Design-Build and Semi-Custom Homes

Start from one of our plans, change what you want, and keep one team from design through construction — semi-custom without the blank page.

Request a consultation Call 678-300-6001

Building since 2008
6× Best of Houzz, 2020–2025
Licensed & insured · GA RLCO003511

Start from a plan, adapt it

Semi-custom means fewer decisions and no blank page. You begin with a plan that already works — one of our five, or one you have found — and change what matters to you: the kitchen layout, a larger primary suite, a porch where the view is, the garage orientation, the finishes throughout. We draw the changes and build what we drew.

One team from design to construction

We have multiple options for planning depending on the scope of work, from a full-service design team to simple drafting, and multiple designers we work with routinely. Because design and construction sit under one roof at Ironwood, nothing gets lost in a handoff, and a change on the drawing is priced as a change in construction rather than discovered on site.

How the work runs

How a design-build project runs with Ironwood:

Pick the starting plan — One of our five, or a plan you bring. If nothing fits, we start fully custom.
Adapt the design — Planning options from a full-service design team to simple drafting, depending on the scope of work; designers we work with routinely for the finishes.
Budgeting — Budgeting is a crucial part of any building project. We will guide you through the process, presenting every option to bring you to informed decisions that you can count on.
Permitting — Ironwood is licensed by the state for Residential and Light Commercial Construction and fully insured; we handle the permit.
Construction — With a foundation of knowledge in the trades, this is where Ironwood Construction Group is head and shoulders above the competition.

Questions we are asked about this

What is the difference between semi-custom and fully custom?

Semi-custom starts from an existing plan and changes it; fully custom starts from your brief and a blank sheet. We do both. Semi-custom is faster to design and easier to budget because the structure is already proven; fully custom is for a house no plan quite describes.

Can I bring my own architect or designer?

Yes. We build from an architect’s drawings and we work alongside a designer you already have. If you do not have one, we have designers we work with routinely.

How much can I change on one of your plans?

Room sizes, the kitchen, the suite, porches, windows, the exterior style and every finish. Moving the structure — the footprint, the roof form, a second storey — is possible too; at some point the plan has become a custom house, and we will tell you when you cross that line and what it means for the budget.

Do you build fully custom homes as well?

Yes — see our completed work. Shadburn Ferry in Buford and The Ortiz Home in Sugar Hill are both custom homes we built.

Where do you build?

Across North Georgia — our office is on Riverside Road in Sugar Hill, and the towns we serve are listed in the footer.

Designed and built by one team

Custom homes we designed and built. See all of our completed work.

Front elevation with a cedar-clad garage and entry — The Ortiz Home, the Sugar Hill house Clay built for his own family.
Front and side elevation with a low-slope roof over the lawn — The Ortiz Home, the Sugar Hill house Clay built for his own family.
Entry foyer with an open staircase and white-oak floor — Shadburn Ferry, a new custom home we built in Buford.
Front elevation from the curved driveway — Spring 2020 Custom Home, a new custom home we built.
Front porch with brick steps and a wood front door at dusk — Austin Garner Rd, a new custom home we built.
Kitchen with a grey island, white cabinetry and a stainless hood — Spring 2020 Custom Home, a new custom home we built.