Viridian Custom Homes Design and Build Process

Your Home: Beautifully Designed, Expertly Built, and Creatively Sold

Building a custom home is a journey, and the right process makes all the difference. At Viridian Custom Homes, we guide you from land selection through design, permitting, construction, and interiors, ensuring every step is seamless and aligned with your vision. The result is more than a house: it is a home designed with care, built with precision and crafted to stand in harmony with the land.

Process timeline
Process timeline

1. Finding the Right Land

The land you choose will shape every aspect of your home. It will influence design, drive construction costs, and impact long-term value. Not every property is buildable, and careful evaluation is essential to avoid costly mistakes, as the land sets the foundation for all that follows.

Expert Guidance

As a licensed Realtor with deep expertise in land sales, both in NY and CT, we help you evaluate whether a lot is truly right for your vision and investment. Working with a Realtor who understands construction is essential to making the right land choice, since land and design must be planned in parallel. By combining land knowledge with design and construction insight, we ensure you avoid surprises, see potential, and start your journey on the right path.

Points to Consider:

• Buildability: Confirmed by a survey or site plan showing the lot can support a home within zoning and environmental rules. • Orientation: How the lot captures natural light, solar gain, and views. • Slope and Drainage: Impact on excavation, foundation design, and water management. • Utilities: Availability of water, electricity, septic or sewer, and internet service. • Soil and Septic: Suitability for construction and waste management if public sewer isn’t available. • Zoning and Permits: Local rules that govern setbacks, coverage, and buildable areas. • Topography and Features: Rock outcroppings, wetlands, trees, and natural contours that influence design and cost. • Resale Value: How the lot’s characteristics may affect future market appeal and long-term value once the home is built. • Harmony with the Landscape: In Frank Lloyd Wright’s words, “No house should ever be on a hill or on anything. It should be of the hill, belonging to it. Hill and house should live together each the happier for the other.” Selecting your land and designing your home in parallel is the foundation of a successful build.

Points to Consider:

• Buildability: Confirmed by a survey or site plan showing the lot can support a home within zoning and environmental rules. • Orientation: How the lot captures natural light, solar gain, and views. • Slope and Drainage: Impact on excavation, foundation design, and water management. • Utilities: Availability of water, electricity, septic or sewer, and internet service. • Soil and Septic: Suitability for construction and waste management if public sewer isn’t available. • Zoning and Permits: Local rules that govern setbacks, coverage, and buildable areas. • Topography and Features: Rock outcroppings, wetlands, trees, and natural contours that influence design and cost. • Resale Value: How the lot’s characteristics may affect future market appeal and long-term value once the home is built. • Harmony with the Landscape: In Frank Lloyd Wright’s words, “No house should ever be on a hill or on anything. It should be of the hill, belonging to it. Hill and house should live together each the happier for the other.” Selecting your land and designing your home in parallel is the foundation of a successful build.

Points to Consider:

• Buildability: Confirmed by a survey or site plan showing the lot can support a home within zoning and environmental rules. • Orientation: How the lot captures natural light, solar gain, and views. • Slope and Drainage: Impact on excavation, foundation design, and water management. • Utilities: Availability of water, electricity, septic or sewer, and internet service. • Soil and Septic: Suitability for construction and waste management if public sewer isn’t available. • Zoning and Permits: Local rules that govern setbacks, coverage, and buildable areas. • Topography and Features: Rock outcroppings, wetlands, trees, and natural contours that influence design and cost. • Resale Value: How the lot’s characteristics may affect future market appeal and long-term value once the home is built. • Harmony with the Landscape: In Frank Lloyd Wright’s words, “No house should ever be on a hill or on anything. It should be of the hill, belonging to it. Hill and house should live together each the happier for the other.” Selecting your land and designing your home in parallel is the foundation of a successful build.

2. Design Discovery

Before detailed design begins, it is important to explore initial ideas and align them with a realistic budget. This stage sets the framework for your Lindal home, ensuring your vision is supported by a plan that makes it achievable.

Expert Guidance

We match early concepts with a clear budget framework, drawing on our design and construction experience. This helps you see possibilities, understand costs, and start from a place of clarity before moving into detailed design.

