Keep your project on budget.
An independent expert on your side of every new build, remodel, and rescue.
What you're actually buying
Four promises, and none of them move.
I'm not the builder, the architect, or the lender. I'm the one person on your project whose only job is your side of the table.
Flat fee.
I'm paid the same whether your budget grows or not.
No referral fees.
Builders, subcontractors, suppliers, and designers often pay referral fees to whoever sends them work. I never accept them, so my advice is never for sale.
You decide everything.
I advise. Every decision stays yours.
Plain monthly reporting.
One clear report a month. No surprises.
Cost estimator
What could an overrun cost you?
Pick your project type and size to see an estimate of what overruns and delays could cost.
Your project
What kind of project?
The build itself, before land and design fees.
What it could cost you
The difference, in dollars
Estimated at risk
$0
Overruns: $750,000
New builds typically run about 15% over, driven by low allowances (placeholder budgets for things you haven't picked yet), gaps in the plans, and change orders (price changes for work added or changed after you sign) that nobody checks.
Delays: $120,000
About 4 extra months of loan interest, rent, and insurance, at roughly $30,000 a month.
Potential savings with a rep
$0
That's about 2.6 times the estimated fee.
Estimates only, for illustration. Actual costs, fees, and savings depend on your project, contract, and builder. Not a quote or a guarantee of savings.
Featured project
A stripped-down house, rebuilt right, and more than doubled in value.
Drag the handle, or use the arrow keys, to compare before and after.
La Jolla
Caminito Northland
A stalled, poorly built house on a La Jolla hillside, bought at $1.4M and rebuilt into a home appraised above $5.5M.
- Purchased
- $1.4M
- Renovation
- $1.5M
- Size
- 3,900 to 6,000 sq ft
- Appraised
- $5.5M+
How it works
Three steps, and you're never guessing again.
A 20-minute call
Tell me where you are: buying land, in design, bidding, or already building. I'll tell you straight away whether I can help and what it would cost.
Builder Contract Review or Pre-Construction Review
I read your bid, the allowances behind it (the placeholder budgets for things you haven't picked yet), your contract, and your drawings, then put the business risks in writing, in plain language, before you sign anything.
Advisory through completion
Every change order (a price change for work added or changed after you sign) and every builder invoice gets checked. You get a site walk and one clear report a month until the final payment is released.
No charge, no obligation, and no sales pitch.
Who's who on your build
Everyone on your build is a professional. Only one works for you.
Your architect designs the home. Your builder puts it up. Your lender protects the bank. Your inspector checks code. All of them are good at their jobs, and none of them are paid to watch your budget.
See who works for whom- Architect: designs, and is often paid a percentage of construction cost.
- Builder: builds, and earns on change orders.
- Lender: protects the collateral, not your bottom line.
- Inspector: checks safety and code, not cost.
- The OWNER'S Rep: checks the numbers, for a flat fee.
Free guide
Why Coastal Custom Homes Go Over Budget
Six places money leaks out of a San Diego custom build, in plain language, with the questions worth asking before you sign with a builder. It takes ten minutes to read and it's the same thing I walk every client through on our first call.
Start here
Tell me about your build.
You'll hear back from me within one business day. If a 20-minute call is easier, the form takes you straight there.