The Kendrick Design-Build Experience

Meet & Share Your Vision

Every home begins with understanding the people who will live in it. During your initial Meet and Greet, we take time to learn about your lifestyle, priorities, architectural preferences, and investment goals. We want to understand how you spend your days, how you entertain, and what would make your new home feel distinctly yours.

Whether you already own a homesite in Bluffton or Hilton Head Island or are still exploring your options, we discuss how the property may influence your home’s design and overall budget. Site conditions, community requirements, privacy, views, and outdoor living goals all help shape the direction of your project.
This first step is also your opportunity to get to know our team. We explain our design-build process, answer your questions, and discuss expectations for communication, timing, and next steps.

Our goal: Establish a shared understanding of your vision and a realistic starting point for moving forward.

Design & Plan Your Home

With your priorities established, we begin exploring a home design that fits your lifestyle, homesite, and investment goals. Whether you start with a Kendrick Collection inspiration plan or a fully custom concept, we work together to establish the layout, architectural direction, and features that matter most to you.
Once you decide on a conceptual plan, Mark Kendrick prepares an estimated budget for that home. Drawing on his hands-on construction experience and knowledge of custom home building in the Lowcountry, Mark develops this estimate with the expectation that final pricing will remain within approximately 10% above or below that number, provided the agreed-upon scope and level of finishes remain consistent. This gives you a meaningful understanding of the anticipated investment before moving into detailed plans and selections.

After we agree on the conceptual plan and estimated budget, we present our Design-Build Agreement—the first of two agreements in our process. This agreement begins the preconstruction phase, when we refine the plans, work through selections, and develop detailed construction pricing. The second agreement is your Construction Contract, which is presented later, before construction begins.

This approach connects design decisions with realistic costs from the beginning, helping you move forward with a clear understanding of both your home’s direction and your anticipated investment.

Our goal: Agree on a conceptual home design and estimated budget so you can move confidently into preconstruction.

Refine Details & Prepare to Build

With your Design-Build Agreement in place, we move into preconstruction. During this phase, your conceptual design develops into detailed plans, and we work through the decisions needed to prepare your home for construction.
We guide you through selections that influence both the character and cost of your home, including cabinetry, countertops, flooring, fixtures, and other finishes. Together, we consider how these choices support your overall design and align with the budget established in step two.

As plans and specifications develop, we refine the scope of work and obtain detailed pricing. Our team explains what is included, reviews allowances where applicable, and discusses any changes that could affect your investment. You have opportunities to ask questions and adjust selections or scope before committing to construction.

Once the plans, scope, and construction pricing are agreed upon, we present your Construction Contract—the second agreement in our process. We also coordinate the necessary permitting and community architectural approvals, helping you navigate the requirements that apply to your homesite.

Our goal: Begin construction with coordinated plans, a clearly defined scope, and an agreed-upon construction budget.

Build With Care & Communication

With your Construction Contract signed and the required approvals and permits in place, construction begins. Our team coordinates the work, manages the sequence of construction, and keeps you informed as your custom home takes shape. Mark Kendrick’s approach to building starts with a deep understanding of the structure itself. Before becoming a home builder, Mark personally framed hundreds of homes throughout Beaufort County. That experience continues to shape the standards he brings to every Kendrick Design-Build project. Our dedicated in-house framing crew frames each of our homes, reflecting Mark’s commitment to quality from the structural framework forward.

From the foundation and framing to interior finishes, we pay attention to both the details you see and the construction behind them. Mark remains personally involved, while your personal site supervisor oversees day-to-day progress and keeps you connected to the process.

Every client receives a personal project website, providing one convenient place to access all project communication, permits, plans, and selections. Your site supervisor updates the website weekly so you can follow your home’s progress and stay informed, whether you live nearby or are managing your Lowcountry custom home build from out of town. Throughout construction, we discuss upcoming decisions and any issues that need your attention. When questions or changes arise, we address them directly so you understand the options and their potential impact on cost and timing.

Our goal: Bring your plans to life with careful oversight, skilled craftsmanship, and communication you can rely on.