By Custom Homes by Modern Structure; Evansville, Indiana

If you’re in the midst of building a new home, you’ve probably wondered what your builder actually does all day.

Many people picture us walking around jobsites with a clipboard, checking on crews, and heading home by dinner. The truth? Building custom homes is equal parts project manager, problem solver, customer service representative, logistics coordinator, accountant, delivery driver, and sometimes…the mover of very heavy objects.

No two weeks are exactly alike at Custom Homes by Modern Structure, but one thing never changes: staying organized is the only way to keep dozens of moving parts working together.

Here’s a behind-the-scenes look at what a typical week really looks like.

Before Most People Wake Up, the Day Is Already Underway

Our alarm clocks usually aren’t what get us out of bed.

More often than not, it’s two hungry dogs reminding us that the day has officially begun around 5:00 a.m.

Coffee in hand by 5:30, we’re already in the home office answering emails, reviewing invoices, ordering materials, paying bills, working on estimates, and following up with suppliers before the sun is fully up.

While homeowners may never see this part of the job, these early morning hours are where many successful projects are won or lost. Every delivery, subcontractor, inspection, and material order has to be carefully coordinated long before anyone starts swinging a hammer.

Every Jobsite Has a Different Story

By 8:00 a.m., it’s usually time to hit the road.

One stop might be a brand-new custom home where we’re discussing foundation layouts with the concrete crew. While I’m there, I’ll write up a list of to-dos for that specific project. 

The next stop may be a home ready for insulation, so I’ll stop to chat with the insulators. Next, I may head to a remodel in a nearby town where we’re checking on paint touch-ups before the homeowners move back in.

Another stop might involve walking through stain colors with a customer, answering questions about trim details, or confirming measurements with a stone supplier.

It’s not unusual to visit four or five different projects in a single day, each one at a completely different stage of construction.

Keeping all those projects moving forward takes far more than simply showing up.

Communication Is Constant

One of the biggest surprises for people outside the construction industry is just how much time is spent talking, tying up loose ends, and getting updates. 

Throughout any given week, we’re communicating with:

• Homeowners
• Electricians
• Plumbers
• HVAC contractors
• Drywall crews
• Painters
• Lumber suppliers
• Stone fabricators
• Building inspectors
• Building supply vendors

Sometimes those conversations are simple, but other times they’re not. 

For example, we’ve recently spent time working with a homeowner who wanted to discuss a finish selection, which was a decision we thought had already been finalized.  That’s perfectly okay…it happens. It simply means making a few phone calls so everyone stays on the same page before the next phase begins.

The more everyone communicates, the smoother the project runs.

Then There Are the Things Nobody Plans For

Construction has a funny way of keeping you on your toes. 

An inspector is scheduled…until they aren’t.

A supplier promises materials…until they’re delayed.

A drywall crew is supposed to arrive Friday…until you learn they’ll actually be there Saturday.

Sometimes you’re waiting on someone else.

Sometimes they’re waiting on you.

And occasionally everyone is waiting on the building department for inspections. 

One memorable morning, our concrete crew spent three hours waiting for an inspection that never happened because of a scheduling mix-up. Rather than bringing the project to a halt, we documented everything with photos, and kept moving.

That’s the part homeowners rarely see…and exactly why having an experienced builder matters!

Sometimes We Wear the Tool Belt Too

Being a builder isn’t just making phone calls and telling everyone else what to do. 

There are plenty of days where we’re the ones carrying materials, installing specialty items, or preparing the next phase of construction.

Take one particularly hot summer morning.

After picking up two fireplace inserts, I discovered each one weighed nearly 190 pounds. They both needed to end up on a third-story deck, and I had to do it myself. 

Follow that up by hauling six sheets of treated plywood upstairs, all while forgetting to bring a bottle of water, and now I’m soaked from sweat and humidity.

Needless to say, that afternoon included a shower, and a Gatorade. 

Lunch? Hopefully.

People often ask what time we take lunch.

The honest answer?

Whenever we can.

Some days it’s grabbing something through a drive-thru between jobsites.

Other days it’s a sandwich eaten while returning phone calls.

And occasionally…you simply realize at 3:00 p.m. that you never actually had lunch.

It’s just part of keeping projects moving.

The Office Never Really Closes

After the jobsites quiet down, another shift begins.

My evenings are often spent:

• Finalizing estimates
• Following up with subcontractors
• Confirming next week’s schedules
• Responding to customer emails
• Organizing paperwork
• Paying bills
• Preparing social media updates
• Reviewing notes from the day’s conversations
• …Then spending time with my wife and kids

And yes, there are nights when we climb into bed, remember one more thing that needs to be added to tomorrow’s estimate, get back up, write it down, and then finally call it a day.

Organized Chaos Is Still Organized

From the outside, construction sites can look chaotic.

Multiple crews.

Deliveries arriving throughout the day.

Inspectors coming and going.

Homeowners making selections.

Materials being unloaded.

Phone calls every few minutes.

To us, it’s a carefully orchestrated schedule where every decision affects the next one.

That’s why organization matters so much.

It’s knowing which materials need to arrive first, who needs access to the jobsite next, when inspections must happen, and how to solve problems before they become delays.

Building Beautiful Custom Homes is Always Our Goal

It all seems pretty overwhelming and chaotic, but every early morning, every phone call, every supplier meeting, every jobsite visit, and every unexpected challenge all serve one purpose:

Building a home our clients will love for decades to come.

The truth is, a custom home doesn’t come together because one person swings a hammer. It comes together because hundreds of small details are managed every single day by someone committed to keeping the entire project moving forward.

At Custom Homes by Modern Structure, that commitment starts before sunrise, continues long after most people have gone home, and doesn’t stop until the job is done right!

If you’re ready to build the custom home of your dreams, remodel an existing home, or add a detached structure to your property; Custom Homes by Modern Structure is ready to help! We design and build in Evansville, Indiana and the surrounding tri-state area. 

To get started, call us at 812-306-8438 or fill out this simple form online.