Process
How we build
We serve as construction manager and as your representative on site. We join or assemble the design team, resolve the drawings with them before work begins, bid and level every trade, and direct the site each day until the house is complete. We answer for the result, and our fee is agreed in writing before construction begins.
The process
From first meeting to handover
- First meeting.We walk the property with you and discuss the house you have in mind, the design team, the village and the timing. If we are not the right builder for the project, we say so plainly.
- The design team.If your architect is in place, we join that team from the start. If not, we make introductions to architects, structural engineers, interior designers and landscape architects whose work suits the property and the village, and help you choose.
- Planning and constructability.With the architect and engineers, we review the drawings detail by detail before they are final: how each wall, window and roofline meets the next, where the mechanical systems run, and how every finish is installed. Questions are answered on paper, so the trades arrive to a resolved set of plans. Scope, schedule and the full investment are set, and materials with long lead times are ordered early.
- Bidding and leveling.Each major trade is bid by several qualified firms against the same scope. We level the bids line by line, so that each price covers the same work, and recommend one. You see every bid before work is awarded.
- Construction.A principal directs the site each day: the trades, the sequence of work, inspections with the village and the standard of every detail. You receive photographs on a set schedule, and we meet regularly so that each decision is made before it is needed.
- Completion.We walk the house with you room by room before handover. You then receive a record of the house: photographs of every wall before it was closed, the locations of blocking, valves and shutoffs, product manuals, and the trades and suppliers who worked on it.
Your investment
Stewardship of your investment
Every dollar of the construction investment is accounted for and visible to you. Trade and material charges are passed through without markup, and Cornerstone is paid a separate management fee, agreed in writing before construction begins.
What our fee covers
- Planning: scope, schedule and the construction estimate
- Bid leveling and recommendations
- Daily management of the site and trades
- Ordering and delivery of materials
- Permits and inspections with the village
- Quality control and photo documentation
- Regular updates and decision meetings
- A record of the house at completion
What you see
- The leveled bids for each trade, side by side, before work is awarded
- The estimate alongside amounts spent to date, kept current
- Every change, priced and approved by you before the work is done
The Cornerstone standards
Built to be passed down
We build with methods meant to last for generations, using today's materials and a refined, timeless finish. These are our standard specifications on every new home, and on every renovation where the existing house allows. Your architect may refine them for the design.
In the house
- Closed-cell spray foam insulation.Exterior walls and roofs are sealed and insulated, for a house that is quiet and even in temperature from room to room.
- Radiant heat, room by room.Hydronic radiant heat, with each room on its own zone and thermostat.
- Engineered framing.Engineered lumber studs for straight, true walls, so that cabinetry, stone and millwork sit flush.
- Solid backing where it matters.Ladder blocking where interior walls meet, and blocking framed in for televisions, artwork, mirrors and window treatments, with each location recorded.
- Wide-plank hardwood, properly set.Wide planks are glued and nailed to the subfloor and protected with a commercial-grade waterborne finish.
- A documented home.Every wall is photographed before it is closed, and the record of what is behind it is yours at handover.
In how each home is built
- Led by a principal.A principal leads every project from the first meeting to handover, and we take on only a few at a time.
- Drawings resolved before construction.Details are coordinated with the architect and engineers on paper, so the house is built as drawn.
- Every trade bid and leveled.Several qualified bids for each major trade, compared against the same scope and shared with you.
- No markup on trades or materials.Trade and material charges are passed through without markup.
- Regular communication.Photographs and decision meetings on a set schedule.
- Respect for the neighborhood.Clean, safe sites, work kept to permitted hours, and neighbors kept informed.
Questions
Frequently asked
How is the investment in a home determined?
During planning we prepare a detailed construction estimate with your architect, then refine it with leveled bids from qualified trades. Trade and material charges are passed through without markup, and our management fee is agreed in writing before construction begins.
Is Cornerstone licensed and insured?
Yes. Sigal Property Services, LLC d/b/a Cornerstone Private Builders holds Nassau County Home Improvement License No. 204920 and carries the general liability, workers' compensation and disability insurance New York State requires.
Can my project be financed?
Yes. We can introduce lenders we have worked with on financed projects. We prepare the construction budget a lender requires and manage the draw process, including each draw request and its documentation.
Can I use my own architect or designer?
Yes. Many clients come to us with a design team in place, and we are glad to work with yours from the start. If you have not yet chosen one, we are happy to make introductions and help you assemble the right team for the project and for the area where you plan to build.
Where do you build?
We build new homes across Long Island, from the North Shore of Nassau County to the villages of the East End. We take on whole-house renovations in Nassau County, including Roslyn, Roslyn Estates, Roslyn Harbor, Roslyn Heights, East Hills, Greenvale, Glen Head, Glenwood Landing, Sea Cliff, Glen Cove, Old Westbury, Old Brookville, Upper Brookville, Brookville, Muttontown, Matinecock, Lattingtown, Locust Valley, Mill Neck, Bayville, Centre Island, Cove Neck, Oyster Bay, Oyster Bay Cove, Laurel Hollow, Manhasset, North Hills, Plandome, Plandome Heights, Plandome Manor, Munsey Park, Flower Hill, Port Washington, Port Washington North, Manorhaven, Baxter Estates, Sands Point, Great Neck, Great Neck Estates, Great Neck Plaza, Kensington, Kings Point, Lake Success, Russell Gardens, Saddle Rock, Thomaston, Albertson, Searingtown and East Williston.