Authentic Homes Inc.

Custom Home Builder.

We use insulated concrete forms as a standard for building quality custom homes. As a custom home builder of choice for many homeowners, our value is in the energy efficiency and durability of your dream home.

  • Use better quality materials like insulated concrete forms for all aspects of your build.
  • Save on long term costs by building a more durable custom home.
  • Benefit from our end-to-end project management process that ensures continuity and quality.
Custom home addition

Authentic Homes Inc. will help you fulfill different aspects of your custom home build.

Custom Home Construction 

Our superior expertise and skillset as a custom home builder, is to bring to reality your ideal living space which is customized and built using quality materials and a philosophy that matches your objectives.  Function and design as well as energy efficiency and durability are central to the foundation of our custom home building philosophy.  Ultimately your main concern is the finished product and the process of building your custom home. Thankfully, our 30+ years of construction and custom home build experience gives you the certainty that your investment is in good hands.

 

Project Management

We work closely with you in the overall planning, budgeting and scheduling coordination for the project from beginning to completion. We apply the "best practices" approach to all scopes of work, practices we've honed over our 30 years in working on such projects

Our management experience, and knowledge of materials and construction techniques maximizes your budget resource efficiency through procurement of skilled subcontractors, quality materials and proper equipment.

Design-bid-build Construction

If you're looking to build your custom home but lack the time to oversee the project in a way that you feel would do justice to the project, we'll take care of it for you

 

Design & Build

Clarity of your objectives and our ability to meet them is very important when building your custom home. Once we are clear on your objectives, cost and budget parameters, aesthetics of your project and ultimately the lifestyle you look to bring to life, we’ll collaborate with design partners. The architect is typically who you'll confer and work with in the design stage, helping to move the project forward in a timely fashion.

We also are able to accommodate any personal preferences you may have at this stage or we will personally refer and introduce you to some of our design partners.  Most importantly, the aim is to have you comfortable with the process and to understand fully what will be the steps to complete the project successfully.

 

Remodel

Our focus on building custom homes over the years has allowed us to provide advice to clients on such things as whether to build on a new lot or existing lot.  Many homeowners over the years feel that they have to build a completely new home in a new location, and felt that it was a big ask to leave the neighborhood they love. What they found, however, is that by simply remodeling their existing home, they could still get the custom home quality and aesthetics by improving upon the "good bones" of their existing home.  

Authentic Homes Inc. is able to give you the same attention as though building a new home.  We provide you an accurate, reasonable estimate and working with you to determine your vision for all improvements.

 

Custom Home Build - Wood Frame vs. Insulated Concrete Form

Plywood Custom Home Build

Plywood Custom Home Construction

Insulated Concrete Forms Custom Home

ICF Custom Home

Which material is better for your custom home build?

As a custom home builder we prioritize your needs whether you prefer a traditional wood frame home or if you choose to explore insulated concrete forms. As a custom home builder we don't do things because they're trendy but because they benefit you and your custom home investment.  Here are some key differences and reasons why you should consider insulated concrete forms for your renovation over the typical and standard wood frame custom home structure.

Standard Wood Frame Custom Home

  • Thermal Quality -  Plywood wood frame homes or structures are not as energy-efficient as buildings constructed with a higher thermal mass product like insulated concrete forms and stone. 
  • Fire Risk is much higher simply because wood and fire go together i.e. wood is combustible.  
  • Additional Steps and time for construction. Plywood requires that you add insulation as an additional step to the wall after you've cured the concrete. It also takes an additional 15-21 man days to build and pour walls with plywood.

Insulated Concrete Forms

  • High Thermal Quality for your home which means reduced energy bill and costs.  This is also helpful to making your home high performing, giving it a good foundation for absorbing and stabilizing heat and other temperature shifts.
  • Insulated concrete forms have fire resistance of 3-4 hours during construction and with the finished product.
  • Assembly for insulated concrete forms is all in one without unnecessary extra steps.  This includes the ability to structure, create an air barrier, insulate, retard any vapors and finally the work required for the attachment for interior and exterior finish.

Project Request Contact Form

Tell us about your custom home project!

Let's get started with your custom new home build, renovation or addition. Complete the form so we can get back to you to understand your needs and if we can help bring your vision to life!

Type of Project
Please Select One
  • New Home Build (Custom Home)
  • Custom Renovation or Remodel
  • Custom Addition
  • Custom Landscaping
  • Concrete Swimming Pool
  • Hybrid Custom Home Project
Require Design & Construction?
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Type of Lot
Please Select One
  • Existing Home
  • I Own Land
  • Purchase Land
Do You Have Permits?
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Custom Home Build Project Gallery

Custom Homes - Frequently Asked Questions

what's the difference between a custom home and a standard track home?

