Our Building Specifications for all of our Great Pocono Homes: Effective 2/1/23
(Additional specifications for Mountain Modern style homes shown below)

Listed below are our building specifications - the materials and standards by which we build our homes. All materials and craftsmanship meet or exceed Pennsylvania building requirements. And our No-Hidden-Cost Policy insures that you know exactly what you're going to pay for your home BEFORE you have it built and before you spend a penny..

Foundation / Grading

• Clear trees/ brush as needed for driveway, home, grading around home, well & septic
• Footer and foundation excavation
• CMU crawl space with vents. Slab on grade or basement optional
• Insulation of foundation to code
• Exterior foundation coating up to finish grade and coat of cement parging above grade
• Backfill with existing site material
  
• Grading to code. Elevations set by contractor to code requirement
• Up to 60’ driveway - modified crushed stone. A Great Pocono Homes Exclusive Feature

Floor Construction

• Slab and/or Joists to code
• Sub-floor – 3/4" glued and nailed
• Choice of select floor coverings. Vinyl plank and/or premium carpeting. Hardwood, engineered wood or engineered vinyl, luxury sheet vinyl flooring optional. A Great Pocono Homes Exclusive Feature.
  

Wall Construction

• Exterior wall framing - 2” x 6” 16” O.C.
• Exterior subsiding of 7/16’ OSB sheathing
• House wrap vapor barrier or zip system, per builder
  
• Exterior premium vinyl siding in select colors. Custom vinyl, wood or log siding optional
• Interior wall framing - 2” x 4” 16” O.C.
• Interior wall covering, finished 1/2” - 5/8" drywall to code
  
• Interior walls primed and painted with premium paint

Roof Construction

• Roof rafters 2”x8, 2”x10” or 2”x12” 16” O.C. as required per code and depending upon roof pitch and house style
  
• Ceiling joists 2” x 6” to 2”x12” 16” O.C.
  
• Roof sheeting OSB or CDX plywood sheathing
• Premium synthetic roof protective wrap/underlayment and 1 ½ courses ice & water shield
• Ownens Corning, GAF of similar architectural roof shingles with Lifetime warranty.  A Great Pocono Homes Standard Feature
• Ridge vent, solid and vented soffits, fascia and aluminum gutters to match

Insulation

• Exterior walls: per code
• R-21, R-30, R-49 as/per code
• Crawl spaces, slabs, basements, attics, garages insulated to code

Exterior Doors and Windows

• High efficiency, low-e, argon gas filled, dual-glazed windows. A Great Pocono Homes Standard Feature
• Fiberglass or steel insulated entry doors, primed, ready to paint.
• Low-e vinyl slider doors with screen and hardware

Plumbing

• Plumbing per code - PEX system or equivalent. Standard! A Great Pocono Homes Exclusive Feature
• PVC drains and vents to code
• 50 gal. dual element, quick recovery, water heater
• 1 exterior frost-free water spigot, A Great Pocono Homes Exclusive Feature
  
• Washer and dryer hookups per code.
  
• One sump pump in crawl space if required — A Great Pocono Homes Exclusive Feature.

Bathroom

• Choice of one-piece fiberglass tub/shower combination unit or walk-in shower
  
• Brushed nickel bathroom fixtures
• Vanity with top and mirror.

Well and Septic

• Up to 200’ Well, 40’ of casing & 1/2 hp pump to the required 5 GPM. 
• 600 sq ft conventional elevated sand mound with up to 16” sand included. A Great Pocono Homes Standard Feature
• Optional low-profile septic systems now available upon request and at additional cost.  A Great Pocono Homes Exclusive Feature
  

Heating & Cooling

• LPG fireplace with stone or tile front, limestone hearth and mantel. Includes thermostat and blower. A Great Pocono Homes Exclusive Feature. 
  
• Optional wood fireplace available
  
• High efficiency zoned heating and cooling in all living spaces. Heating in all bathrooms.
  

Electric

• 200 amp service and wiring to code
• Outlet spacing as/per code
• Light fixtures in all living areas, outside front and rear door, and in crawl space.
• 2 spotlights.
• Exterior ground fault receptacles at each entry door
• One ceiling fan in great room
• One cable TV receptacle included
• Telephone jacks and cat-6 cable optional

Utilities

• Standard and as supplied by utility suppliers.  Gas supplier of choice.
  

