Bids that look cheap until change orders hit
A low number on paper can hide missing allowances, vague scopes, and unit prices that explode once framing starts. You need a way to read what the bid actually covers.
Course for first-time custom home clients
Hire the right builder before a bad bid costs you the house you wanted.
The most expensive mistakes in custom home building happen before the first shovel hits the ground, and almost all of them are preventable with the right knowledge.
Taught by Duane Holloway · 35 years residential & commercial · COO, Visten Construction Group
- Spot bid red flags before you sign
- Compare builders on more than price
- $49/mo · cancel anytime
Why this course exists
The costly mistakes happen before construction starts
Most first-time clients lose money in the planning and hiring phase, not on the jobsite. Build Right Home puts you on equal footing with the people bidding your project.
The wrong builder for your lot and budget
A great craftsman on tract homes can still fail a custom job. Fit matters: communication style, schedule discipline, sub network, and how they handle decisions under pressure.
Spec and foundation calls locked in too late
HVAC tonnage, slab design, window packages, and finish grades get rushed after the contract. Those choices shape cost and comfort for decades, and they are hardest to fix after pour day.
Duane Holloway
Founder, Straight from the Slab
▸ 35 years residential & commercial
▸ COO, Visten Construction Group
▸ Texas custom home builder
Meet your instructor
Straight talk from someone who has walked the slab
Duane has spent three and a half decades in residential and commercial building. As COO of Visten Construction Group, a Texas design-build firm, he sees the same pattern again and again: smart owners lose control of cost and quality because nobody taught them how the process works before they signed.
Build Right Home is the course he wished every first-time client had. No jargon for show. No scare tactics. Practical checkpoints so you can vet a contractor, read a bid, and make foundation and systems decisions with your eyes open.
"I will teach you what to ask, what to demand in writing, and how to walk away from a builder who will not earn your trust. That knowledge pays for itself on the first real bid."
Curriculum outcomes
What you will learn in Build Right Home
Six practical skills you can use the week you start talking to builders, long before anyone pours concrete.
01
Read blueprint basics
Orient yourself on plan sets so dimensions, notes, and elevations stop looking like a foreign language.
02
Compare materials by specs
Judge windows, insulation, and finish grades on performance and durability, not brochure photos alone.
03
Spot red flags and bad bids
Line up scopes, allowances, and exclusions so a low number does not hide an incomplete job.
04
Speak contractor language
Ask clearer questions in meetings and RFIs so answers come back specific, not vague promises.
05
Decide systems for your lot
Weigh foundations, HVAC, and finishes against climate, soil, budget, and how you will live in the house.
06
Avoid owner-builder traps
Know when to hire help, what risk you carry if you self-manage, and how contracts protect both sides.
Fit check
Who Build Right Home is for
If you are about to hire a custom builder or step into that role yourself, this course is built around the decisions you face next.
First-time custom home client
You are about to spend more money than you ever have on a single project and want a clear way to choose and manage the right builder.
Owner-builder
You plan to run parts of the job yourself and need the same discipline a professional GC uses on bids, specs, and trade coordination.
Hands-on contractor turning builder
You know the field work. This course fills the client-side gaps: scope writing, selection sequencing, and how owners evaluate your proposals.
Simple path
How it works
No fluff. Three steps from enrollment to sharper decisions on your project.
- 01
Pick the course
Enroll in Build Right Home for $49 a month. Cancel anytime. You get structured lessons focused on pre-construction decisions.
- 02
Learn by doing
Work through checkpoints you can apply to real bids, builder interviews, and material choices as your project moves forward.
- 03
Build with confidence
Walk into meetings knowing what good looks like, what to put in writing, and when a red flag means you should pause.
Pricing
One course. Clear price.
Build Right Home is $49 per month. Start when you are ready to get serious about hiring and managing your builder.
Flagship course
Build Right Home
$49/mo
Cancel anytime. No long-term lock-in.
- Lessons on vetting and hiring contractors
- Bid review checkpoints and red-flag lists
- Guidance on foundations, HVAC, and finishes
- Plain-spoken builder language you can use in meetings
- Access while your subscription is active
Checkout happens on Straight from the Slab. You will leave this page to enroll.
Questions
Common questions before you enroll
Free guide
7 Bid Red Flags every custom home client should catch
A short field guide from Duane on the bid lines, missing scopes, and vague language that turn a "great price" into a change-order machine. Enter your email and we will send it, plus occasional tips on hiring and managing your builder.
- Incomplete scopes dressed up as savings
- Allowances that cannot survive real selections
- Schedule language with no teeth
- Payment draws that outrun completed work
Start before the bids come in
Grab the free red-flag guide, or enroll in Build Right Home and learn how to hire and manage your builder with a clear head.
