Field notes from the job site

No filler. Just what we have learned building custom homes, ADUs and multifamily projects across Placer, Sacramento and El Dorado counties, written by the people doing the work.

Walnut kitchen cabinetry and stone counters in a Lane Built Inc. custom home

Custom Homes · 7 min read

9 Questions to Ask a Custom Home Builder in Northern CA

Most people interview builders the way they interview a plumber. Here is what to ask instead.

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Excavator cutting an engineered building pad on a Placer County lot

Budget · 6 min read

7 Line Items That Blow Up a Custom Home Budget

The overage is almost never the kitchen. It is what happens before the slab.

Shored utility trench with new sewer and water main on a Lane Built Inc. development site

Development · 5 min read

6 Reasons Developers Hire a Builder Who Owns the Iron

For a developer, time is the budget. Owning the equipment is how you defend it.

Detached accessory dwelling unit with a standing seam metal roof in Northern California

ADUs · 6 min read

8 ADU Mistakes We See Around Sacramento

An ADU is a small house, and small houses punish shortcuts faster than big ones.

Precisely framed multi-unit structure under construction by Lane Built Inc.

Craft · 6 min read

10 Signs of a Well Built House You Can See on a Walk-Through

Finishes hide a lot. These ten details do not.

Have a lot, a plan set or a pro forma?

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