Kitchen

• Kitchen cabinets, choice of select colors and styles, including solid wood door styles.
  
• Granite, choice of select colors. A Great Pocono Homes Exclusive Feature.  Quartz options also available.
• Stainless steel sink, per builder
• 30” flat-top range, choice of white or black. Other finishes available. 
  
• 18-20 cf refrigerator in choice of white or black. Other finishes available. 
  
• 24" dishwasher in choice of white or black. Other finishes available. 
  

Decks

• Pressure treated lumber with steps, rails and spindles to code
• Composite (Trex, Timbertech, etc.) decking available.
  

Fireplace

• Vented LPG zero-clearance fireplace with blower and wall thermostat.
• Stone of choice and limestone hearth and mantel included or tile included. A Great Pocono Homes Exclusive Feature.
• Additional fireplaces, free-standing stoves, and wood fireplaces also available at additional cost.
  
  Interior Doors & Millwork
  
• Choice of one select Minwax stain color for interior doors, casing, and trim, stairs, railing and beams.
• Painted trim and doors optional and at additional cost.

Other Features

• Basements, raised basements and garages
• Residential elevators ~ 2 and 3 story
• All floor plans or specification may be customized to meet your needs.
  
• Senior-friendly features are available upon request. 

Mountain Modern Style Home Specifications Also Include:

• ·        Luxury vinyl plank flooring in all common areas
• ·        Low-E, high efficiency custom windows in black
• ·        High efficiency mini-split zoned heating & cooling
• ·        Black or stainless-steel kitchen appliance package
• ·        Custom kitchen layout
• ·        Select granite or quartz counters
• ·        Choice of interior doors and stain color
• ·        Flat custom stained molding
• ·        Wood siding or premium wood-grain vinyl siding
• ·        Premium exterior stone accents, per specific plans
• ·        Black trims, fascia, soffit and gutters
• ·        Wood deck. (rails and spindles only if required)
• ·        LPG stone or tile fireplace

Due to changes in building code, differences in municipal and HOA requirements, design changes, product availability and cost, and site conditions, all specifications may change over time and without notice and are at the discretion of contractor.

 Lifetime Warranty:

 Great Pocono Homes issues all customers a Limited Lifetime Warranty upon completion of their new home.  This gives you real peace of mind, knowing your home was built to exacting standards and current building code for as long has you own your home.  This is a Great Pocono Homes Exclusive Feature!


No-Gimmicks, No-Hidden-Cost Policy:

Only Available At Great Pocono Homes!

At Great Pocono Homes we pride ourselves on building you a new home at a great price without any surprises. When we sell you a home, you know all the costs involved and what you can expect to pay BEFORE you sign a contract. To that end, we do our best to disclose as many costs and possible costs that may arise during the construction of your home. 

While all of our home pricing represents a fixed cost, the items outlined below are costs that are not controlled by Great Pocono Homes or that may not be usual, common, necessary or applicable to your home or your municipality. Nevertheless, we feel you should be aware of them. Most of these costs stem from building codes and/or are set by state, county, municipality, property or homeowner’s association, utility company, vendors, subcontractors, or other suppliers. 

However rare, if they do arise, we do everything possible to avoid and mitigate these costs.
 
Land: If you are buying land on which we will build your home, an Estimated Closing Cost Statement will be provided to you by your agent. These costs are the same as with any type of land purchase or property transfer in the State of Pennsylvania and are formalized through the settlement process. An agent will explain these costs in detail.

If you already own land and it is part of a Homeowner Association, we charge $1,000 to process the permits and meet all of their requirements. They may also charge you a fee to build on your lot. We usually ask that you to pay them directly at the appropriate time.  However, we do handle all the paperwork, permitting and site posting that is required.

Trees are drop cleared for driveway, house, grading around the house, well and septic. If it is required that trees need to be climbed to be cut down or removed, additional costs will apply. If your lot is overgrown with mountain laurel, rhododendrons or other heavy underbrush that requires clearing prior to tree removal, additional fees will apply.

Financing and Insurance Costs: Any and all fees charged by your financial institutions at any time are at the discretion of the lender and are the responsibility of the Owner. Any retention by the lender for any draw is payable by the OWNER at the time of the draw request. Any required insurances or costs related to maintaining insurance during construction as required by or for OWNER or his lender, are at the sole expense of the OWNER.

