New house build

At the very least, I'd get all the pier areas treated because that is where subterranean termites will make access to the structure.

Also, any areas where wood is in direct contact with the ground if that situation arises.

A lot of this depends on what type foundation you plan on having. The above is for individual piers made of cinder block or brick on top of a concrete footing. Also, if going that route, I'd opt to get the metal termite shields that go between the top of the pier and the wood sills. They will stop any intrusion of termites from the inside of the hollow cinder blocks---and believe me, it they can find a way to get in them, they will.

When we started our build I realized I knew basically nothing about the home building process. I found that watching some of the large homebuilders on YouTube (Matt Risinger, Matt Bangs Wood, Perkins Builder Brothers) was extremely helpful to at least know what the general process looks like. There are some nuances depending on where you live, but still a lot of good information.

So is it raised or on slab? You’ve said both

If you plan on doing spray foam insulation start researching it now. It changes how you vent your attic and your eaves.

Also, if you do consider spraying your exterior and plumbing walls with Boracoat I think is what it’s called. It’s a wood preservative and termites won’t eat it. You have to do this part when the studs are up but no Sheetrock. I also sprayed around my windows and valleys. It was an additional 1k but bc I elected to do spray foam I thought it was $ well spent. The bottom 3 feet of all of my walls are all protected now in addition to the normal termite treatment under the slab.

1k was for the Boracare. He basically mixed tank based on my calculations and charged me by the gallon. Once we did the exterior walls and plumbing walls I did windows and then just started spraying anywhere I thought might be a spot for water to penetrate if it ever did. Valleys etc. You can calculate the linear foot of what you want sprayed and call and get a quote.

I’m about to start building and here are the biggest things I have heard recommendation wise:

-3 car garage has gotten the most upvotes as I’ve gone through this process. Those who had it love it and those who didn’t wish that they did.

-spray foam insulation

-get rid of any hallways in your plans. I tried drawing my own plans and had way too many hallways. Wasted sqft

I’ll post more as I think of them

I would recommend typing up an addendum listing everything you know you want in the house and expect to be included in the bid, no matter how small you might think it is. Make sure the contractor includes it in his bid and it is included as written in the contract you sign. Window color, a specific brick, size of moulding, final elevation of the house, a generator setup, drop brick ledge, number and zone setup of ac units, type and quantity of water heaters, etc. If it’s not on this list, make sure it is on your plans. Doing this will help to limit surprises in the process and ensure you get everything the way you want it. It will also make it easier to compare bids. Change orders in the build process can blow a budget quickly.

Watch the allowances. $1000 here and there over budget will add up. If the builder is doing cost plus %? pray for lumber prices and materials to decrease.

Trivial in the big scheme of things but get handicapped/ADA height toilets!!! You can thank me later.