New Construction in Beaumont, TX

What should you know about new home construction here?

Ground-up construction in Southeast Texas starts with questions a builder in Austin rarely asks. How high does the slab need to sit? Which way does the lot drain? Is the property in Jefferson County's windstorm area? Rocha's General Construction builds custom homes from the slab up across Jefferson County, Orange County and Hardin County.

You bring the lot and the plan. We build it and keep you informed from the first stake to the final walkthrough.

What goes into a new home build?

Every new build here begins with the ground. Lots in Beaumont, Vidor, Lumberton and the land out toward Sour Lake range from sandy loam to heavy clay, and a lot of them hold water after a rain. Before plans are finished, it pays to know the flood zone, the base flood elevation if there is one, and how water leaves the property. In a mapped floodplain, the finished floor has to meet a minimum height, and an elevation certificate is part of the paperwork. Fill and grading in the floodplain need a permit.

The foundation comes from the plans. For homes and larger buildings, slab design comes from the engineer or designer on the project, and we form, reinforce and pour to those drawings. We do not design foundations.

Framing in our wind. Southeast Texas sits on the upper Gulf Coast, and hurricanes like Rita, Ike and Laura have shown what wind does to a building that was not tied together. Straps and connectors from the roof to the foundation, proper sheathing nailing, and wind-rated windows and doors matter everywhere here. In Jefferson County, a new home needs Texas Department of Insurance windstorm inspections during construction to qualify for TWIA coverage, and we build to the windstorm code so the inspection can be arranged when it applies. Orange and Hardin counties are outside the TDI windstorm area.

Houses. We build custom homes from your plan, including raised homes on piers or stem walls in flood-prone areas when the design calls for it. Plumbing, electrical and HVAC are done by licensed contractors. We coordinate with licensed trades and schedule their rough-ins and inspections.

Permits. Beaumont requires building permits and city registration and bonding for permitted work. Other cities run their own offices. Unincorporated areas of the counties have fewer building permits, but floodplain rules still apply through the county. We check your address before we price.

Materials and methods

Layout and grade tools, concrete forms, rebar and vapor barrier, framing crews with nail guns and framing lumber, LVL beams and trusses per plan, hurricane straps and hold-downs, OSB sheathing and house wrap, architectural shingles, fiber cement and vinyl siding, windows, doors, insulation, sheetrock, trim and finish materials.

How does a new home build run?

1. 01

   We start with a site visit to look at the lot, access, drainage, trees and utilities.

2. 02

   We help you line up the plan with a designer or engineer and confirm the flood zone and any windstorm requirements.

3. 03

   You get a written estimate by phase with allowances for finishes you have not chosen yet.

4. 04

   Permits go in. Site prep, pad and foundation come first, then framing, dry-in, rough-ins by licensed trades, and inspections.

5. 05

   Then insulation, sheetrock, exterior finishes, cabinets, flooring, trim and paint.

6. 06

   Final inspections, a punch list walk with you, and the keys.

Why hire Rocha's General Construction?

A new company builds its name on the first houses it puts up, and we know that. Every build gets a phased written estimate, a real schedule, and weekly updates.

We are local, with our office in Groves in Jefferson County. We know the flood maps, the permit counters and the wind, and we plan for all three before a stake goes in the ground.