Custom Home Builder in New Canaan, CT

Make Your Dream Home a Reality

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A custom home should respond to its site, its architecture, and the people who will live there. Gerety Building & Restoration helps New Canaan clients move from early goals and design coordination into detailed construction with a process built around communication, craftsmanship, and direct supervision.

For more than 40 years, Gerety has completed custom remodeling, design-build construction, and restoration projects throughout Fairfield County and Westchester County. That experience shapes how we approach a new home. We study site conditions, define responsibilities early, resolve details before they become field conflicts, and keep the client informed throughout the work.

Planning for the Property

Every building site presents unique constraints and opportunities. In New Canaan, project review may involve the Building Department, Health Department, Inland Wetlands Department, Planning and Zoning Department, and other municipal authorities, depending on the property and proposed work. The Town also provides resources related to zoning, historic preservation, and permitting.

Not every property requires every type of review. The appropriate process depends on the site and proposed project. Survey information, zoning requirements, site access, utilities, drainage, wetlands, existing structures, and design decisions may all affect the planning path. Property owners should confirm current, project-specific requirements with the appropriate Town departments and reviewing authorities.

What Gerety Brings to a Custom Home

Beyond helping clients navigate the regulatory process, our role is to connect architectural design with field execution. We focus on clear coordination, active site management, and careful craftsmanship so that the completed home remains aligned with the approved plans, design intent, and project priorities.

Design and Construction Coordination

We review architectural plans alongside assemblies, openings, millwork, masonry, finishes, and building systems during planning. This process helps the project team identify coordination issues and resolve construction questions before work reaches the field.

Direct Owner Supervision

Owner Keith Gerety remains directly involved in project oversight. This hands-on approach provides a clear point of accountability and keeps detailed project knowledge central to field coordination and decision-making.

Custom Craftsmanship

Our work may include custom carpentry, architectural woodwork, flooring, masonry, staircases, and specialized interior and exterior details. Careful coordination among these elements helps create a home that feels intentional, cohesive, and consistent with the architectural design.

Communication Through Construction

We prioritize clear communication and detailed documentation throughout the building process. By coordinating trades and raising technical questions early, we help the team make informed decisions that support the design intent, construction sequence, and established project priorities.

Our Custom Home Building Process

Building a custom home is a complex undertaking that requires organized execution and clear communication. Our process coordinates the project from early planning through construction and completion, with careful attention to design intent, professional collaboration, and craftsmanship.

Discovery and Project Definition

The process starts with the property, household priorities, design vision, schedule considerations, and current documentation. If the site has an existing structure, the scope clarifies what will remain, change, or be removed.

Team and Design Coordination

Architects, engineers, interior designers, landscape professionals, and specialty consultants each maintain defined roles. Gerety reviews construction implications to help coordinate information that crosses these disciplines.

Preconstruction Planning

Before construction begins, the team develops the scope, reviews the plans, identifies required decisions and long-lead items, and prepares applicable permit submissions. Identifying unknown conditions and incomplete details early allows the team to address them more deliberately.

Construction

During fieldwork, Gerety coordinates trades, reviews workmanship, communicates progress, and manages the sequence from site preparation and structural work through building systems, finishes, and custom details. Our team also works to maintain a clean, organized jobsite and treat the property with care.

Completion and Follow-Up

The final phase may include required inspections and approvals, review of closeout items, client orientation where appropriate, and post-completion follow-up consistent with the agreed scope. This process helps prepare the client for the transition from construction to occupancy and ongoing use of the home.

What Luxury Home Builders Should Deliver

The term luxury can be vague. In a custom home, real value is more concrete: a plan that suits the household, materials selected for the application, aligned architectural details, carefully coordinated systems, and a construction team that takes responsibility for execution.

When comparing luxury home builders, ask how design questions are tracked, who supervises the site, how client decisions are scheduled, and how custom details move from drawings into the field. Gerety’s portfolio and coordinated design-build approach provide a useful starting point for that conversation.

What Influences the Cost of a Custom Home?

The investment in a custom home is shaped by the property's characteristics, the architectural design, and the level of customization involved. Site preparation, foundation requirements, structural engineering, building systems, exterior assemblies, interior finishes, custom millwork, permitting, and other construction elements all contribute to the overall scope. Property-specific conditions such as topography, drainage, wetlands, access, and existing site features may also influence planning and construction.

A meaningful budget discussion begins after the property, goals, and proposed scope have been reviewed. Rather than relying solely on broad cost-per-square-foot estimates, Gerety considers site conditions, design priorities, construction requirements, and material selections when developing a realistic planning framework.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can Gerety work with our selected architect?

Yes. Gerety can collaborate with a client’s existing architect, engineer, interior designer, and other project professionals. If the team is not yet complete, we can help identify the disciplines that may be needed for the proposed scope.

When should a custom home builder join the process?

Early contractor involvement can be valuable while the design is still developing. It allows the team to discuss construction sequencing, scope boundaries, materials, custom details, and information gaps before permit and construction documents are finalized.

Which New Canaan reviews apply to a new home?

Requirements depend on the property and proposed work. The Town provides resources related to building permits, inland wetlands, planning and zoning, historic preservation, and online permitting. Homeowners should confirm the applicable review process with the appropriate Town departments before finalizing the design.

Does Gerety provide a standard price per square foot?

Custom home costs depend on the design, site conditions, structural systems, building services, materials, level of detail, and overall scope. Gerety develops project-specific budget information rather than publishing a generic figure that may not reflect the proposed home.

Start a Custom Home Conversation

Building a custom home begins with understanding the property, the design vision, and the client’s priorities. Share details about your site, the status of your architectural plans, and the goals for your future home. We will discuss project fit, potential challenges, and practical next steps for moving the project forward.