Points to Consider:

• Concept Exploration: Reviewing Lindal’s library of designs as inspiration. • Customization: Adapting a concept to your site, lifestyle, and vision. • Schematic Design: Developing the first concept around the home’s flow, expressed through the floor plan. • Budget Framework: Establishing what is possible within your investment range. • Cost Drivers: Recognizing square footage, materials, and site conditions that most influence cost. • Contractor Engagement: Engaging the contractor early validates costs, confirms buildability, and grounds the budget in reality. • Value Alignment: Balancing ambition and affordability to create a home that is inspiring, efficient, and practical.

Points to Consider:

• Concept Exploration: Reviewing Lindal’s library of designs as inspiration. • Customization: Adapting a concept to your site, lifestyle, and vision. • Schematic Design: Developing the first concept around the home’s flow, expressed through the floor plan. • Budget Framework: Establishing what is possible within your investment range. • Cost Drivers: Recognizing square footage, materials, and site conditions that most influence cost. • Contractor Engagement: Engaging the contractor early validates costs, confirms buildability, and grounds the budget in reality. • Value Alignment: Balancing ambition and affordability to create a home that is inspiring, efficient, and practical.

Points to Consider:

• Concept Exploration: Reviewing Lindal’s library of designs as inspiration. • Customization: Adapting a concept to your site, lifestyle, and vision. • Schematic Design: Developing the first concept around the home’s flow, expressed through the floor plan. • Budget Framework: Establishing what is possible within your investment range. • Cost Drivers: Recognizing square footage, materials, and site conditions that most influence cost. • Contractor Engagement: Engaging the contractor early validates costs, confirms buildability, and grounds the budget in reality. • Value Alignment: Balancing ambition and affordability to create a home that is inspiring, efficient, and practical.

3. Design Development

The Design Development stage is where your vision takes full form. Concepts explored earlier are refined into a cohesive plan that responds to your lifestyle, budget, and land. This collaborative phase balances inspiration with practicality, ensuring the design is not only beautiful but also ready to move forward into Lindal drafting, structural engineering, and ultimately into construction.

Two Design Paths, One Collaborative Team:

• Design with Kathleen Goodwin: Kathleen leads design on every Lindal project, blending architecture and interiors to ensure your home reflects your life and vision.

• Design with Aris Georges and Kathleen: Kathleen partners with Aris Georges, of OM Studio, to bring added architectural depth. Together they create designs where proportion, light, and flow harmonize with the site.

Expert Guidance

Whether with Kathleen, or in partnership with Aris Georges of OM Studio, you will benefit from a collaboration that balances design innovation with practical buildability. From here, the design moves through Lindal drafting into structural engineering, the bridge between design and construction.

Points to Consider:

• Lifestyle and Functionality: Aligning design with the way you want to live. • Architectural Inspiration: Drawing on Lindal’s legacy, Wright’s Usonian principles, and modern design sensibilities. • Land Integration: Positioning the home to respond to topography, views, and surroundings. • Light and Energy Efficiency: Orienting rooms, windows, and overhangs for natural light and passive solar gain. • Flexibility: Designing spaces that can adapt over time as needs change. • Budget Alignment: Ensuring design ambitions match construction realities and investment goals.

Points to Consider:

• Lifestyle and Functionality: Aligning design with the way you want to live. • Architectural Inspiration: Drawing on Lindal’s legacy, Wright’s Usonian principles, and modern design sensibilities. • Land Integration: Positioning the home to respond to topography, views, and surroundings. • Light and Energy Efficiency: Orienting rooms, windows, and overhangs for natural light and passive solar gain. • Flexibility: Designing spaces that can adapt over time as needs change. • Budget Alignment: Ensuring design ambitions match construction realities and investment goals.

Points to Consider:

• Lifestyle and Functionality: Aligning design with the way you want to live. • Architectural Inspiration: Drawing on Lindal’s legacy, Wright’s Usonian principles, and modern design sensibilities. • Land Integration: Positioning the home to respond to topography, views, and surroundings. • Light and Energy Efficiency: Orienting rooms, windows, and overhangs for natural light and passive solar gain. • Flexibility: Designing spaces that can adapt over time as needs change. • Budget Alignment: Ensuring design ambitions match construction realities and investment goals.