Home Construction: Blueprints and Permits: Upon signing a construction agreement we accept a one-time fee to cover the costs of one issuance of 10 sets of custom-designed blueprints and for the township zoning permit, township building permit and township inspection fees, which are charged up-front. These fees are paid out by us at the very start of the process, which is why we accept payment, (currently $5,900) at contract signing, which is a separate cost from the cost of construction. Any additional permit, engineering, surveying or design fees of any kind will be the responsibility of the owner.

If you are a member of an HOA, we charge a one-time administrative fee (currently $1,000) to prepare your permit application and process it through the HOA. In addition, you are responsible for payment of any Homeowner Association fees, including, but not limited to building application fees (above and beyond our administrative fee), inspections, connections, bonding, security, road damage deposits, fines, penalties and any other association related costs as required by or issued by the community, development, or association. These costs are specifically outside the fixed cost of your new home, are subject to change and vary by municipality and HOA or POA.

Well Drilling: Included with each home is a well up to 150’ deep with 40’ of casing. Any required additional or deeper well drilling and casing, however rare, is unpredictable and will involve additional cost; Or if it is determined after drilling that a larger pump is needed, or any other water and well requirement above the usual and customary requirements are necessary, including but not limited to well depth, casing, ,hydro-fracking, blasting, fuel and delivery surcharges, etc. those costs are the sole responsibility of the OWNER and are due and payable to the CONTRACTOR upon request. If a well rig or any other type of equipment gets stuck on your property, the costs of towing or removal is the responsibility of the property owner.

Plan Changes: In the event that you request changes after you have accepted and approved your final blue prints, there is a minimum charge of $1,000 per change for any plan change or alteration, plus architectural and permitting fees, in addition to the actual material cost of the change. This is rare, as we allow plenty of time and opportunity for review of plans and changes. 

Additional Materials and Requirements: Additional materials, such as requested changes and upgrades, additional courses of block on the foundation, additional excavation, additional back-fill other than from existing, loose site material, culvert or additional drainage pipe, over-sized septic systems, additional septic sand, larger elevated sand mounds, alternative septic systems, septic systems built on sloped land, aerobic septic tanks, grinder pumps, additional sump pumps, silt fencing, soil stabilization, additional hauling and fees, fuel surcharge of any kind, additional driveway stone or landscaping of any kind, dry wells, rain gardens, environmental controls and requirements, silt sock or fencing, storm water management, water gardens, berms, surveys, as-built surveys, additional grading as a result of settling, changes to the land that require remedy, and any other HOA or community requirements are at OWNER expense. 

Snow Plowing: During construction snow plowing is billed to the OWNER prior to occupancy for all incidence of snow removal during construction for accumulations of 3" or more per incident. Notification is not made or expected for each snow event.

Water and Air Leakage Testing: Water testing is performed for potability at the end of construction, where required, and billed to the OWNER. Blower-door and any required air leakage testing is performed prior to final inspections and billed to the customer.

Paving and Landscaping:  Paved driveways, finish grading, seeding and landscaping are not recommended until the ground has settled. All exterior improvements are at the expense of the OWNER.

Utilities: Great Pocono Homes secures a work order number for electric supply and provides it to your municipality. OWNERS are required to establish accounts in their name for utilities and are responsible for having their electric service provider connect power to their home, and notify the CONTRACTOR upon completion. Electric service is to be established immediately after the house is framed. Fees charged by any utilities or any other parties for electricity, additional poles, underground utilities, gas tanks, gas connections, hookups, etc. for any and all utility servicing including, but not limited to, electric, gas, phone, cable, security and other services and appliances are not included and are the strict responsibility of the OWNER. Customer retains the right to their choice of utility suppliers.

Additional Inspections and Certificate of Occupancy: Any fees charged for additional inspections, inspections by third-parties or inspections by an HOA or any costs for occupancy certificates are the responsibility of the OWNER. These are rare but may be required in your township or community.

Furnishing and Finishes: Interior furnishings such as drapes, shower curtain, rods, paper and towel holders, door stops, additional closet shelving, laundry appliances and other minor fixtures are the responsibility of the OWNER, post construction. All homes are given a basic cleaning upon completion, but will require additional cleaning by the OWNER.

Additional Costs: Any additional costs not specifically spelled out in the Agreement or the No-Hidden Cost Policy, as part of the Agreement, are the sole responsibility of the OWNER, without exception.