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Planning & Design Input
We help shape the home around how you want to live, working through layout, flow, and priorities before anything is finalised.
Serving Chittenden County, Vermont
New Construction & Custom Home Building in Chittenden County, Vermont
Building a home from the ground up is one of the biggest decisions you'll make, and it starts long before the first wall goes up. I'm Tim Chila, and I've managed new construction and custom home builds across Chittenden County for over 50 years, from site prep to the final key handoff.
What We Do
From Raw Land to the Home You Actually Want
New construction is two things at once: a technical build process and a home that has to fit how you actually live. We manage both, together, rather than treating them as separate problems.
On the technical side, starting from nothing means the order of operations matters enormously. Site prep, permitting, foundation, framing, systems, and finishes each have to happen in the right sequence, with the right inspections, at the right time. Vermont's permitting and site conditions add real weight to this, drainage, frost depth, setbacks, septic and well considerations on rural lots are decisions that shape the whole build, not afterthoughts. After fifty years working in this state, we know what to ask before the first machine arrives on site.
On the other side is the home itself. You tell us how you want to live, and we build the home around that, not around a stock floor plan. The difference between a good build and a great one comes down to the details most builders rush past, the joinery that won't move, the insulation that earns its keep through a Vermont winter, finish carpentry done by someone with fifty years of practice. You don't see those things on day one. You live with them for decades.
You work with one accountable person from the first conversation to the final key handoff, with an open-book estimate up front and honest updates the whole way through.
Scope of Work
What Goes Into a New Home Build
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Site Preparation
Clearing, grading, and preparing the land so the build starts on solid, properly drained ground, the groundwork everything else depends on.
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Permitting & Approvals
We handle the permits and approvals Vermont construction requires and sequence the inspections so nothing stalls the build.
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Foundation
A foundation poured and set right for Vermont's frost and soil conditions, because the part you'll never see holds up everything you will.
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Framing & Structure
Square, solid framing built to handle real Vermont weather, by people who understand what the structure has to stand up to.
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Insulation & Weather Performance
We don't cut corners on insulation or sealing. A Vermont home has to perform through real winters, designed in from the start, not patched later.
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Custom Cabinetry & Finish Carpentry
Built-ins, cabinetry, and fine millwork made by hand to fit your home exactly, the craft Tradecraft VT was built on, brought into your own house.
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Final Walkthrough & Handoff
We walk the finished home with you, resolve every detail, and hand you the keys to a house that's genuinely ready.
How It Works
From First Conversation to Final Key
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Free Consultation
We talk through what you want in a home, how you live, what matters, what you've always wished you had, and what's actually feasible on your site.
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Open-Book Estimate & Plan
You get a clear, line-by-line cost breakdown and a realistic timeline covering site work, permitting, and the full build.
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We Manage the Build
Site prep, foundation, framing, systems, and finishes, every stage sequenced, permitted, and coordinated by one accountable person.
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Final Walkthrough
We go through every detail of your finished home together, resolve anything that needs it, and hand over a house that's genuinely ready.
Why Tradecraft VT
Why Build With Tradecraft VT
We Know Vermont Sites
Fifty years building in this state means we understand its permitting, frost, drainage, and rural-site realities, and plan for them before they become problems.
Built Around How You Live
Your home is designed around you, not a template. Tim personally oversees every build, from the first sketch to the final key.
On Time, On Budget
Open-book pricing and a schedule we hold to. Fully insured. Vermont Contractor Licence No. 173.0000644. You know the plan and the number before we break ground.
Common Questions
New Construction & Home Building FAQs
Yes. We manage the entire process, from site prep, permitting, and foundation through framing, insulation, and finish work, designed around how you want to live rather than a stock plan.
It depends on size, complexity, site conditions, and weather, so we don't quote a one-size timeline online. We give you a realistic schedule in writing before the build begins, and keep you posted at every stage.
Yes. We handle the permits Vermont construction requires and sequence the inspections so the build stays on track and is signed off properly at every stage.
We work closely with you on planning and design input and coordinate the whole project under one roof, so your vision stays intact from sketch to finished home. See our design-build page for how that approach works.
Yes. Tradecraft VT holds Vermont Contractor Licence No. 173.0000644 and is fully insured on every project, including new home builds.
Let's Talk
Starting From Raw Land, or Ready to Build?
If you're planning a custom home or a new build anywhere in Chittenden County, let's talk it through. Tell us about your site and how you want to live, and we'll get back to you within one business day.
Send My RequestWe'll get back to you within one business day.