3 Ways to Building an Efficient Mountain Home

Glacier Peak Ranch Residence, Whitefish Montana. Stillwater Architecture for Bear Mountain Builders

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Many clients have been through the custom home design process in their primary residences, but approaching the design/build process in a mountain town is much different, as many learn quickly. Designing a custom home is equal parts exciting and stressful at times. It’s helpful to be knowledgeable about the differences in the custom home process in mountain towns and which portions of the process you might be able to control to stay on time and budget.

Timing is Key

Spanish Peaks Mountain Loft. Karl Neumann Photography for Stillwater Architecture in partnership with Authentic Inc MT, interiors by Urbaine Design

The mountain town construction window is small, like a porthole on a ship. So many of us are attracted to the Mountain West for skiing and winter activities, but that same weather isn’t exactly conducive to building homes. There are many construction crews who will pour foundation in the fall and simply return in the spring when snow has melted. Other builders will spend their time shoveling snow from sites to work throughout the season as weather permits. The weather plays a pivotal role in any home build.

Take advantage of the opportunity in front of you. Winter is truly the best time to reach out to all professionals who spend their time on-site during the good-weather months. Winter is the best planning season for any homeowner, because all of the professionals you will be interested in meeting will be much easier to contact.

Don’t Rush the Design Phase 

Karl Neumann Photography for Stillwater Architecture. Builder, Authentic, Inc. MT Spanish Peaks Mountain Club, Big Sky, Montana

The more care and detail you put into the design phase with your architect, the more it will benefit you once you bid the project and start construction. Rushing the process can cost you extra time and money down the road. If you make decisions upfront about materials they can be illustrated in detail on your drawings, in building sections, and schedules/details. This is very important to your overall project because it leads to fewer change orders, which leads to fewer delays, and realistic budgeting ahead of construction. Budget for inflation of cost for materials and labor—this can fluctuate and will be variable by location. Unfortunately, this will not be something you can control but you should expect it and plan for it.

Make Sure Checks and Balances Are in Place 

Lion Mountain Residence, Whitefish, Montana. Stillwater Architecture for Malmquist Construction. Building currently in progress.

Construction observation—in other words, coordinating all professionals on a custom home project, is commonly provided by architects in support of their homeowners. This allows for the expert to assist the homeowner in managing the build process, visit the site regularly and issue payouts accordingly to all professionals. This service provides a welcomed peace of mind to many homeowners, knowing their project is watched over by an extra set of eyes, so they can enjoy the creation a bit more than always managing the details.

Michael Donohue, NCARB and Robert L. Gilbert, AIA are principal architects and owners of Stillwater Architecture, an award-winning lakefront and mountain architecture firm with office locations in Boulder, Chicago and Big Sky, Montana. View their profile or contact Michael at 406-223-3009.

Content provided by Stillwater Architecture.