18 articles tagged “custom homes”. Looking for something else? Search all posts.
· 2 min read
A licensed SC engineer compares crawl space, slab, and elevated foundations — Lowcountry water tables, coastal wind, and the seismic factor nobody mentions.
Cody Johnston, PE, MBA
· 2 min read
A licensed Alabama engineer on Birmingham's ridges, Huntsville's limestone, and Gulf-influenced wind — which foundation fits your Alabama lot.
Cody Johnston, PE, MBA
· 2 min read
A licensed Georgia engineer on red clay, metro Atlanta basements, mountain walkouts, and coastal Savannah — which foundation fits your Georgia lot.
Cody Johnston, PE, MBA
· 2 min read
A licensed Kentucky engineer on why basements are standard in KY, what karst and sinkholes mean for your lot, and which foundation fits your build.
Cody Johnston, PE, MBA
· 4 min read
A structural engineer's honest comparison of crawl space, slab, and basement foundations in NC — cost, soil, moisture, and which fits your lot.
Cody Johnston, PE, MBA
· 2 min read
A licensed Tennessee engineer on walkout basements in the east, shallow limestone around Nashville, and which foundation actually fits your TN lot.
Cody Johnston, PE, MBA
· 4 min read
No — NC law exempts single-family homes from requiring an architect. Here's what the permit office actually requires, and who to hire instead.
Cody Johnston, PE, MBA
· 3 min read
Alabama's owner exemption lets you build your own home — with a sworn affidavit and a one-year sale presumption. A licensed engineer maps the path.
Cody Johnston, PE, MBA
· 3 min read
Georgia's owner exemption lets you build your own home — with a 24-month rule and a supervision catch. A licensed engineer explains the path.
Cody Johnston, PE, MBA
· 3 min read
Kentucky has no statewide GC license — your local permit office sets the rules. A licensed KY engineer maps the owner-builder path.
Cody Johnston, PE, MBA
· 4 min read
Yes, you can be your own GC in North Carolina. A licensed engineer walks through the owner-builder rules, the permit set, and where the PE fits.
Cody Johnston, PE, MBA
· 3 min read
SC lets you build your own home — with a disclosure, a register of deeds filing, and a 2-year rule. A licensed engineer explains the whole path.
Cody Johnston, PE, MBA
· 3 min read
Tennessee allows one owner-builder permit every two years — with a $25,000 hired-help rule. A licensed engineer walks the whole path.
Cody Johnston, PE, MBA
· 3 min read
Texas has no residential GC license at all — but your city, lender, and soil still have rules. A licensed TX engineer maps the owner-builder path.
Cody Johnston, PE, MBA
· 3 min read
A licensed Texas PE on choosing between slab and pier-and-beam, why basements are rare in Texas, and what expansive clay means for your foundation.
Cody Johnston, PE, MBA
· 6 min read
Modern homes fall outside the code's span charts. An engineer on the design decisions — and mid-build structural fixes — that drive custom home cost.
Cody Johnston, PE, MBA
· 5 min read
Before you sign an architect's contract, ask these 7 questions about engineering fees, construction cost, and who your structural engineer works for.
Cody Johnston, PE, MBA
· 7 min read
An architect capped structural engineering at $7,000. The design needed steel — adding $50,000 to build. Fee caps don't cap cost. They relocate it.
Cody Johnston, PE, MBA