Portable Offices,
Spare Rooms etc.
Homes, Buildings,
Workshops etc.
vidsolve@gmail.com
Designing & Building your Home, Bldg, Office etc with Us
Your first decision is choosing to either permit your home or other structure as owner-builder or enlist one of our licensed general contractors. Either way, we will do what it takes to make the process work well. One thing to keep in mind- although we are very efficient and resourceful, no one can possibly budget to the penny on everything. Something always comes up unexpected at some point in the building process, so you need to budget realistically. We stand by our quotations, and sometimes material costs go up from the time of our quote to the point where you finally say “go”. We have often seen costs for electrical infrastructure increase significantly from the electricians original estimate, and we had nothing to do with that, so please understand that you need to be flexible and budget for those unexpected things. We do our very best to account accurately for everything and take excellent care of our clients. We work very hard to keep your costs under control. Most of our structures are quite small, composed of different materials and designs, and often times are multi-purpose. We also do a lot of projects with shipping containers and alternative power, water catchment etc. The materials and designs that we recommend differ depending upon where the structure is being built, and how it is being utilized by the people living and working there. Often times, wood is the recommended framing material in Hawaii because of salt spray, other times steel frame is the way to go in areas away from salt spray and infested with subterranean termites. Our most recommended system overall is AAC- Aerated autoclaved concrete. Termites do not eat it, it doesn’t rust, has the highest fire and insulation ratings- the outstanding properties of AAC make it the fastest growing building system worldwide, and we put it at the top of our list! We are not a one way kind of operation, whatever serves the situation best is what we recommend. This is why you should work with a company that is not married to any one way to build.
Financing your home requires hiring a general contractor, which raises your costs significantly. Many of our clients are choosing to go owner-builder and do things in phases, and many are living in their homes as they build rather than spend money renting a place. These days especially, we are seeing more and more clients build the “shell” ie foundation, frame, roof, doors, windows and exterior siding, and live in the home while they finish off the interior, plumbing and electrical. We understand why. Finishing off your home inside is costly, so It often makes sense to break ground and get the “shell” up before something else in life pulls your money away, further postponing your dream.
Step one is working directly with us designing your home or structure. We will advise you on costs along the way so we don’t spend unnecessary time designing something that is way out of your budget. Next is the actual drafting process- our drafting people create professional drawings, and you have several rounds where you can make changes. Once that is finalized, we then go to work costing the project out more closely and accurately. Throughout this process, you will change your mind about windows, or doors or whatever else, and that is expected. At some point, everything is more or less finalized, and off we go to our Architect for review and stamping. We encourge our clients to have fun with the process, and not fight and struggle with every detail. It is our job to advise you and to do our best to provide cost estimates that are as accurate as humanly possible. We are known for responding quickly via phone and email. Courteous and timely communication is something we work very hard at.Choosing the best home for your situation:
Inland and far from the ocean and salt spray-
AAC or steel frame with OSB siding or 100% steel frame & siding or
Shipping Container structures
Near the ocean or salt spray-
AAC or Wood frame with OSB or T1-11 siding. Whenever we use any wood in a structure, additional borite treatment is essential, especially where any frame member is cut. Borite is really incredible stuff- it causes the termites lungs to completely break down. When lumber sits out in the elements, borite can leach out, and wherever you cut any wood, there is no borite on that cut surface, and termites are very good at getting into a wood frame at points where there is no borite, so treating all cuts carefully, as well as the entire frame with additional borite is what we insist on.
Affordable Portable Housing
Oahu office in Kailua town – free, no-pressure consultation - 808-339-5639
Container modification facilities at
Kalaeloa, Oahu. (Near Campbell Industrial Park.)
By appointment only.
Direct sales to all Hawaiian islands and the Pacific Rim.