Custom Homes
Create and imagine your own home and we'll build it for you!
Custom Homes
Create and imagine your own home and we'll build it for you!
- Permitting
- Conservation issues
- Zoning (current laws)
- Public Utilities: water, sewer, gas vs. well, septic, oil or propane gas
- Less costly than new construction
- Character of building within neighborhood
- Doors and Windows Expense and Patio Doors—Upper end cost
- Advantage: 100% choice on every component
- Time dedicated for proper planning—Build on paper first
- Broader scope –more time and planning needed
- Positioning of house on lot to allow for rear yard areas and adequate side privacy
To view our Custom Homes, please check out our portfolio.
Renovations
Thinking about expanding your home or remodeling a room?
Renovations
What to think about:
For those who have the resources and wish to expand to your existing home or remodel the house:
Growing family, love their home and want to shape it as the needs of their family grow…or to update it as tastes evolve.
As with any investment you need to be mindful of what you are spending it on, what the return will be, etc.
Mindful of overbuilding.
Love the area, neighborhood, town…see potential in a small home in a big lot and want to make it your own?
What we do:
Work with you to deconstruct the existing structure and reshape it to suit your vision. If the home is completed updated, we’ll work with you in evolving the structure to meet your tastes and modern efficiencies.
Structural issues in the house…use the opportunity to add a wing or addition on to the home.
Containment of the work – driving costs up…keep the cost centralized to one area, if other areas begin to creep in as part of the job, the costs skyrocket.
- Structural modifications may be needed for remodeling project (more expense)
- Adding space: lot size, set back issues
- Effected abutting areas within building increasing remodeling costs
- Doors & Windows expense also patio doors upper end cost
- Age of existing exterior components account for replacement
- Advantage out vs. up
To view our Renovations, please check out our portfolio.
Condos
We can renovate your condo to be perfect for you!
Condominiums
What to think about:
- Inner City logistics/cost
- Remain within boundaries
- Elevators: multi-story or lack thereof
- Rubbish removals
- Construction paths
- HOA more liberal guidelines for detached communities vs. multi-unit buildings
- Noise and time starting
To view our Condos, please check out our portfolio.
Kitchens & Baths
We are experts at remodeling kitchens and bathrooms.
Kitchens & Baths
What to think about:
Driving factor:
Cabinetry, countertops and applicances…contain so much of your costs by choosing wisely or the costs can quickly get out of hand. From a design standpoint, a contemporary design is less costly than more traditional or period designs.
Lighting:
Very underestimated category, often overlooked. Has a cost…proper lighting is important, consistent lighting.
Containing the work:
Blending in with existing look and feel of the renovation to contain the cost.
If long term you intend on updating the cost, setting the look and feel for your kitchen and bath
Bathrooms:
Size comes into play…what to use: tile, granite, stone slabs instead of individual ceramic, porcelain or marble…stone slabs are more costly. Frameless showers versus framed showers (frameless is more costly). Plumbing fixtures (big cost driver). Square foot basis compared to a kitchen, you spend more on a bathroom than a kitchen. Size of space versus work space…productivity can only be as such…limited space. Sequential. Radiant heating (water based system)…efficient, but costly to install.
Bathroom remodels:
Logistics of doing it in a working household, where is it located? Second floor bathroom. Protective coverings…time consumption and disruption to household.
Plumbing logistics through the floor levels, problematic plumbing affecting other areas…undiscovered problems from other areas impacting the overall plumbing, especially in older homes.
Expand bathroom size if you have an oversized bedroom or unused space.
What we do:
- Strong emphasis on containing costs, pulling the reigns in, advising accordingly…guidance on choices
- Unquestionable quality
- Commitment to the home owner…these are important living spaces for a family
- Standard cabinetry selections to customer cabinet design (Cliff Road & Montvale)
- Cabinetry and Tops (painted or stained)
- Design of cabinetry and species
- Layout of Kitchen: incorporate into construction design of the overall new space
- Painted or stained cabinetry
- Construction of cabinet boxes and door panels
- Hardware components: pull outs and sectional
- Associated molding and trim details
To view our Kitchens & Baths, please check out our portfolio.
Basements & Garages
Let us help you finally finish your basement or garage.
Basements & Garages
What to Think About:
Basements:
- Walk out window wells
- Walk egress ideal vs. bulkhead
- Added light –more windows
- Ability for furniture input
- Underestimated: i.e., everything begins in basement
- Minimum height at main areas: 7 feet
- Water problems: French drain with sump pump consider locate within floor plan design
Garages:
- Lot size vs. size of building location
- Finished or unfinished
- Room above?
