Resources

Articles & Insights for Custom Home Building

This page features a collection of articles and newsletters designed to guide you through the custom home building journey. From design ideas to construction insights, we share helpful tips and real-world perspective to make each step feel clear and manageable. Reflecting our commitment to thoughtful design, quality craftsmanship, and a personalized experience, our goal is to help you feel informed, confident, and excited as your vision begins to take shape.

The Homeowner’s Role in the Building Process

  Partnering with your builder for the best results Homebuilding has changed significantly over the last hundred years, especially since the 1950s, when the housing industry boomed after World War II. Building a home in a classic, hands-on way is far from...

read more

Structure and Processes

  Beware the disorganized builder Investing in the design and construction of a new home is a daunting task—and something most people do just once or maybe twice in a lifetime. The last thing you need is a builder who doesn't have it together. Why does that...

read more

Investing in Quality

  The least expensive option may not be the best value Choosing a home builder based on the lowest cost per square foot or the lowest sales price may not provide the best value. For an investment so important to your family’s future, the least expensive option...

read more

Francis M. Payne III

Francis M. Payne III (aka “Mike”, “Big Mike”, “Mike Sr”), who founded Payne & Payne Builders in 1993 alongside his brother, Dave, passed away on the morning of 12-25-24. He leaves behind his wife of 28 years, Annie, four sons, Mike (Gina), Eric (Lia), Dave...

read more

Protect Your Homes From Ice Dams!

Many of us enjoy the ambience of the winter season. However, the snow and cold that creates that atmoshpere can have disastrous effects on your home. Ice dams are the result of normal heat loss from your home melting the bottom layers of snow on your roof. Cold air...

read more

Safety First

Building Success 101Professional builders do what is needed to keep everyone out of harm’s way There's no getting around it: construction can be a hazardous job. We say "can be" because professional builders respect those hazards and equip and train their workers to...

read more

“Brother” Companies

  Specialization and focus are the keys to being the best. In response to many requests, Payne & Payne began serving clients with renovations and additions in the late 2000’s, complimenting and building upon their well-known custom home brand. Entering the...

read more

How to Check References

  Some tips for getting the most from this important step Most builders are happy to provide a list of people for whom they have recently built homes. They encourage prospective clients to call these references and ask about their experience and level of...

read more

Your Home’s Nerve Center

  The electrical system is a hidden key to high performance From time to time, people in the building business will compare the parts of a house to a living body. For example, a home’s structural frame may be described as a skeletal system, comparing the home’s...

read more

How Much Will It Cost?

  Home pricing is a complex subject. Here’s how we answer the most common question. One question we get a lot is “What’s the per-square-foot cost of your homes?” Some potential clients come with numbers they found on the internet. Others quote realtors who...

read more

Will Your Custom Home Offer These Benefits?

  Five questions to ask for your future health and comfort Along with great design and quality construction, most homebuyers want their new home to provide a healthy, comfortable environment and lower energy bills. They want a builder who can ensure those...

read more

Can You Finish My Home By…?

  Understanding the variables that impact the schedule Many clients approach a builder with an idea about how long it should take to finish their new home. Some underestimate the time the project will require, and others expect it to take a lot longer. Every...

read more

So Many Regulations

Builders need to navigate a maze of government regulations, but homeowners can help A successful building process is a predictable one, with no unpleasant surprises. Predictability comes from good planning, as well-planned projects tend to stay on budget and on...

read more

Controlling Allowances

Strict allowance policies benefit homeowners as much as builders. Why do builders prefer that homeowners choose every item that will go into the house before they break ground? It’s not just for the builder’s convenience. Any later choice may end up being made when...

read more

Solving the Price Puzzle

Custom home pricing is a complex subject. Here are a way to think about it. How much do cars cost? The obvious answer is that it depends. You'll pay way more for a Tesla Model S than for a Toyota Camry. That's no surprise to anyone. Then why do so many people think a...

read more

Pretty Good Isn’t Excellent

Companies built for production work aren't built for perfect work On the surface, it’s easy to describe the difference between production and custom builders. The production builder follows the same basic home plans over and over, while the custom builder creates a...

read more

Protect Your Homes From Ice Dams!

Many of us enjoy the ambience of the winter season. However, the snow and cold that creates that atmoshpere can have disastrous effects on your home. Ice dams are the result of normal heat loss from your home melting the bottom layers of snow on your roof. Cold air...

read more

The Resilient Home

Using current knowledge about building science helps to weather storms One benefit of a high-quality new custom home is that it will better handle severe weather events and power outages. These are a fact of life in all parts of the country. From Atlantic hurricanes...

read more

What Drives a Home’s Price?

