HOME BUILDING & RENOVATION ASHEVILLE

Frequently Asked Questions

Building a custom home or undertaking a significant renovation involves decisions that affect how you'll live for decades. We've found that most questions fall into a few categories: how our process works, what to expect during construction, how we handle the complexities of mountain building, and whether we're the right builder for your project. This page addresses the questions we hear most often. If your specific situation isn't covered here, we're happy to discuss it directly.

How much does home building and renovation cost?

Every project is different, but understanding the structure of costs helps with planning. Design and architectural services typically represent 5-8% of the total construction budget. Pre-construction estimating and planning account for approximately 1-2%. The construction budget itself depends on size, complexity, site conditions, material selections, and finish level. Mountain construction in Western North Carolina involves variables that affect costs: access and site preparation, material delivery logistics, weather-related scheduling, and current market conditions for labor and materials. These factors fluctuate. Our salaried, experienced staff estimator brings three decades of construction estimating experience to your project. He provides detailed estimates after evaluating your specific site and understanding your priorities. We offer an initial consultation at no cost. After visiting your property and discussing your project, we can provide a realistic budget range based on current conditions and your goals.

What happens if we find something during a renovation that we don’t expect?

On renovation projects, particularly with older homes, we typically encounter conditions that weren't visible during initial assessment: outdated wiring, structural modifications made over time, water damage, or foundation settling. We account for this reality upfront by walking you through the most likely scenarios based on what we've seen in similar projects and recommending an appropriate contingency allocation.When we do uncover something unexpected, we document it, explain your options, and provide cost implications before proceeding. Our project managers have handled enough mountain renovations to distinguish between issues that require immediate attention and those that offer flexibility in how they're addressed. You'll understand what needs to happen and why, not just receive a change order. For new construction, unexpected conditions typically involve site-related challenges: ledge rock, drainage issues, or soil conditions that require engineering solutions. Again, we explain what we've found, present options, and keep you informed throughout.

Should I renovate an existing home or just build a new house?

The answer depends on what you value most and what your property can support. Renovating allows you to stay in an established location, preserve character in older homes, and work within existing structures. Building new gives you control over layout, systems, energy performance, and how the home sits on the land from the beginning. Cost isn't always the deciding factor. Extensive renovations of older homes can approach or exceed new construction costs once you account for structural updates, system replacements, and the realities of working within existing constraints. Conversely, raw land with challenging access, steep topography, or limited utilities can add significant site development costs to a new build. We evaluate both options with clients regularly. After visiting your property or potential site, we can walk through what each approach would involve, what limitations or opportunities exist, and help you understand the trade-offs. The right choice becomes clearer once you see what's actually required for each path.

What about other firms?

Western North Carolina has several strong builders, and we respect the work being done by firms like Judd Builders, Jade Mountain, and others in the region. The right fit matters more than any single differentiator.What defines our approach: we maintain three full-time salaried crews rather than relying entirely on subcontractors, which gives us direct control over quality and scheduling. We've built our reputation on projects that require attention to historic preservation, sustainable building practices, and the specific challenges of mountain construction. Our project managers have worked together for years, so communication and execution remain consistent across projects.We're selective about the work we take on because we want to ensure we can deliver at the level clients expect. If another builder is better suited to your project, we'll tell you. If we're the right fit, you'll know why.
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Excellent

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Based on 14 reviews
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Andy The Mechine (Roc...
March 30, 2022.
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Just call them you will not regret it.
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Sara LaBerge
August 22, 2021.
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I bought a house last year that needed many updates (new kitchen, floors, bathroom vanities, adding screened in porch, etc), and hired LOBO Builders as...
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Kim Skelton
March 8, 2021.
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Thomas Wolfe and his team at Lobo Builders are professional, responsive and provide high quality work. He came out and listened to the vision for...
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Kim Skelton
March 8, 2021.
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Thomas Wolfe and his team at Lobo Builders are professional, responsive and provide high quality work. He came out and listened to the vision for...
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Jameson Hughes
February 15, 2021.
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Fantastic company and team! Lobo has done a few projects for us over the years, starting with an amazing renovation of an early-1900s cabin in...
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Michael Loaiza
December 11, 2020.
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We called in for an estimate on a project and Lobo Builders’ customer service was above and beyond. They provided us with everything we needed to know and...
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