Building Your New Home in Northern California

Building Your Home

Building Your New Home

Customer satisfaction is the main goal of O’Brien Homes. The company’s reputation for creating quality homes and neighborhoods with classic designs is our driving force. From start to completion, we build our homes with the customer in mind.

Customizing Your New Home

Each home has a host of features that are included in the sales price. You can find this list in the community brochure. With many finishes such as countertops and flooring, the homebuyer has a choice of colors and materials. Homebuyers who want to enhance the included features can select from hundreds of special options ranging from cabinetry to chef’s appliances.

Homebuyers work with a design coordinator from the Design Center to individualize their homes’ interior design. Homebuyers are encouraged to ask questions about construction and learn about option cut-off dates so they know when certain decisions need to be made to keep their new home on schedule.

Below is a diagram that illustrates the construction process as well as the timeline for homebuyer decisions.

New Home Construction Process

Phase 1: Foundation
  • 1.

    City staff plan review and building permit

  • 2.

    Flex option selection deadline

  • 3.

    Lot staked

  • 4.

    Foundation & utility trenches dug

  • 5.

    Foundation poured

Phase 2: Framing
  • 1.

    Frame first floor

  • 2.

    All pre-frame selections must be selected by this point

  • 3.

    Frame second floor

  • 4.

    Frame roof

  • 5.

    Install roof sheathing

  • 6.

    Install electrical, alarm, low voltage

  • 7.

    Buyer framing & electrical walk-through (All color & finish options must be selected by this point)

  • 8.

    Install drywall

  • 9.

    Apply stucco or siding

  • 10.

    Paint exterior

  • 11.

    Cut driveways & walkways

  • 12.

    Construct fencing

  • 13.

    Install landscaping

Phase 3: Finishes
  • 1.

    Paint interior

  • 2.

    Install cabinets

  • 3.

    Install flooring & tile

  • 4.

    Install appliances

  • 5.

    Install electrical, plumbing and hardware finishes

  • 6.

    Install carpet

  • 7.

    Final building inspection

  • 8.

    Final cleaning

  • 9.

    Buyer home orientation

  • 10.

    Close of escrow

Quality Construction

At O’Brien Homes we take great pride in every house we build. Our management team reviews the progress of each home weekly. Our construction team is well trained and educated on an ongoing basis on the latest materials and techniques in our industry. To ensure each of our homes is of the highest quality, we select only the most qualified subcontractors and finest products for construction.

We work diligently to give our homeowners high-quality homes. Each home undergoes a 9-point inspection process while under construction, detailed below:

The 9-Point Inspection Process:

  1. SOILS AND FOOTING CHECK - FOUNDATIONS:
    This takes place prior to pouring of the foundation. The soil engineer verifies that the proper moisture content of the bearing soils has been obtained and that the footings are of the proper depth and width.
  2. STRUCTURAL FOUNDATION INSPECTION:
    This inspection also takes place prior to foundation pour. The structural engineer inspects the placement of reinforcing steel and embedments, such as anchor bolts and hold-downs.
  3. CONCRETE TESTING - FOUNDATION:
    This inspection must take place during the pour of the foundation, and it is important the inspector be present when the first concrete truck arrives. Cylinders are taken for each foundation to test the compressive strength of the concrete. A soil engineer typically performs these tests.
  4. WATERTIGHT INSPECTION:
    This inspection is done prior to application of the exterior finish such as stucco or siding. Exterior of house is inspected for water tightness. Special attention is paid to window and door flashing, siding or stucco lath paper, metal flashing, chimney terminations, penetrations through walls and second-floor decks.
  5. STRUCTURAL FRAME INSPECTION:
    This inspection is done just prior to the frame inspection and before insulation. The structural engineer inspects the house for conformance to the structural plans.
  6. ROOF INSPECTION:
    This requires two inspections. The roof is inspected after the underlayment or felt is applied and again after the roofing material (shingles or tile) is installed. The inspector is looking for potential leaks, proper installation and any broken or damaged roofing material.
  7. LANDSCAPE INSPECTION:
    The landscaping is inspected prior to and after planting. This inspection ensures planting and irrigation are done per plan and per best practices. The landscape architect is responsible for this inspection.
  8. SEWER LINE INSPECTION:
    This is done just prior to completion of the house. The inside of the sewer line is televised from the back of the house to the street connection. This inspection looks for any obstruction to or damage of the sewer line. This reduces the likelihood of backups into the house after occupancy.
  9. QUALITY CONTROL INSPECTION:
    Performed by an O’Brien Homes employee at house completion. This is a very thorough inspection that takes about four to eight hours per house.

Homebuyer’s Orientation

Before you move into your new home, you will have a buyer orientation. The buyer orientation is when a Customer Care representative from O’Brien Homes walks through your new house with you and explains the various features and systems of the house. The buyer orientation is sometimes referred to as a buyer walk-through. The Customer Care representative will teach you about the care and maintenance of your new home as well as how to use specific features of the home. This appointment is one of the most important parts of the home buying process, and ample time must be reserved for the buyer orientation. This appointment can take up to two hours on a two-thousand-square-foot house and three hours for a three-thousand-square-foot house. This is an excellent time for homebuyers to ask questions and learn about the proper ways to maintain their new homes.

Privacy Policy

O’Brien Homes and its agents are committed to protecting your privacy and we will not pass your details to anyone outside except in accordance with this statement. Following your request for information we may hold personal information about you which we may use for marketing and research purposes and also to help us develop our website, products and services. We will not keep your personal information for longer than is necessary and we will aim to keep it up to date. We also rely on you telling us promptly if your name, address, telephone number or any other details change.

Use of this website

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