4. Lindal: Construction Drawings, Financing, and Materials

Once the design is finalized and the deposit is paid to Lindal, the company begins drafting the Construction Drawings required for building permits. The final Construction Drawing Set is stamped by Lindal’s structural engineers and submitted by the contractor to the Town to pull the permits. Lindal then coordinates delivery of the Materials Package to fit the construction schedule.

Expert Guidance

This is where our operational expertise adds value. As Lindal prepares the Construction Drawings, we finalize the project budget, reduce contingency, and create a detailed project plan. This plan keeps every step organized, transparent, and on track. With clear communication and coordination among all parties, we ensure your project is delivered on time and on budget. From here, design transitions into engineering, permitting, and preparation for construction, where your vision becomes buildable reality.

Points to Consider:

• Drafting: There are three iterations of plans: 1. Schematic Design Set: which we use to validate the design. 2. Design Development Set: final architectural drawings. 3. Construction Drawing Set: the structurally stamped drawings used to pull building permits. • Change Orders: These may be needed to maintain structural integrity or to incorporate client-requested revisions. They are best completed after the Schematic Design Set and before engineering begins. • Financing: Lindal does not offer direct financing but works with U.S. banks that specialize in construction-to-permanent loans tailored for Lindal projects. • Contracts and Payment Schedule: Three agreements define each stage of progress and payment: 1. The Design Services Agreement (DSA): Marks the start of Design Development. Design Discovery is complimentary, but the DSA must be signed before detailed design begins. A nominal design fee, typically a few dollars per square foot, confirms client commitment before moving forward. 2. The Purchase and Sales Agreement (PSA): The formal sales contract signed once the design is approved. It must be executed before Construction Drawings start, with a 20% deposit due at this point. 3. The Authorization to Ship (ATS): Allows Lindal to order materials. The remaining 80% of the Lindal cost is due when the ATS is signed.

Points to Consider:

• Drafting: There are three iterations of plans: 1. Schematic Design Set: which we use to validate the design. 2. Design Development Set: final architectural drawings. 3. Construction Drawing Set: the structurally stamped drawings used to pull building permits. • Change Orders: These may be needed to maintain structural integrity or to incorporate client-requested revisions. They are best completed after the Schematic Design Set and before engineering begins. • Financing: Lindal does not offer direct financing but works with U.S. banks that specialize in construction-to-permanent loans tailored for Lindal projects. • Contracts and Payment Schedule: Three agreements define each stage of progress and payment: 1. The Design Services Agreement (DSA): Marks the start of Design Development. Design Discovery is complimentary, but the DSA must be signed before detailed design begins. A nominal design fee, typically a few dollars per square foot, confirms client commitment before moving forward. 2. The Purchase and Sales Agreement (PSA): The formal sales contract signed once the design is approved. It must be executed before Construction Drawings start, with a 20% deposit due at this point. 3. The Authorization to Ship (ATS): Allows Lindal to order materials. The remaining 80% of the Lindal cost is due when the ATS is signed.

Points to Consider:

• Drafting: There are three iterations of plans: 1. Schematic Design Set: which we use to validate the design. 2. Design Development Set: final architectural drawings. 3. Construction Drawing Set: the structurally stamped drawings used to pull building permits. • Change Orders: These may be needed to maintain structural integrity or to incorporate client-requested revisions. They are best completed after the Schematic Design Set and before engineering begins. • Financing: Lindal does not offer direct financing but works with U.S. banks that specialize in construction-to-permanent loans tailored for Lindal projects. • Contracts and Payment Schedule: Three agreements define each stage of progress and payment: 1. The Design Services Agreement (DSA): Marks the start of Design Development. Design Discovery is complimentary, but the DSA must be signed before detailed design begins. A nominal design fee, typically a few dollars per square foot, confirms client commitment before moving forward. 2. The Purchase and Sales Agreement (PSA): The formal sales contract signed once the design is approved. It must be executed before Construction Drawings start, with a 20% deposit due at this point. 3. The Authorization to Ship (ATS): Allows Lindal to order materials. The remaining 80% of the Lindal cost is due when the ATS is signed.

5. Zoning and Building Permits

The focus here is securing approvals, zoning first and then building permits. Once you have selected the contractor and site engineer, the team is in place to move forward. At this stage, we also have a fully developed project plan.

