How we build
The parts of a house you cannot see once it is finished, and the checkpoints where somebody other than us verifies them.
Every home we build sits on an engineered post tension slab designed to its own soil report, is framed with kiln dried lumber, carries at least 15 SEER HVAC and an attic radiant barrier, and is built by licensed, insured trade contractors. Your municipality inspects it at foundation, framing, rough in and final, and you inspect it yourself before drywall closes the walls.
These are the line items where cutting cost shows up in year eight rather than at closing.
01
Engineered post tension slab on grade on every home, designed to your lot’s soil report rather than a template. Valley clay expands when wet and shrinks when dry; post tension cables tensioned after the cure make the slab move as one piece instead of cracking. Poured by licensed concrete contractors and inspected by your municipality.
02
Kiln dried lumber that resists warping in our humidity. Thirty year architectural shingles as standard with proper underlayment and ventilation, longer warranty options available. Low E double pane windows and weatherstripped exterior doors throughout.
03
PEX or CPVC supply lines with cast iron or PVC drains. Copper wiring meeting or exceeding the National Electrical Code. HVAC of at least 15 SEER, sized to the house rather than to the nearest round number.
04
Open cell spray foam insulation throughout as the standard, not an upgrade line, plus an attic radiant barrier, air sealing at every penetration and a programmable thermostat. Tankless water heaters, solar conduit pre wiring and higher SEER equipment are the available upgrades.
05
Termite pretreatment is standard in our build process. Wind load requirements are met or exceeded. FEMA flood determination drives foundation elevation before the plan is finalised, and windstorm certification requirements apply throughout Cameron County.
06
Every electrician, plumber, HVAC technician and concrete crew on your home is licensed and insured, and most have worked with us for years. That continuity is why the crew already knows what our standard looks like before anyone explains it.
A builder inspecting his own work is a promise. A city inspector signing off is a record.
The mandatory inspections are required by Texas law and enforced by your municipality. We schedule them, the inspector runs them, and work does not proceed until each one passes. The two that are ours are the walkthroughs, and both of them put you inside the house with a clipboard.
checkpoint 01
Your municipality inspects the forms, reinforcement and post tension layout before the pour. Mandatory, and it belongs to the city, not to us.
checkpoint 02
Structure, connections and roof framing are inspected before anything covers them.
checkpoint 03
Plumbing, electrical and mechanical are inspected before insulation goes in.
checkpoint 04
Before the walls close you walk the house with us and verify the framing and rough ins yourself. This is the last cheap moment to change something, and we want you using it.
checkpoint 05
The certificate of occupancy inspection, run by the jurisdiction.
checkpoint 06
We walk the finished house together and write the list. Then we finish the list, before keys, not after.
Aerials and progress frames from active sites.
Engineered post tension slab on grade, on every home. This is the correct answer for Valley soil rather than a preference.
Much of South Texas sits on clay heavy soils that expand when wet and contract when dry. That seasonal movement cracks conventional slabs. Post tension cables, tensioned after the concrete cures, make the slab move as a single unit. Each foundation is engineered to your lot’s soil report, poured by licensed concrete contractors, and inspected by local building officials.
Kiln dried framing lumber that resists warping in our humidity. Thirty year architectural shingles as standard, with proper underlayment and ventilation, and metal roof upgrades available. Low E double pane windows and weatherstripped exterior doors. Open cell spray foam insulation throughout. PEX or CPVC supply lines with cast iron or PVC drains. Copper wiring meeting or exceeding the National Electrical Code. Concrete mix designs specified for structural and exposure conditions.
We work with established suppliers and subcontractors, many of them for decades. That continuity is not sentiment, it is why the crew on your house already knows what our standard looks like.
Every home meets or exceeds the current Texas energy code. Standard on every build: open cell spray foam insulation throughout, not an upgrade line, the standard; Low E double pane windows; a high efficiency air conditioning system of at least 15 SEER, sized to the house; an attic radiant barrier; air sealing at penetrations; and a programmable thermostat.
Optional upgrades include tankless water heaters, solar conduit pre wiring and higher SEER equipment. In a climate where summer regularly clears 100°F, efficiency is not an environmental gesture, it is your monthly bill, which is why the spray foam is in the base contract rather than on an options sheet.
Four checkpoints, plus one person. Javier González supervises sites directly and knows what right looks like at each stage. Every trade contractor, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, concrete, is licensed and insured.
Your municipality inspects foundation, framing, MEP rough in and final before we proceed; those are mandatory. Before drywall closes the walls you walk the house with us and verify the framing and rough ins yourself. And before keys change hands we complete a punch list walkthrough together, then finish the list, not the other way around.
Yes, and it is far cheaper to design in than to retrofit. Common features: zero threshold entries at the front door and garage, 36 inch clear doorways throughout, wider hallways and turning radiuses, roll in or curbless showers with grab bar blocking in the walls, comfort height toilets and vanities, lever handles on doors and faucets, and a wider garage door for a vehicle with a lift.
Single story ranch plans, already our most built layout, are inherently more accessible to begin with. Bring accessibility needs to the design meeting and most of them cost very little at that stage.
Next step
Foundation design, soil reports, inspection records, trade licensing, bring the technical questions. Those are the ones we like.
Prefer to talk to a person?(956) 594-6936