Builders need a lot of information to arrive at an accurate number Every now and then a homeowner will call to ask how much our new homes cost per square foot. The answer, of course, depends on a range of variables. Some of these are obvious, and others less so. The...

read more

Investing in Quality

  The least expensive option may not be the best value Choosing a home builder based on the lowest cost per square foot or the lowest sales price may not provide the best value. For an investment so important to your family’s future, the least expensive option...

read more

How Much Will It Cost?

  Home pricing is a complex subject. Here’s how we answer the most common question. One question we get a lot is “What’s the per-square-foot cost of your homes?” Some potential clients come with numbers they found on the internet. Others quote realtors who...

read more

Will Your Custom Home Offer These Benefits?

  Five questions to ask for your future health and comfort Along with great design and quality construction, most homebuyers want their new home to provide a healthy, comfortable environment and lower energy bills. They want a builder who can ensure those...

read more

Solving the Price Puzzle

Custom home pricing is a complex subject. Here are a way to think about it. How much do cars cost? The obvious answer is that it depends. You'll pay way more for a Tesla Model S than for a Toyota Camry. That's no surprise to anyone. Then why do so many people think a...

read more

Pretty Good Isn’t Excellent

Companies built for production work aren't built for perfect work On the surface, it’s easy to describe the difference between production and custom builders. The production builder follows the same basic home plans over and over, while the custom builder creates a...

read more

What Drives a Home’s Price?

Builders need a lot of information to arrive at an accurate number Every now and then a homeowner will call to ask how much our new homes cost per square foot. The answer, of course, depends on a range of variables. Some of these are obvious, and others less so. The...

read more

The Homeowner’s Role in the Building Process

  Partnering with your builder for the best results Homebuilding has changed significantly over the last hundred years, especially since the 1950s, when the housing industry boomed after World War II. Building a home in a classic, hands-on way is far from...

read more

Protect Your Homes From Ice Dams!

Many of us enjoy the ambience of the winter season. However, the snow and cold that creates that atmoshpere can have disastrous effects on your home. Ice dams are the result of normal heat loss from your home melting the bottom layers of snow on your roof. Cold air...

read more

Safety First

Building Success 101Professional builders do what is needed to keep everyone out of harm’s way There's no getting around it: construction can be a hazardous job. We say "can be" because professional builders respect those hazards and equip and train their workers to...

read more

Your Home’s Nerve Center

  The electrical system is a hidden key to high performance From time to time, people in the building business will compare the parts of a house to a living body. For example, a home’s structural frame may be described as a skeletal system, comparing the home’s...

read more

Protect Your Homes From Ice Dams!

Many of us enjoy the ambience of the winter season. However, the snow and cold that creates that atmoshpere can have disastrous effects on your home. Ice dams are the result of normal heat loss from your home melting the bottom layers of snow on your roof. Cold air...

read more

Structure and Processes

  Beware the disorganized builder Investing in the design and construction of a new home is a daunting task—and something most people do just once or maybe twice in a lifetime. The last thing you need is a builder who doesn't have it together. Why does that...

read more

Francis M. Payne III

Francis M. Payne III (aka “Mike”, “Big Mike”, “Mike Sr”), who founded Payne & Payne Builders in 1993 alongside his brother, Dave, passed away on the morning of 12-25-24. He leaves behind his wife of 28 years, Annie, four sons, Mike (Gina), Eric (Lia), Dave...

read more

“Brother” Companies

  Specialization and focus are the keys to being the best. In response to many requests, Payne & Payne began serving clients with renovations and additions in the late 2000’s, complimenting and building upon their well-known custom home brand. Entering the...

read more

How to Check References

  Some tips for getting the most from this important step Most builders are happy to provide a list of people for whom they have recently built homes. They encourage prospective clients to call these references and ask about their experience and level of...

read more

Can You Finish My Home By…?

  Understanding the variables that impact the schedule Many clients approach a builder with an idea about how long it should take to finish their new home. Some underestimate the time the project will require, and others expect it to take a lot longer. Every...

read more

So Many Regulations

Builders need to navigate a maze of government regulations, but homeowners can help A successful building process is a predictable one, with no unpleasant surprises. Predictability comes from good planning, as well-planned projects tend to stay on budget and on...

read more

Controlling Allowances

Strict allowance policies benefit homeowners as much as builders. Why do builders prefer that homeowners choose every item that will go into the house before they break ground? It’s not just for the builder’s convenience. Any later choice may end up being made when...

read more

The Resilient Home

Using current knowledge about building science helps to weather storms One benefit of a high-quality new custom home is that it will better handle severe weather events and power outages. These are a fact of life in all parts of the country. From Atlantic hurricanes...

read more