Expert Guidance

We coordinate closely with the contractor, site engineer, and Lindal to keep the process moving in the right sequence. By aligning the team and maintaining communication, we help ensure approvals are secured smoothly and on schedule.

Points to Consider:

• Site Plan: Prepared by the site engineer to show setbacks, grading, drainage, utilities, and septic systems. • Zoning and Land Use: Securing approvals from the town and addressing wetlands or environmental requirements. • Board of Health: Local health department approval for septic and well systems. • Building Permits: Submitted by the contractor with Lindal’s stamped structural drawings and required documents. • Contractor’s Role: Working with the site engineer and town officials to coordinate permitting and ensure accurate, timely submissions. • Project Planning: Coordinating the overall project plan and keeping the full team aligned as approvals progress.

Points to Consider:

• Site Plan: Prepared by the site engineer to show setbacks, grading, drainage, utilities, and septic systems. • Zoning and Land Use: Securing approvals from the town and addressing wetlands or environmental requirements. • Board of Health: Local health department approval for septic and well systems. • Building Permits: Submitted by the contractor with Lindal’s stamped structural drawings and required documents. • Contractor’s Role: Working with the site engineer and town officials to coordinate permitting and ensure accurate, timely submissions. • Project Planning: Coordinating the overall project plan and keeping the full team aligned as approvals progress.

Points to Consider:

• Site Plan: Prepared by the site engineer to show setbacks, grading, drainage, utilities, and septic systems. • Zoning and Land Use: Securing approvals from the town and addressing wetlands or environmental requirements. • Board of Health: Local health department approval for septic and well systems. • Building Permits: Submitted by the contractor with Lindal’s stamped structural drawings and required documents. • Contractor’s Role: Working with the site engineer and town officials to coordinate permitting and ensure accurate, timely submissions. • Project Planning: Coordinating the overall project plan and keeping the full team aligned as approvals progress.

6. Interior Design and Finishes

Kathleen starts working with you on finishes, fixtures, and furnishings. Beginning this process early ensures selections are made in time, orders placed without delay, and pricing locked in before market changes.

Expert Guidance

Kathleen leads this stage, guiding selections through her network of professional showrooms and suppliers. By planning ahead and coordinating with the contractor’s schedule, we ensure interiors reflect your vision and support smooth progress.

Points to Consider:

• Long Lead Items: Early orders avoid delays and allow pricing to be locked in. • Appliances: Kitchen and laundry appliances, often with the longest lead times, selected early to align with utility coordination. • Finish Materials: Cabinetry, countertops, tile, stone, fireplace surrounds, vanities, fixtures, lighting, hardware, and custom elements. • Furnishings: Accessories, window treatments, carpeting, and rugs that bring warmth and character. • Designer Resources: Kathleen’s trusted network of professional showrooms and suppliers, offering access to designer-grade options beyond retail. • Design Balance: Combining beauty, function, and value. Good design doesn’t have to be expensive. • Project Planning: Tracking procurement so delivery of finishes aligns with the contractor’s build schedule.

Points to Consider:

• Long Lead Items: Early orders avoid delays and allow pricing to be locked in. • Appliances: Kitchen and laundry appliances, often with the longest lead times, selected early to align with utility coordination. • Finish Materials: Cabinetry, countertops, tile, stone, fireplace surrounds, vanities, fixtures, lighting, hardware, and custom elements. • Furnishings: Accessories, window treatments, carpeting, and rugs that bring warmth and character. • Designer Resources: Kathleen’s trusted network of professional showrooms and suppliers, offering access to designer-grade options beyond retail. • Design Balance: Combining beauty, function, and value. Good design doesn’t have to be expensive. • Project Planning: Tracking procurement so delivery of finishes aligns with the contractor’s build schedule.

Points to Consider:

• Long Lead Items: Early orders avoid delays and allow pricing to be locked in. • Appliances: Kitchen and laundry appliances, often with the longest lead times, selected early to align with utility coordination. • Finish Materials: Cabinetry, countertops, tile, stone, fireplace surrounds, vanities, fixtures, lighting, hardware, and custom elements. • Furnishings: Accessories, window treatments, carpeting, and rugs that bring warmth and character. • Designer Resources: Kathleen’s trusted network of professional showrooms and suppliers, offering access to designer-grade options beyond retail. • Design Balance: Combining beauty, function, and value. Good design doesn’t have to be expensive. • Project Planning: Tracking procurement so delivery of finishes aligns with the contractor’s build schedule.

