Frequently Asked Questions
Do you build in Kona?
Yes! As Hawaii custom home builders we build in Kona, Hilo and throughout the big
island. In fact, we've been in business under the same owner since 1975.
What do your houses look like, any pictures?
Can you build the floor plan that I want?
What's included in your standard price?
What's not included in your price?
What are your upgrades or options?
Can I make a change after the house is under construction?
What is the building process or the timeframe?
I don't own land on the big island, can you help me find a
buildable lot in my price range?
How much do your houses cost?
Our smallest project is $171,500 for a 1,080 sq ft home with a 2 car
carport. Please follow this link to some of our
floor plans and prices.
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Can you build the floor plan that I want?
Yes! We'll also suggest ways to save money on designs that you bring to us.
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What's included in your standard price?
Permits, architectural & engineering fees,
Lot preparation and clearing,
100’ Gravel driveway,
Cesspool,
Hookups for kitchen and laundry appliances,
Carpeted bedrooms, hallway, living room,
Tiled bathrooms, laundry room, kitchen and dining room,
Countertops tiled or laminated,
floor plan design services,
Carport,
9 month turnkey completion guarantee,
Fixed package price, no surprises.
Long answer:
1. Lot Preparation: We use a D-9 Bulldozer to level the roughest terrain in
preparation for your house-pad, driveway, and water tank site. We'll clear only
as much as we need for these areas.
2. Cesspool: We dig a cesspool (and connect it to your plumbing system).
3. Driveway: We haul and spread gravel for your driveway.
These three site improvements, valued at $15,000 are included with every model.
From the outset, you can relax and leave everything to us! A Septic System MAY
now be required by the Health Department (lots smaller than 1 acre and if too
close to the shoreline), at an additional cost of $6,500.
Walls
Double wall construction, 6" thick, with treated 5/8” Douglas Fir Texture T-111
plywood siding applied over Douglas Fir studs on exterior walls, with gypsum
board interior walls.
Windows
White vinyl sliding glass windows are standard, and we include a sliding glass
patio door in every model!
Roof: Pre-finished high tensile steel with a zinc-aluminum coating is
maintenance free for years, and is ideal for water catchment systems. You will
be asked to select the color from our color chart.
Cabinets: Kitchen and bathroom cabinets are custom-made from quality oak
plywood. No particle board is used anywhere in our cabinets! Countertops are
ceramic tile; plastic laminate is optional at no additional cost.
Electrical & Plumbing: Installation is by licensed subcontractors in
accordance with the California Uniform Building Code, adopted by the local
building department. Overhead water piping and in-slab ABS drain piping is used
exclusively.
Fixtures: All standard light and plumbing fixtures are supplied and installed:
Bath: toilets, sinks, faucets, shower and tub enclosures, shower controls,
mirrors, medicine chests, lights.
Kitchen: sink, faucet, garbage disposer, exhaust fan, hookups for refrigerator,
dishwasher, stove, overhead light.
Utility: electric water heater, laundry tub, hookups for washer and dryer,
overhead light.
Other: outdoor electrical outlets, exterior door light, hose bibs, indoor cable
and phone jacks, overhead lights in bedrooms, hallway, and living/dining areas.
Electrician: When the roof is on, our electrician will contact you prior
to wiring to discuss options you may want, such as additional electrical, phone,
or TV cable outlets, “clean” computer circuits, fans, a chandelier, or security
floodlights. Please note: Any changes or substitutions must be worked out
between you and the subcontractor prior to installation.
Painting:
1. Exterior: We use ICI Dulux Paints, the highest quality we've found, and add
fungicide to reduce mildew. You will be asked to select two colors: one for the
siding and one for the trim.
2. Interior: Interior walls and ceilings (including the carport) are painted
after the drywall is taped, joint compound applied, and textured to an "orange
peel" finish.
Floor Covering:
Tile: We install ceramic tile on the kitchen, dining room, bath and utility room
floors - your allowance is $3 per square foot for the tile. We will install the
tile.
Carpet: The living room, hallway and bedroom floors are carpeted, and your
allowance is $25 per square yard installed. CarpetIsle will provide and install
the carpet.
CarpetIsle is our local supplier, and you'll get wholesale prices if you
upgrade. One-stop shopping makes it a breeze to coordinate the colors of your
floor tile, countertop tile, and your carpet.