- Match exterior design to finish exterior components of existing house
- Single and double car sizes
- Open floor plan—no columns
To view our Basements & Garages, please check out our portfolio.
Decks & Patios
Call us for your new patio or deck and enjoy the outdoors!
Decks & Patios
What to think about:
The high cost of composites versus the higher cost of exotic woods (the reality is composites have become very expensive…now comparable to exotic woods). Ipe, more expensive manufacturer of composite decking materials…thickness for thickness…so similar is cost, almost identical. The decision isn’t necessarily about price, but looks (wood lovers love exotics)…
Myth: composites last longer than wood. (footnote: composite based materials made of wood fiber and plastics, or all PVC..there are two types. Some of those composite manufacturers have a break down point becuase it is partially wood fiber. PVC will last a lifetime. Longevity…Ipe, densest wood out there…very heavy…untreated lasts for decades. These exotics can be treated with oils to maintain them and keep looking great for decades to come.
Woods:
Ranges – from low to high scale…pressure treated lumber, cedar (good middle of the road), jump to exotics (4 or 5 different types for decking and railings)
Fasteners:
Differenty types, concealed versus face-fastened (concealed…more time-consuming, more cost…but a good option for looks).
What we do:
- Main framing
- Pressure treated lumber
- Finish materials consisiting for decking and railings from traditional wood to exotic wood (denser & higher cost), composites, wood-fiber & PVC or all PVC
- Built-in seating
- Masonry patios
- Real stone, or block walls, an endless amount of masonry products to suit any budget, from granite to Brazilian blue stone.
- Loose laid on gravel or firmly set in a bed of concrete
- Elevation issues: i.e. fill if possible
- Lumber species (see info)
- Concrete block vs. authentic stone
- Set backs of any footings, block walls, etc.
- Undersize/oversize
- Near septic tank or leaching fields—adequate set backs
To view our Decks & Patios, please check out our portfolio.
Our Signature Metro Building System
A fool-proof method assuring your project will end on time and on budget.
Our Signature Metro Building System™ is, in essence, a project delivery system using one entity/contractor/designer from initial concept through completion. In plain English, the contractor works directly with a designer and a homeowner during the design process. The entire project delivery system is streamlined and ultimately reduces the time to complete your project. The result? A system guaranteed to deliver your project on time and on budget.
PHASE 1: DISCOVERY
- Communication: From day one, the Metro team will incorporate you into each step of the process and always takes time to answer each and every question you may have. First, we will work with you to assess your needs in depth. We discover your goals, dreams and ideas for the property…what you’d like to achieve. We really listen and draw out of you the intangibles you want to make tangible in the creation of what we call your “ideal space”. This “ideal space” for any homeowner is the space that suits you, your family, your lifestyle and esthetic taste. Additionally we’ll work with you to allocate and begin crafting a budget for your project
- Once this step has been completed and a clear understanding has been established about the scope of your project, including an identifiable budget, only then will we proceed forward into Phase 2 of our Signature Metro Building System™.
PHASE 2: DESIGN
- Guidance: We’ll evaluate your ideas and begin to guide you on the variety of options for your “ideal space”, from floor plan options to the roof that’s overhead. Additionally we may suggest modifications to your existing structure to make better use of it and perhaps gain additional space relative to the addition and incorporating into one seamless “ideal space”.
- The Metro team will be there during the design & creation especially to not only deliver superior results, but guide you effortlessly through your project with minimal stress and confusion.
- The project designer and Paul Wilkes will present you the schematics of your “ideal space” to show you how the new inside & outside of your home will appear and answer any and all questions you may have.
PHASE 3: CREATION
- Commitment: The big moment arrives when ground is broken and your project is underway. You can expect direct and regular contact between you,the project leader and Paul Wilkes, who will alway be there to addresses any questions and concerns. Additionally we give you updates on daily progress…and we pride ourselves on our directness and prompt response to any message. From the moment the ground breaks you have our 100% commitment to seeing your project through, completed on time and on budget.
PHASE 4: UNVEILING
- Lastly, your “ideal space” is delivered to you. When we hand over the keys to you and unveil your new space, you can expect our Commitment to continue beyond the project delivery date. Our integrity and dedication to our clients is the very cornerstone of our business and of our success. Generation to generation, project to project…many of our clients become part of an extended family of satisfied homeowners. From our superior level of customer service on a daily basis to our craftsmanship via our Metro Ironclad Guarantee…
“Whatever it takes, we never forget our promise to deliver.”