7. Site Preparation and Foundation

With permits in place, the contractor prepares the land and builds the foundation. This establishes the base for Lindal’s pre-engineered home and sets the stage for everything to follow.

Expert Guidance

We support the process by staying in close touch with the team, ensuring inspections are passed and questions addressed quickly. This helps keep the project on track and ready to move forward efficiently.

Points to Consider:

• Site Clearing and Grading: Preparing the land, driveways, and drainage to support the foundation. • Foundation: Excavation, footings, and foundation tailored to the land and your Lindal home. • Utilities: Installing water, electricity, internet, and septic or sewer connections. • Inspections: Town reviews of footing and foundation work before construction continues. • Contractor’s Role: Leading site preparation and coordinating inspections. • Site Engineer’s Role: Providing technical verification when required and preparing as-built drawings.

Points to Consider:

• Site Clearing and Grading: Preparing the land, driveways, and drainage to support the foundation. • Foundation: Excavation, footings, and foundation tailored to the land and your Lindal home. • Utilities: Installing water, electricity, internet, and septic or sewer connections. • Inspections: Town reviews of footing and foundation work before construction continues. • Contractor’s Role: Leading site preparation and coordinating inspections. • Site Engineer’s Role: Providing technical verification when required and preparing as-built drawings.

Points to Consider:

• Site Clearing and Grading: Preparing the land, driveways, and drainage to support the foundation. • Foundation: Excavation, footings, and foundation tailored to the land and your Lindal home. • Utilities: Installing water, electricity, internet, and septic or sewer connections. • Inspections: Town reviews of footing and foundation work before construction continues. • Contractor’s Role: Leading site preparation and coordinating inspections. • Site Engineer’s Role: Providing technical verification when required and preparing as-built drawings.

8. Framing and Envelope

The home begins to rise as Lindal materials arrive and framing, roofing, and windows are installed. Visible progress accelerates as the structure takes shape.

Expert Guidance

We help align Lindal’s delivery schedule with the contractor’s build plan and stay engaged with inspectors. Our role is to keep communication clear, so your home advances smoothly from foundation to enclosure without interruption.

Points to Consider:

• Lindal Delivery: Coordinating the first shipment of structural materials for framing and the envelope. • Framing: Erecting the structure with Lindal’s post-and-beam system, combined with conventional framing where needed. • Roof and Weatherproofing: Installing roof systems, sheathing, and weather barriers. • Windows and Doors: Installing high-performance glazing and entry systems. • Inspections: Town inspectors confirm framing and structural compliance. • Contractor’s Role: Coordinating trades and ensuring construction follows Lindal’s drawings. • Project Planning: Keeping framing, inspections, deliveries, and communication in sync.

Points to Consider:

• Lindal Delivery: Coordinating the first shipment of structural materials for framing and the envelope. • Framing: Erecting the structure with Lindal’s post-and-beam system, combined with conventional framing where needed. • Roof and Weatherproofing: Installing roof systems, sheathing, and weather barriers. • Windows and Doors: Installing high-performance glazing and entry systems. • Inspections: Town inspectors confirm framing and structural compliance. • Contractor’s Role: Coordinating trades and ensuring construction follows Lindal’s drawings. • Project Planning: Keeping framing, inspections, deliveries, and communication in sync.

Points to Consider:

• Lindal Delivery: Coordinating the first shipment of structural materials for framing and the envelope. • Framing: Erecting the structure with Lindal’s post-and-beam system, combined with conventional framing where needed. • Roof and Weatherproofing: Installing roof systems, sheathing, and weather barriers. • Windows and Doors: Installing high-performance glazing and entry systems. • Inspections: Town inspectors confirm framing and structural compliance. • Contractor’s Role: Coordinating trades and ensuring construction follows Lindal’s drawings. • Project Planning: Keeping framing, inspections, deliveries, and communication in sync.

9. Interior Build

With the home enclosed, attention turns to the interior as spaces come to life through walls, systems, and finishes that shape comfort and style. The contractor manages the build, while Kathleen’s design expertise ensures every detail reflects your lifestyle and vision.