Durability, quality and flexibility of design.  In other words, your home will last longer, feel more comfortable and will be built with higher quality materials.  Most standard homes meet the minimum municipal code requirements as a baseline.  This is why many people have to do renovations to an existing regular standard home.  You will have more options for your materials and design such as architecture, stucco, siding, brick and flooring types

why is insulated concrete forms (icf) a better building material for custom home construction?

We do still use traditional stick frames for building some of our clients homes. 
Insulated concrete forms
(ICFs) are cast-in-place concrete walls that are sandwiched between two layers of insulation material, usually expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam insulation forms. The foam blocks are stacked as interlocking blocks, connected with steel reinforcing rods. They offer well-insulated, airtight, energy-efficient building enclosures. Also, ICFs are a great fit for regions prone to severe weather because of their system strength.  See image below:

Fire Protection ICF

what are some key differences between wood frames and icf frames?

The building perimeter walls made from ICF are not framed, therefore overall framing costs are reduced. Total home energy consumption is reduced, thereby not only reducing your energy bills, 60-70 percent, but also reducing the negative impact on the environment. One of the biggest benefits of using ICF is the continuous insulation on both sides of the wall that virtually eliminates thermal bridging and energy loss.

ICF building technology offers resilient buildings that withstand severe weather events like hurricanes, tornados and floods better than stick-built construction. Many new ICF homes include a safe room designed for emergency situations.

do insulated concrete forms cost more than standard materials?

It depends on the local market in terms of costs of material and labor, and experience of the contractors involved.  But that’s also the case with a wood-framed custom home as well.

Using ICF wall construction generally adds about 2% to 4% of the house construction cost. This is a rule of thumb only, actual prices are influenced by many factors, such as particular architectural features, site issues and are subject to local market demands as well. 

do you offer end-to-end project management?

Yes.  We believe this to be very important because we do not believe you can build a custom home in a vacuum.  We handle all aspects on your behalf as well as working together with your other professionals like architects and designers.  Anyone working on your project as a sub-contractor is pre-vetted by us and has worked with us over several years.  Here are some of the areas we manage the process for you:

  • Design
  • Permit application process
  • Financing
  • Construction and Post-Construction

is it better to buy on a new lot or build on an existing lot?

Simply put, it depends on your goals and budget.  In terms of cost, most people don't think about all the other soft costs like development cost, having to setup a new water and electrical source if none is available.  The benefit of building on an existing lot include having an existing sewer and water system, familiarity with the area and amenities and less soft costs. Regardless, your dream home should be in the location you choose and we can help you figure what's best.

how large of a home can i build on my proposed lot?

In general, local by-laws determine the dimensions of your home and can vary from municipality to municipality.  This information can usually be found by contacting the local urban planning and building department in that locale which is something we would do on your behalf.  In terms of rough numbers, bylaws in general suggest or require that the maximum square footage of property that your new build can occupy is on average 31% of your total property area.  

Let's assume your lot is 250 feet deep and 75 feet wide.  This means the total property area is 18,750 square feet.  Using our 31% suggested average, you are allowed to build a home that is 5,812 square feet (double that if you have a second storey), not including the lower level basement.  Are you curious if we are the best choice custom builder for your Niagara Region home?  Interested in knowing what size bedrooms, garages, home office you can build? Consult with us today:

how long does it typically take to build my custom home?

On average you can expect the whole process to last 12-18 months.  By process we mean permits, designs and adjustments and the execution of construction and building.  The planning phase (2 months) usually dictates the construction and building phase (8-12 months).  We generally don't think of the time to build in terms of size of the house because there are other factors that go into completing the home such as mechanical systems and time intensive finishes to kitchens or bathrooms.

Time may also be increased due to other extenuating circumstances or preferences such as building near a conservation area or height restrictions that you may be seeking exemptions for . Our advantage is that we use insulated concrete forms to build your custom home which allows us to build better and with less intermediate steps even during typical "slow winter months".

why build an icf concrete swimming pool (hot tubs, jacuzzi)

Pool walls built of Insulated Concrete Forms (ICF) have better insulation on the interior and exterior sides of the formed shell. This dramatically reduces heat loss/transfer, gives you more flexibility in design and construction and most importantly,  savings on long-term operating costs.  An ICF concrete pool is essentially "forever" because of it's lifespan.

what is hardscaping?

Essentially the solid and 'hard' materials that make up your yard such as stone and interlocking.  We customize the hard landscape materials in the built environment structures that are incorporated into your property.  This includes features such as paved roads, walkways, retaining walls and water features.  This complements the exterior of your custom home adding to the long term value.

Outdoor jacuzzi

what sets authentic homes apart from other niagara custom home builders?

Our teams vision and passion for quality to deliver dreams. Beyond that, the most important thing to you is our experience, the quality of your build and consistency of your finished product as we use an in-house team for all projects.

what are typical projects you specialize in?

We specialize in new home build custom home, custom home renovations in part or as a whole, and home additions. We offer full design and end-to-end aspects of your custom home building projects having the manpower and expertise to bring your dream vision to life.