A major component and asset in our system is the ability to define, design and ultimately cost engineer the entire project on paper first, providing you with an accurate cost estimate. By virtue of our expertise and knowledge of building, we can recommend one design variable over another to achieve your finished product with our designer.
During Phase 1: the Discovery, we interview you to get a true feeling of your expectations and needs that goes beyond a floorplan and also addresses your lifestyle demands. We then study design alternatives, some of which you may not have considered, which allows you to choose a design which meets your needs in a more cost-efficient manner. By keeping abreast of the latest construction technologies and materials, Metropolitan Building Systems Corp. can recommend specific construction methods and systems in order to maintain budget control for the project.
Because of a single entity controlling all aspects of your project, complex design problems are solved quickly and efficiently through the integration of the designer and builder. Why? Because the builder can validate what is being designed can in fact be built for the proposed initial budget. This is the most intelligent, efficient and cost-effective approach to delivering your project on time and especially on budget.
Compare this approach to a typical bid process where an independant architect hired by you will produce a set of drawings that simply is too costly to build. The result? You, the homeowner have absorbed the cost for the drawings only to find out that construction costs are 15/25/even perhaps 35% higher than what you initially hoped for, not to mention the further expenses to modify those drawings so your project becomes affordable.
Our Signature Metro Building System™ only works with you in it. Remember, that a critical component of this system is that you as a homeowner really think about what it is your needs are for the space and also to establish a realistic budget and then we do the rest. Think carefully, take your time and weigh out what you want your dream home to look like. Then realistically, how much you can budget to bring it to life.
To make your dream a reality, a partnership dedicated to this mission is created with you, focused keenly on efficiency and adhering to the budget you determine. Successful collaboration as a team is critical to maintain control over timelines and results. This is the essence of the Metro Building System™.
Developing Drawings Before Speaking With a Builder
Building or creating your ideal space is very exciting, but its incredibly important to remain grounded while you dream of this new creation. Often times homeowners will make the mistake of going directly to an independent architect to develop a beautiful and costly set of drawings to put out for a competitive bid. Soon these homeowners discover however that the construction costs are 15/25/even perhaps 35% higher than what they initially hoped for, not to mention the further expense for the architect to modify those drawings so the project becomes affordable.
How is Metro Different?
What company do you think has a greater knowledge and insight about your project before and during its building phase? The company who only provides you a competitive bid based on drawings provided by an independent design person? Or the company who provides an accurate cost estimate based upon thorough research, value engineering and extensive design criteria…and who builds it? The latter of course.
Because of a single entity controlling all aspects of your project, complex design problems are solved quickly and efficiently through the integration of the designer and builder. Why? Because we, the builder can validate what is being designed can in fact be built for the proposed initial budget. This is the most intelligent, efficient and cost-effective approach to delivering your project on time and especially on budget.
In our 38 years of experience we have created a unique system that is designed to deliver your project on time and on budget and ensure that both of these items remain at the forefront of the job from start to finish. We call this our Signature Metro Building System™.
OUR EXTENDED WARRANTY THAT KEEPS OUR CLIENTS COMING BACK FOR GENERATIONS
Our commitment to our work and your home.
Metropolitan Building Systems offers an extended warranty on all our projects and superior service commitment to you.
This warranty and our superior service guidelines are as follows:
- 3 year no questions asked workmanship warranty. From a leaky faucet to a leaky roof, if any item is not at 100% quality within 3 years of completion, Metro will repair or replace the item at no additional cost to you.
- Free 1 year inspection including: exterior and interior finishes, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing.
- Prompt call back guarantee. No matter what the question or challenge, we will get back to your right away.
- Procurement and inspection of materials.
- Proactive investigation and detection methods guarantee foresight and recognition of any problems or obstacles which may appear during the course of your project.
- Strict adherence to your project budget as well as our commitment to offer you vital cost saving options.
- The most skilled, educated staff available, committed to be on your job site from start to finish.
- Our construction team operates on a mentor based system. Many of our workmen have 30+ years of experience in the field and are paired with people of 5 to 10 years of experience. At no time does an unskilled hand ever touch your home.
- 100% visibility. Our staff and team are always available to answer any questions you may have. After meeting with us, our management does not vanish from the job site. We are there daily to review progress and assure you are satisfied.
- We establish a “Lead Guy” for every project to serve as your direct contact and point person during the course of the project.
- Identifiable work schedule.
- Detailed progression and completion dates.
- Daily communication with you regarding job status.
- Our job sites never feature trash or discarded materials. Time is allocated every day to make your site look as neat and organized as possible.
What our clients have to say