Expert Guidance

This is the stage where design becomes reality. We coordinate closely with the contractor and trades while Kathleen guides finish choices and details, ensuring that every element works together. Our role is to keep communication clear and the vision intact, so the interior comes together seamlessly, true to the lifestyle you imagined.

Points to Consider:

• Mechanical Systems: Installing plumbing, electrical, and HVAC to meet performance standards and code. • Insulation and Drywall: Ensuring efficiency and preparing surfaces for finishes. • Interior Finishes: Flooring, millwork, cabinetry, and fixtures that balance design and function. • Kitchen and Baths: High-utility spaces where design, layout, and materials add significant value. • Lighting and Electrical: Lighting design, electrical planning, and coordination of audio, security, and smart systems. • Contractor’s Role: Coordinating trades, sequencing work, and ensuring workmanship meets standards. • Design Role: Kathleen ensures finishes connect with architectural design and reflect your vision. • Inspections: Town inspectors confirm compliance before occupancy is granted.

Points to Consider:

• Mechanical Systems: Installing plumbing, electrical, and HVAC to meet performance standards and code. • Insulation and Drywall: Ensuring efficiency and preparing surfaces for finishes. • Interior Finishes: Flooring, millwork, cabinetry, and fixtures that balance design and function. • Kitchen and Baths: High-utility spaces where design, layout, and materials add significant value. • Lighting and Electrical: Lighting design, electrical planning, and coordination of audio, security, and smart systems. • Contractor’s Role: Coordinating trades, sequencing work, and ensuring workmanship meets standards. • Design Role: Kathleen ensures finishes connect with architectural design and reflect your vision. • Inspections: Town inspectors confirm compliance before occupancy is granted.

Points to Consider:

• Mechanical Systems: Installing plumbing, electrical, and HVAC to meet performance standards and code. • Insulation and Drywall: Ensuring efficiency and preparing surfaces for finishes. • Interior Finishes: Flooring, millwork, cabinetry, and fixtures that balance design and function. • Kitchen and Baths: High-utility spaces where design, layout, and materials add significant value. • Lighting and Electrical: Lighting design, electrical planning, and coordination of audio, security, and smart systems. • Contractor’s Role: Coordinating trades, sequencing work, and ensuring workmanship meets standards. • Design Role: Kathleen ensures finishes connect with architectural design and reflect your vision. • Inspections: Town inspectors confirm compliance before occupancy is granted.

10. Completion and Handover

The final stage brings everything together. The Certificate of Occupancy is issued, the home is complete, and final details are addressed so you can move in with ease and confidence.

Expert Guidance

At this final stage everything comes together. We ensure the home you envisioned is delivered as promised, a home designed with care, built with precision, and completed through true collaboration. This is the moment where vision becomes reality, where the care of every hand is visible in the details, and the result is a lasting home created with purpose and passion, one that honors the land and fulfills everything we set out to achieve together.

Points to Consider:

• Certificate of Occupancy: Issued once all work complies with code. • Client Walkthrough: A final review confirming finishes, systems, and details. • Punch List: Contractor addresses final details noted during the walkthrough. • Handover: Keys delivered, documents finalized, and the home is ready. • Contractor’s Role: Completing tasks, coordinating inspections, and delivering the finished home. • Viridian Custom Homes Role: Ensuring the home reflects design intent and final details are resolved.

Points to Consider:

• Certificate of Occupancy: Issued once all work complies with code. • Client Walkthrough: A final review confirming finishes, systems, and details. • Punch List: Contractor addresses final details noted during the walkthrough. • Handover: Keys delivered, documents finalized, and the home is ready. • Contractor’s Role: Completing tasks, coordinating inspections, and delivering the finished home. • Viridian Custom Homes Role: Ensuring the home reflects design intent and final details are resolved.

Points to Consider:

• Certificate of Occupancy: Issued once all work complies with code. • Client Walkthrough: A final review confirming finishes, systems, and details. • Punch List: Contractor addresses final details noted during the walkthrough. • Handover: Keys delivered, documents finalized, and the home is ready. • Contractor’s Role: Completing tasks, coordinating inspections, and delivering the finished home. • Viridian Custom Homes Role: Ensuring the home reflects design intent and final details are resolved.