Peter Vana and the crew have built more than 400 homes around the Island over
the last 20 years and we would like to show you some of them. You may use the
links on the left to navigate our site, or, if you prefer, you can link here for
background on our company, reasons to select Kavana as your turnkey builder,
floor plans and prices, what's included in the price, what's not included,
what's optional, pictures of completed homes, pictures of homes under
construction, references, contact us, or explore our island. We're proud to show
you the quality of work - please call for an appointment to see our model home
808-989-0894.
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What are your upgrades or options?
Standard cabinets are locally made, light oak plywood (no particle
board). You may upgrade your cabinets with any other local cabinet maker or any
brand name cabinets carried by Home Depot.
Countertops: Granite or Corian – standard is tile or laminate
Ceiling: Cathedral, or 9’ high – standard is 8’
Flooring: Solid wood, Tile throughout, Slate, Bamboo
Windows: Dual pane, Jalousies, Single-hung, Double-hung
Doors: 8’ sliding doors, double raised panel wood front doors,
interior pocket doors
Insulation: R19 in attic and exterior walls – standard is
un-insulated
Lighting: Recessed, Ceiling fans/lights, Security lights
Bathroom: Walk-in shower – standard is one-piece Lasco fiberglass
shower or tub&shower, Whirlpool spa tub, Tub with tile surround, Pedestal sinks,
Bidet, Diagonal tile pattern
Roof: Steeper roof pitch (5:12), Asphalt shingles – standard is
galvanized steel sheeting
Lanai (patio): Covered lanai attached to the house, uncovered
concrete patio,
Garage, With electronic opener
Driveway: Concrete – standard is gravel, Longer – standard is 100 feet
Parker Ranch Package: A steeper roof pitch (5:12) – typical is
3:12, and Covered eaves – typical is painted, and
Board and batten siding – standard covering has vertical grooves every 8 inches.
Outdoor Shower, either Free-standing, or Attached to the house, Open or
enclosed
Fireplace: Gas free-standing fireplace vents through the roof
Septic System: Required on lots less than 1 acre and on lots close to
the ocean.
Water Catchment System: Larger tank – typical size is 10,000
gallons, or Ferro-Cement tank – typical material is galvanized steel.
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What's not included in your price?
Design and Drafting. Design and drafting fee is $650 for houses less
than 1500 square feet and $1300 for those larger than 1500 square feet. Our
designer will work with you until you are completely satisfied with the details
of your new home.
Cost to bring electricity to the house. During the later phases of
construction, you’ll need to arrange with Hawaii Electric Light Company to
install a power line to the electrical box, see Building Process. If you’re
building off the power grid, we’ll need you to provide power to the box we
install at the house.
Water Meter. If you have access to county water lines, it is your
responsibility to open your account with the Water Department and pay for their
installation of a meter. This is needed prior to the finish plumbing phase.
Outlying Locations. An additional $15,000 applies when building homes
requiring our crew and equipment to travel beyond Waimea or Volcano National
Park boundary (i.e., Kohala Coast, Kona, Captain Cook, etc). See Island map.
Landscaping. This is not part of our standard package.
Kitchen and Laundry Appliances. We can arrange for an allowance for kitchen
appliances, just let us know what you need before we start the process! You are
responsible for installing your appliances (refrigerator, stove, washer, dryer).
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Can I make a change after the house is under
construction?
Requests to make changes after construction begins affects the schedule of
all of our houses under construction and jeopardizes our ability to complete all
houses on time including yours, so we discourage them. Please take the time to
think through what you want before you sign the contract. Any changes to
plumbing or lighting fixtures must be handled by you and the subcontractor. You
may not do any work on your house while it is under construction because you are
not a licensed subcontractor hired by us.
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What is the building process?
Many customers have never had a house built before, so the following
discusses the construction process. Kavana Homes is a big builder, with 20-30
houses under construction at any given moment. Depending on material
availability and weather conditions, our crew is working on various phases of
many homes. Because of this, it is not our practice to inform you of what work
will be done on your home and when it will be done. However, our contract
guarantees a completion date and we have a strong reputation for achieving it.
You have selected a quality builder and we will build you a quality home for an
affordable price. Your involvement is needed in the project at key moments,
described below.
