Linwood Custom Homes - Custom home packages including house plans

Award winning Custom Home Packages including house plans with site specific design.

Energy Star

Save money and protect the environment through energy efficient products

James Hardie

World leader in fiber cement siding and backerboard

Jeldwen Windows & Doors (US)

Reliable wood, vinyl and aluminum windows and patio doors

Milgard Windows & Doors

All our vinyl windows are backed by a lifetime warranty.

National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)

The premier resource for industry information, education, research, and technical expertise.

Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight (OFHEO)

OFHEO's mission is to promote housing and a strong national housing finance system.

builder picture

Material Choices

Using the right materials

to build your custom home will give you a much better finished result. There are many different materials on the market to choose from. All have special performance characteristics, appearance and price points.

The choices you make will affect the overall quality and look of the finished home. The use of higher quality material not only gives you a better-finished result, but can also save you money in the construction process.

It is important to be able to source premium quality building components at a good price and get them delivered efficiently to your site. This can be challenging because many of these components are not readily available in the San Juan Islands area.

A variety of components used in custom home building will have to be specially manufactured and ordered well in advance of construction. Non-standard items will also require deposits at the time of the order. This means you need to make an informed purchasing decision.

When selecting materials for your project you should consider:

San Juan Islands Home Builders can give you an extensive choice of quality materials as a result of our strong relationship with national suppliers. You get quality components that offer great performance, save on labor during installation and are efficiently delivered to your building site.

Appearance and Function

The look of your home will depend on your choice of building material and components. The advantage of building a custom home is that you can create a unique living space, which incorporates the features that give you the look and feel you want.

There are a number of different ways to achieve the right result. For example, you may want vaulted ceilings with exposed timbers, windows that provide an abundance of natural light and the ambiance of natural wood inside and out. Others may value a more traditional look and choose different building materials to get the appearance and function they want.

The choice of windows, doors and wood components used in the structure of the home will greatly influence the look of the finished home. There are many different alternatives for the shape and size of windows and how they open and close. Similarly, there are many options for doors. Timbers can be sourced in different species with variable structural load characteristics and offer a variety of finishing options.

Many of the items needed to get the best result are not readily available in the San Juan Islands area. However, because of our contacts with national suppliers, we can help you select and source the right kinds of materials that give you the appearance and function you want for your project.


Performance and Quality

The performance and quality levels of materials used in custom home building vary significantly. The choices made not only affect appearance but also structural integrity, installation costs and ongoing maintenance. We recommend the use of premium products for a variety of different reasons.

We can help you strike the right balance between performance, quality and price. For example, the use of straight dry framing lumber may have a slightly higher up-front cost but it makes building faster, saves on finishing costs and reduces waste. Higher quality windows and doors will save on energy costs, operate more smoothly, provide better protection against water infiltration and require less maintenance. Exposed structural beams need to have the capability to carry the right loads and should also resist warping and checking. Natural siding needs to offer the best protection against weather and remain stable over time while providing a pleasing appearance.

San Juan Islands Home Builders can advise you in selecting the kinds of material that will perform well over time. The use of higher quality material generally gives you a better finished result and often saves money in the building process.


Building Material Choices

San Juan Islands Home Builders can supply you with all the structural materials you need to complete your project. Components are offered in different specifications to give you the maximum range of materials and flexibility on pricing. All materials are consolidated and delivered together in a complete package so you can get the best possible price.

San Juan Islands Home Builders helps you make informed decisions on the many building material components and options available. We can supply you with the full range of the structural materials you need to get your project to the lock-up stage where the home is secure and weatherproof.

Other material options available are:

Solid timbers

Douglas fir structural beams and posts are appearance-grade timbers selected for their structural integrity, stability and the statement they make in your home. Douglas fir is preferred over spruce or pine beams because of its greater structural strength, pleasing finished look and resistance to unsightly weather induced staining.

Engineered silent floors

The silent floor system uses engineered wood joists. It is designed to stay strong, stable and quiet for the life of your home. Now you can select a flooring system that resists shrinking, splitting and twisting.

Decks and railings

Decking material is available in a variety of options. Tight knot dried cedar is the best natural alternative for handrails and decking. Cedar pickets are popular and commonly used for railings, sometimes used in conjunction with tempered glass. In addition, we offer low maintenance composite products.

Select cedar or pine interior finishing

We can provide you with cedar and spruce-pine interior paneling and roof boards. These highly versatile wood species are available in a wide range of finished and semi-finished products. This unique specialty product features small tight knots and soft texture, which enhance the look and feel of any room.

Other finishing products

There are lots of decisions to be made when it comes to finishing your home. Some homeowners want to play a major role in finishing work while others like to use the services of an interior designer. Whatever option you may choose, we are pleased to work with you to get your home completed.


Efficient Delivery Methods

Having material available when required is critical to the building process. Multiple deliveries, particularly in remote locations, can add substantially to the real cost of building materials. It is also hard to source a wide range of premium building materials locally.

A good solution is to order a complete material package and ship it all at once to your building site. This is not only a cost-effective way of purchasing materials, but also makes sure that they are readily available needed for construction. Proper organization of loads and efficient shipping methods can significantly reduce your construction costs and minimize delays.

San Juan Islands Home Builders has arrangements with suppliers to consolidate and then deliver materials to the building site in fully loaded trucks or containers.


The Best Price and Value

San Juan Islands Home Builders can give you the value you want at an outstanding price. This means you get the right materials for your project and the best possible value for your money. We can also offer extended price protection on a complete package of structural building materials. Our extensive network of suppliers and consolidators makes this possible.

This gives you the assurance that a significant portion of your construction budget can be fixed. This type of price protection is usually only good for a limited period of time or simply unavailable from most material suppliers. San Juan Islands Home Builders makes sure that you get the quality and quantity of materials you expect and do not substitute inferior items.

Consolidation of building materials into a complete home package is one of the most cost-effective ways to get your home built.


Meaningful Warranty

Warranties on building products are only as good as the strength of the companies who supply them. Some suppliers offer very limited warranties, which do not cover many of the most common problem areas. They may also only service product that is installed in close proximity to their manufacturing operations.

Product warranties must be meaningful in order to protect the investment in your home. This especially important for:

This is why San Juan Islands Home Builders only works with national brand name suppliers who offer a superior product with comprehensive warranties and have the ability to service their products in the field.



San Juan Islands Home Builders - Member of Washington Builder Network - 1.866.582.8453