Rebuild Roadmap

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A step-by-step guide to rebuilding your home with the Foothill Catalog

Progress bar of the Foothill Catalog Rebuild Tracker showing eight steps.

Before you begin: Learn about rebuilding with a pre-approved plan

Pre-approved plans can increase the speed of construction and lower costs, enabling property owners to rebuild and remain in their community. 

Read our short explanation of what a pre-approved plan is and what it means to rebuild using one.

Step 1: Prepare your information & connect with the Foothill Catalog team

Before reaching out to the Foothill Catalog Foundation, you will need your basic property information and a summary of your finances. 

Don’t worry – if you don’t have all the documents or need help understanding your insurance policy or budget, we can still meet for a consultation. We can help you gather any additional items.

You can reference the Pre-Consultation Checklist, found on the same page as the Rebuild Questionnaire.

To get in touch with our consultation team, fill out the Rebuild Questionnaire on our website. The questionnaire will help us prepare for our initial conversation and understand your situation so we can best support your rebuild.

Once you complete the questionnaire, we’ll send you a Calendly invite link to set up a meeting. You can also email community@foothillcatalog.org if you have any questions.

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Step 2: Meet our team for a consultation

During your consultation, we will:

  • Share details and answer any questions about The Foothill Catalog Foundation and our rebuild process.

  • Learn more about you and what you’re looking for in a home.

  • Review your questionnaire responses and discuss which Catalog plans may work best for your site and needs.

  • Outline the next steps and timeline for rebuilding with a Catalog home.

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Step 3: Confirm you’re ready to move forward

Coming out of the consultation, we’ll help you identify your specific rebuild needs and whether you’re ready to move forward with a Catalog design.

When you feel comfortable, the next step is to complete an Intent to Proceed. By signing and paying a deposit, you will be able to use a Catalog design to source bids from builders.

Step 4: Bidding & Contractor Selection

Next, we’ll help you narrow down a list of potential contractors and work with you to ensure a competitive bidding process.

You’ll have the opportunity to interview and meet with one or more contractors bidding on your project to ensure you find a builder that’s the right fit for you.

Icon of three construction workers wearing helmets.

Step 5: Design Licensing

After you’ve reached an agreement with your contractor, The Foothill Catalog Foundation will issue a License to use the plan for your rebuild project. Our Licensing Fee supports our contributing designers and our insurance costs. We are actively fundraising to offset or waive these fees for those who are severely underinsured or uninsured.

As a reminder, the license covers the pre-approved design, which means that you cannot make major design changes and the layout cannot be customized.  

Blueprint or floor plan of a house with a ruler, pen, and paper.

Step 6: Site Plan and Pre-construction

At this stage you will finalize your interior and exterior choice like finishes, fixtures, and flooring. You will be able to agree on site requirements and any other scope of work, such as landscaping or hardscape elements.

Your builder will work with you to create a property specific submittal set to obtain your construction permits. Once your permits are issued your contractor is ready to begin construction.

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Step 7: Construction

Your home is built using the pre-approved design you selected from the Foothill Catalog and any additional elements you agree on with your builder.

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Step 8: Move In

Once construction is complete and final inspections are passed, you will receive your Certificate of Occupancy. 

Welcome home!

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