FAQ

Yes, at Arlington Designer Homes we do both remodeling and new custom homes. Our process for each follows the same steps and gives homeowners the information they need to determine the best path forward for them. We analyze your timeline, investment, customization and then present you with options. In the end, the decision is up to you—we give you the information you need to make that decision.

As custom home builders and remodelers, there is no “standard” answer. We work with the homeowner to determine what the parameters are and then we determine the scope of work. Once we have a scope of work, we can start to drill down on the timeline and investment for the project. It is a process
and we have worked hard over the past 40 years to customize this process to the homeowner’s needs. So, every project is different and unique, just like our customers.

Since every project is unique, we use our 40 years of experience and the data we’ve collected to provide a good-faith estimate based on past and present job costs. Using this information, we have created a matrix that helps translate the scope of work into real-world and real-time cost estimates.

At Arlington Designer Homes we base our Green building on three principles. Energy efficiency, health and comfort.

We have worked for decades on creating more energy efficient homes and haver created systems and built teams that allow us to quantify how our systems are working. We certify every Arlington Project under the Arlington County Green Home Choice program (https://www.arlingtonva.us/Government/Programs/Sustainability-and-Environment/Energy/Residential/Green-Home-Choice/Green-Home-Choice-Program)

We also partner with Energy Raters to get a HERS rating. This rating tells us how much better than code built our houses are performing than a code built house. We routinely score a HERS rating of less than 50, which means that our homes operate more than 50% more efficiently than code built homes. We use third-party raters, at our own expense to quantify what we are doing.

We build our Green program from there. We can build healthier homes by controlling when and where air is coming into the homes. We use an Energy Recovery Ventilator to expel stale air and bring in fresh air while exchanging energy to heat or cool the air as necessary. By controlling the fresh air flow we can create healthier homes

Last and not least is comfort. We test our homes to make sure they are tight and to know when and where to bring in fresh air. This creates a more comfortable living environment. We don’t have drafty rooms or a ‘stale’ smell in the air. We work to balance our systems to make sure that the whole house system is working together to create a well heated/ cooled environment with the correct amount of humidity. This creates a more comfortable house.

The construction process can be intimidating. Where do you start, how do you start? Does it make sense to remodel or to rebuild? These are questions I get every day. And the answer is it depends. Each situation is unique, and one size does not fit all. However, we have developed processes to help each homeowner answer these questions.
Arlington Designer Homes is a true Custom Home Builder and Home Renovation Specialist.

We have over 4 decades of experience working in Arlington and on Arlington homes. Our processes are designed to help answer the basic questions like what can I build? But to also help you address the more complex questions, like what design works best for me now and in the future? ‘Our Process’ is laid out on our website and is designed to be a step-by-step process to help customers break down the HUGE undertaking of a construction project into smaller, bite sized pieces.

As Green, energy efficient builders we know the importance of quality in the construction process. Quality is not just about the labor and material that go into a house, it is also about the quality of communication, management and planning.
We see the importance of creating a quality plan for construction. Our commitment to quality starts with the first contact and proceeds with our proven customer-based systems.

In today’s environment planning is the only way to avoid project delays. We have been able to help customers anticipate the bottlenecks and to create a plan that works for them.