The Design-Build Process
Your home, built with you, start to finish.
Nine clear steps, one in-house team you'll actually know, and your call on every decision from the first sketch to the day you get the keys.
- Built on your lot
- One in-house team
- Colorado Springs & the Front Range
The Process
The Groundwork
Nine steps, and you're in the room for every one.
We call it The Groundwork: nine clear steps from raw land to the day you get the keys. A custom home is a long partnership, so we put the whole path in front of you from the start, where you are, what comes next, and what's yours to decide. We'd rather over-explain than leave you guessing.
Discovery
First, we just sit down and talk about how you want to live.
We start by listening, how you live, what you value, and the home you picture. No pressure, no price-per-square-foot pitch; just a real conversation about fit.
Site Feasibility
Before you fall for a lot, we'll tell you what it can really hold.
Access, topography, utilities, soils, septic, and wells all decide what a lot can hold. We walk the land and tell you honestly what it takes to build there.
Concept Budget
Real numbers early, while they can still change your mind.
A concept-level budget grounded in real numbers, not a ballpark, so early decisions are made with eyes open and the plan aligns to your investment.
Limited Scope Agreement
One small step to prove out the plan before the big commitment.
A focused agreement to develop the design and pricing in earnest, a low-risk way to move from idea to a buildable, costed plan before the full contract.
Design + Engineering
We draw it with you until it's right on paper.
Client-first, option-based plans drawn with you, then engineered to build. Every detail is resolved on paper so the home is right before ground breaks.
Permitting
The county paperwork is ours to chase, not yours.
We carry the permitting through Colorado's jurisdictions, the paperwork, reviews, and approvals, so the path to construction stays clear and on schedule.
Final Pricing & Contract
Every line of the contract, walked through with you before we pour a footing.
Final pricing and a clear contract, walked through with you line by line. You know exactly what you're building before a single wall goes up.
Construction
Watch your home go up, one day at a time.
This is where our partnership shows: daily photo and note updates through our online portal, scheduled updates, structured on-site meetings, and a pre-drywall Matterport scan that documents everything behind the walls.
- Daily portal updates
- Structured on-site meetings
- Pre-drywall Matterport scan
Owner Orientation & Warranty
We're still your builder long after the moving truck leaves.
A thorough explanation of how your home functions, then an 18-month warranty, six months longer than the industry-standard 12, backed by a claim history low enough that we stand behind it longer.
- 18-month warranty
- 12 months is the industry standard
Go Deeper
Two ways to see it up close.
Our Standard
The lines we won't cross.
How your home gets built matters as much as the home itself. Here's what you can count on from us, with the corner we refuse to cut sitting right beside it.
You can count on
Your build gets our full attention.
Never this
We don't stack it behind a dozen other jobs.
You can count on
One team runs your project in-house, start to finish.
Never this
You won't get handed off to a manager you never meet.
You can count on
Your home is designed for how you actually live, and how it ages.
Never this
Not styled around a trend that dates the day it's installed.
You can count on
You hear what a decision costs before you make it.
Never this
No change-order surprises sprung on you after the fact.
You can count on
We stand behind your home long past move-in.
Never this
We're not gone the morning after you get the keys.
Questions
The answers, up front.
Building a custom home is a big decision. Here is what people most often ask us before they begin.
- What do your homes cost?
- A Colarelli custom home is a significant investment. Where a home lands depends on its size, site, and finish level, so the honest first step is a conversation and a concept estimate built around what you have in mind. We'd welcome that conversation.
- How much does it cost to build a custom home in Colorado Springs?
- Cost depends on size, site, and finish level, so we start every project with a transparent, option-based budget. You see the cost of each decision before you make it, with no surprises late in the build.
- How long does it take to build a custom home?
- From the first design conversation to the final walkthrough, a custom build typically runs 12 to 18 months. Design and permitting take a few months up front, and construction usually runs 9 to 12 months, depending on size, site, and weather.
- Do I need to own land before I contact you?
- No. Many clients come to us before they own a lot. We help evaluate land for buildability, orientation, grade, and views, and we have relationships with landowners across the Pikes Peak region. If you already own land, even better, we will build to your site.
- Can I start from one of your floor plans, or does it have to be fully custom?
- Either works. Our plans are option-based, so you can start from a clean sheet or evolve one of ours as a starting point. We draw the plan with you, not for you, so it fits how your household actually lives.
- What areas do you build in?
- We build across Colorado Springs and the surrounding Front Range, including Black Forest, Monument and the Tri-Lakes area, the Broadmoor, and Cascade. If you are nearby and not sure, just ask.
- What makes Colarelli different from other custom home builders?
- You stay at the center of it. We take on a deliberate number of homes at a time, manage every build in house, and keep you in on every decision from the first sketch to the final walkthrough, then stand behind the home long after you move in.
- Do you handle interior design too?
- Yes. Our in-house interior design selects finishes, fixtures, and materials alongside the architecture, so the home reads as one considered whole rather than a collection of upgrades.
- How do we get started?
- Reach out through our contact page or call us. The first step is a conversation about how you want to live and what you have in mind. From there we talk site, budget, and timeline.
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