1. Sign Documents. During our design phase we will ask you to make all the
decisions about the details of the house so that we have a completed plan of
what your house will look like. We do not make changes to the plan during
construction, so it is important to take your time. The Construction Contract,
Specifications, and Blueprints are signed by you and the general contractor. You
will have copies to take to your lender for processing your construction loan.
Please let us know when your loan is recorded as lenders are inconsistent in
informing the builder. When notified, we will submit plans for building permits.
When the building department notifies us that the permit has been issued, we are
now authorized to begin work on your project and our 180 working days to
complete your home begins.
Call Helco's engineering department (808-969-0311) and verify if your lot is on
the SSP Program, and if so, have Helco send you a contract immediately. You are
required to (1) have your signature notarized on the contract; (2) return it to
Helco; and (3) send them their fee. Doing this puts your project at the end of
the line to get an electric pole to your house site. Although we don't need
power right away, by the time your project gets to the top of their list, we'll
need power on your lot. If you don't take care of this immediately your house
will be delayed.
2. Commence Lot Preparation. Our contract requires that you identify the legal
boundaries of your lot. Often heavy vegetation obscures these corner markers, so
we'll need you to make certain that the 4 corners are visible from the road. We
use the markers on one side of your property to measure the placement of your
house site. If our crew cannot determine the corners, they cannot begin the
work. Dozer work for the driveway and house site and digging the cesspool
begins. The first payment is due at this time. Next, the foundation is termite
treated and inspected. The foundation is framed, rough plumbing is installed and
inspected by the county. Concrete is poured and cured. The framing goes up
quickly because we pre-build the walls in our workshop. The roof framing is
built onsite by our master carpenters. This is a good time to visit the water
department and pay for your water meter to be installed, but if we are
installing your water catchment system, this does not apply to you. You should
visit Hawaiian Electric Light Company (Helco) to determine if they will need to
install any additional poles to your house site and have them determine the cost
of poles.
3. Roof Completed. The roofing material is delivered to the site and installed.
The second payment is due at this time. The electrician will call you to meet at
the job site and walkthrough the electrical plan. You may make additional
electrical requirements at this time and will be billed separately for them. Be
aware that if you request more outlets than are on the plan, the electrician
needs to get another permit, and the final inspection cannot occur until the
inspection for the work on that new permit is completed. The house is then
wired, and ready for fixtures and cover plates. During this time the exterior
siding and windows are installed as the material is available. We'll also paint
the exterior when the siding, windows, and trim are completed. The fiberglass
tub-showers will be installed. Then the plumber installs the plumbing control
panel and all the piping to the water outlets and inlets. More county
inspections take place during this phase. You should select your carpet, and
tile for the floor and countertops at this time. If you select materials that
are not stocked items, this will allow enough time to have them when they are
needed, at the end of the project. Also, we'll give you a key to the house (the
crew uses the same key).
4. Interior Partitions Completed. The drywall is cut and nailed and the
partitions between interior rooms is finished. The third payment is now due.
Next the drywall is taped, joint compound applied, and walls and ceilings are
textured. The interior is painted and the interior and doors are hung. The
cabinet maker measures the framed areas for cabinets, making adjustments to the
plans as needed, and begins building them. Then the cabinets are installed and
readied for tile countertops and sinks. The tops are tiled next. The electrician
will install the switch plates, outlet plates, and light fixtures. The floors in
the bathrooms, kitchen, and utility rooms are tiled, and then the plumber can
install the toilets and sinks. Faucets and showerheads are also installed. The
carpeting is then installed.
5. Final Touches. Now the finish carpenter installs the molding, trims the
interior doors to clear the floors, and mounts the bathroom hardware and
mirrors. A final inspection is requested and when received, the fourth payment
is due. Our electrician notifies Helco when the final county inspection is
approved, who will install any extra poles, the meter and connect you to their
grid. The house is cleaned, debris removed, and you may walkthrough and note any
problems you think we should fix. You have a one year warranty, so don't
hesitate to call if you miss some items after you move in. We'll change the
locks and give you the keys. Your house is now ready to move in.
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I don't own land on the big island, can you help me
find a buildable lot in my price range?
Yes, we can identify lots in your price range and will make our contract
subject to your approval of the lot.
Check out our land plus home kit.
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Sure, try this link and this one [return]