +1 (555) 019-2400