Design-Build
Culver Built is a design-build contractor based in Langley on South Whidbey Island. We carry a custom home or a remodel from concept through design, estimating and construction.
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Site development is the first phase of a build. The lot gets cleared, the building pad gets cut and graded, and water gets somewhere to go. Then the driveway and the utility trenches go in, and the foundation can start. We do that phase ourselves on every custom home we build on Whidbey Island.
Site preparation done by the builder keeps the plan and the dirt together. Whoever cuts the pad knows where the footing drains and the utilities run. That is what design and construction under one contractor buys you. Free estimates, so call or text (360) 544-9027.
Tell us about the job. We will get right back to you.
Most island lots start under fir and cedar, with blackberry and Scotch broom between them. Land clearing opens the building envelope, the driveway line and the room the machines need. We take out the trees the plan calls for, pull the stumps and haul the debris away.
Under the topsoil, much of Whidbey Island is dense glacial till, called hardpan here. Water perches on it and runs sideways. The same lot can turn up clean sand, cobble, till or groundwater. Island County puts the minimum footing depth at 12 inches below finish grade.
Demolition of a shed, a failed slab or a rotting outbuilding happens in the same phase. One customer's small demolition job turned up water pooled under the structure and runoff off the hillside. A curtain drain solved it.
Wet winters run November to March, and water is what wrecks island driveways and foundations. Grading sets a slope that carries water away from the house. French drains, catch basins and curtain drains take the water the grade cannot.
Driveways here are often long, steep and cut into a hillside. A driveway lasts when it is graded first, then built with a stone base and compacted. One homeowner on the west side of the island had a packed dirt path with no real stone base. Graded, based and compacted, it came back wider and firmer.
Utility trenching runs power, water and drain lines in the same phase. Washington law wants a locate first, so 811 gets notice two to 10 business days ahead. Finish grading sets up the yard and any paver patios and walkways that come after.
Island County regulates clearing, filling and excavation near shorelines, steep slopes, wetlands and streams. Every building or land use permit submittal includes a Field Indicators Worksheet, even with no known critical areas. The county's Critical Areas Planner says which reports a lot needs.
Bluff and view lots get a closer look. Land disturbing work inside the county's setbacks from a geologically hazardous area needs a report sealed by a geotechnical engineer. Island County sets those setbacks by slope height, starting near 50 feet for a 10 to 30 foot slope. Taller slopes push that to 75 or 100 feet, so confirm your parcel with the county.
Surface drainage cannot be sent across the face of a marine bluff or a ravine. Since March 2024 the county will not accept a building permit submittal without five items. Those are a site registration, a septic design, an approved access permit, an address and water availability. A septic designer does that design, Island County Public Health reviews it, and we do the dirt around it.
Free, no-obligation estimates across Whidbey Island and the Skagit Valley.
(360) 544-9027From the first call or text to the finished home, here is how it goes.
Reach us at (360) 544-9027 or fill out the form. Tell us about the lot or the house and what you want to build.
We meet you at the property, look at the site or the home, and talk through what is possible. The estimate is free.
We design in house or build from your architect's plans. Then we price a full materials list with local vendors and add labor, so you see the bottom line.
We prepare the permit set with the energy code package and submit it for county review. Once it is approved, clearing, grading, drainage and the driveway go in.
Framing, roofing, siding, the licensed trades and finish carpentry run in order under one contractor. You have one point of contact from the first day to the final inspection.
Common questions about site development across Whidbey Island and the Skagit Valley. If yours is not here, call or text and ask.
Culver Built is a design-build contractor based in Langley on South Whidbey Island. We carry a custom home or a remodel from concept through design, estimating and construction.
Learn More
Concrete patios, walkways and driveways on Whidbey Island, including stamped and colored concrete. We handle the base and the drainage under the slab with our own equipment.
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We build paver patios, walkways, steps and the outdoor living areas that tie them to the house. Every one gets the excavation, base and drainage that Whidbey Island ground needs.
Learn MoreYou work with one team from the first sketch to the last piece of trim. Design, site planning, estimating and construction all run through us.
Three decades of custom home building on Whidbey Island stands behind the work. The company holds a 5.0 rating on Google from seven reviews.
We run our own excavators, a mini excavator, dump trucks and a skid steer. Clearing, grading, drainage and the driveway are handled in house.
Culver Built is a registered Washington general contractor, licensed, bonded and insured. Estimates are free, so call or text (360) 544-9027 to set one up.
Real reviews from real island projects on Google.
Jeff and his team were incredible to work with, and I cannot recommend them highly enough! I approached Jeff with only a vague idea of what I wanted, and together we worked to create an outdoor space that was a thousand times better than anything I could have imagined on my own. He’s got a great eye and sense for space, and I really appreciated his passion for, and collaborative approach to our project. The guys he employs are kind, respectful and talented. I’ve done a number of projects with crews before, and I was so impressed with both the quality of work and professionalism across the entire team. We’re already freaking up future projects, and I genuinely am looking forward to working with Culver Builds again and again!
I highly recommend Jeff Culver and his team. They replaced my roof, demolished an outbuilding, and helped me with a foundation and siding project. Jeff was up-front about cost and communicative as the project went on. I will use Culver again for future projects.
We purchased our dream home on the west side of Whidbey Island above the Puget Sound with 180-degree views of the water and the Olympic Mtns. While we knew the driveway would need to be redone eventually, we soon learned that proper drainage to protect the house and garage had never been installed when the house was originally built. Jeff and his team resolved all of our issues. In front of our garages, Jeff installed proper French drains, a catch basin, and sump pump that pumps the water away. At the same time, Jeff installed proper drainage around the house. Our driveway was a packed dirt path with virtually no stone base. Jeff initially properly graded the driveway before first add a stone base, then a finishing base. After compacting the stone material, our driveway is almost as hard as concrete or asphalt and is 2-3 feet wider and more accessible. While Jeff was working near the garage with his excavator, he accidentally hit the gutter. Jeff immediately told me what happened and within 48 hours, Jeff had an outside gutter company come in and replaced the entire gutter. I appreciated his upfront honesty. As to communication, Jeff could not have been better. I found him through a Google search. He returned my original call within 2 hours. On Whidbey Island you are lucky to even have a contractor return any call. Jeff came out the same day to scope out the work and started the job within 10 days in my case. He and has team where there each day continuing to make progress. Needless to say, I give Jeff a 5-star review and when the next project comes up, I will certainly be reaching out to Culver Construction. Think this review isn’t legit, think again. I’m a small business owner with 50 employees, worked with countless vendors and customers. I know what good service looks like and when it isn’t.
Tell us about the lot or the house and what you want to build. You can also call or text (360) 544-9027 to set up a free estimate.
Tell us about the job. We will get right back to you.
