What does pre-construction cost?

Three ways to engage: a flat-fee Feasibility & Budget Study (typically $1,500-$2,500), Full Pre-Construction at roughly 1.0%-2.0% of target construction cost, or Hourly Advisory at $85 per hour.

Is the pre-construction fee credited if I build with you?

Yes. If you sign a construction contract with DC General Contracting within 90 days of delivery of the final construction proposal, 100% of the pre-construction fee is credited against the construction contract price.

How long does pre-construction take?

Typically 21 to 40 weeks from first conversation to permit in hand for a custom home in the Central Valley, across seven stages. Duration varies with design complexity and jurisdiction.

Pre-Construction Services · New Construction

The smartest money on your project gets spent before anyone breaks ground.

Q: Do you still offer free estimates?

Yes. Repairs and remodels get a free estimate and that isn't changing. Pre-construction applies to ground-up new construction, where there's no structure to walk and a real budget takes weeks of subcontractor bidding rather than an afternoon.

We price your home the way we'd price it if we were writing the check — line by line, against real subcontractor bids, on drawings we've reviewed for constructability.

20+Years in the field

42+Homes built

400+Multifamily units

100%Fee credited if you build

The honest version

A ~~ballpark on a vacant lot~~ is a fast guess, made on incomplete plans, by someone who needs to win the job.

Nobody prices a house properly in an afternoon. There's no structure to walk, no scope to measure, and usually no plans yet — so the number you get is a square-foot average, the scope is thin, and the gap shows up later as change orders.

Pre-construction replaces the guess with a real number. You find out what your project actually costs, on paper, before you're committed to building it. If the number doesn't work, you've spent a fraction of a percent to learn that — instead of finding out at framing.

Architects charge for early work. Engineers charge for early work. This is the same thing: professional judgment, applied before it's expensive to be wrong.

What you get

Four things that change the outcome

01 / BUDGET

A number you can take to the bank

Construction lenders want a detailed, line-item cost breakdown from a licensed GC. We produce one that survives underwriting.

02 / VALUE

Value engineering that pays for itself

Smarter framing, better spec choices, tighter sequencing. On most plan sets there's real money to find — usually more than the fee.

03 / RISK

Problems caught on paper

A framing conflict on a drawing costs an eraser. The same conflict in the field costs a change order and two weeks of schedule.

04 / TEAM

One team from day one

We work alongside your architect and engineers instead of inheriting their drawings and hoping for the best.

The roadmap

Inception through permit, stage by stage

Every new-construction project moves through these seven stages in order. Click any stage to see what gets done, and what we need from you to keep the schedule honest.

Stage 1 1–2 weeks

Discovery & Feasibility

What you decide

5 to 8 months Typical inception-to-permit for a Central Valley custom home. Lot splits, zone changes, septic systems, and off-site improvements run longer.

Investment

Three ways to engage

Pick the one that fits where your project is today. Every dollar comes back if you build with us.

Option A

Feasibility & Budget Study

$1,500–$2,500Flat fee · paid at signing

For owners who need to know whether the project pencils before committing to a full design team.

Option B

Full Pre-Construction

1.0%–2.0%Of target construction cost · $4,500 minimum

Concept through permit — all seven stages. 50% retainer at signing, balance at construction documents.

Option C

Hourly Advisory

$85 / hourDeposit against hours

For owners with plans already underway who need estimating, value engineering, or plan-check support.

Your target construction cost

Slide or type. Fee shown is Option B at 1.5% — the midpoint of our range.

Pre-construction fee

$9,750

Range at 1.0%–2.0%: $6,500 – $13,000

If you build with DC General, all $9,750 is credited against your construction contract. Net cost of knowing: $0.

Why DC General

Built by someone who came up through the trades

Daniel Calderon started as a journeyman carpenter and worked every seat on the way up — field carpenter, assistant superintendent, superintendent, project manager — before launching DC General Contracting. When a framing question comes up, there's no call to make.

We know the Visalia, Tulare, Hanford, and Fresno County building departments by name, and we know what they'll kick back before you submit.

Owner-runYou work directly with the licensed GC managing your build. No layers.
Central Valley nativeLocal plan check, local fees, local subs, local soil.
Transparent pricingLine-item estimates. Scope changes get discussed before the cost changes.
SelectiveWe take the projects we can do well — not every project that comes through the door.

A note on free estimates. We do offer them — repairs and remodels get a free estimate, and that isn't changing. Everything above applies to ground-up new construction, where there's no structure to walk and a real budget takes weeks of subcontractor bidding rather than an afternoon. Not sure which one your project needs? Call and ask. That's free too.

Let's find out what your project actually costs.

Start with a site walk and a conversation about budget. No obligation, and no free-estimate theater.

Call (559) 571-2711 Request a site walk Download the packet (PDF)