We love to work with clients who want to enjoy the process of building their dream home and value the relationships we'll build through the process.

Choosing a contractor is not just a business relationship. Our team will become part of your weekly rhythms and will be in regular contact with you about progress and important decisions along the way.

You want to choose a contractor you can trust with a kind, helpful team to walk you through every step.

At Holehouse Construction, we're dedicated to making sure your building experience is pleasant and transparent so you know where you stand every step of the way.

Trust is best the foundation to launch your project and we have a decades long reputation for quality work and good people.

If this sounds like what you're looking for, give us a call or fill out the contact form on our website to get started!

Contact Us

John Holehouse started the company in 1983 after working for several years as a fine carpenter and eventually getting his general contractor’s license.

Since then, he has built a reputation in Santa Barbara and Montecito as one of the top general contractors thanks to his dedication to quality and excellence both in the project he produces and the relationships he has built with clients and professionals in the area.

Shane and Emily Holehouse joined the crew in 2018 to take the company into the next generation.

Their combined expertise and focus on customer relationships is why the majority of our business comes from client referrals and repeat business.

Yes. We are licensed (CSLB License #645496), bonded, and insured.

It is critical you work with a licensed and reputable contractor. With the recent building boom, there are many new builders in the community that don’t have the experience and longevity to provide the first class customer experience we offer. We have had clients left in the lurch in these situations and we don’t want you to be in the same boat!

1 - LET’S TALK

During this phase we'll get acquainted to see if we are a fit for each other, diving deep into your vision and making sure that we "get it." We'll talk schedule, your role in the project, and what you can expect from us. We'll be unfailingly honest and we'll leave you with useful information to help you understand not only who we are, but also how projects like yours works.

2 - THE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT (PSA)

Prior to entering into a Construction Agreement there will be a Professional Services Agreement (PSA). This usually includes costs for a detailed estimate that assures you a quality, completed project at a reliable price quote. The PSA will usually cover design services and sometimes demolition and discovery work if required to create a guaranteed project price for you. The PSA does not obligate you to enter into a Construction Agreement with us and you own the result of the design work covered by the PSA.

3 - PROJECT DEVELOPMENT

With all or most of the results of the PSA work in hand we will meet with you to talk through the project. We will take all the time you want to be comfortable and confident. We'll go over the scope of work, project plan, progress payments, timelines, logistics and concerns. You will meet your personal project manager and discuss how communications can be handled.

4 - THE CONSTRUCTION AGREEMENT

We will now have all the information to provide a guaranteed price for your project, you will have signed off on the design and production plan. You've met your project manager and know who will be doing what with whom. We will provide an Agreement for our mutual signatures. We will go over and explain every deal of our straightforward Agreement.

5 - PROJECT MANAGEMENT

During the building phase we will handle all the details of ordering materials, scheduling, oversite, and coordination. The duration varies depending on the scope of your project. Concurrently we will diligently keep you up to date on progress and issues.

6 - IN PROCESS CHANGES

No matter how carefully we plan your project together, you will probably want to make some changes along the way. We are prepared to cheerfully accommodate any changes you want to make. Our Agreement will explain how costs associated with your changes will be handled.

7 - PROJECT COMPLETION

During this completion phase we will meticulously inspect to ensure that craftsmanship level have been maintained throughout the project. We will do a final review meeting with you to answer any operational questions. We'll do a final clean up to the highest standards possible both within the project and anything on the property that we touched. We will set up with a document for you to list anything you might run across that wasn't done right.

8 - WARRANTY AND MAINTENANCE

California law, including the Right to Repair Act, ensures that builders like us stand behind our work with various warranty coverages for your project. We can provide you with more information on our warranties during our initial meetings.

It is also our goal to build a relationship that makes you a client for life. We offer estate management for clients who want to keep our team on hand for regular maintenance and small projects once their main job is complete.

We typically prefer to get connected as soon as possible in the building process, but can work with you no matter what phase you’re in.

For custom homes, many clients start with an architect. We highly recommend finding a contractor you trust and work well with as early in the process as possible because we can work with your architect to keep budget and timeline realistic.

We also have clients who wait until they have plans and permits in hand before we connect.

With demand high in construction right now, the sooner you can get on the radar with your preferred builder the better to ensure you don’t get stuck waiting in line for your spot to start construction.

We are a boutique custom home builder. Our typical projects include ground up custom homes in the 5000+ sqft range, high end remodels, and ADUs.

We offer estate management to our clients who prefer to retain our services on a regular basis for home maintenance.

We also take on a limited number of small projects depending on availability and scope.

A professional services agreement is when you pay for our team to do all the necessary planning, budgeting, and scheduling prior to signing a construction contract to ensure more accurate numbers and a more streamlined building experience.

A PSA allows our team to invest time and resources into all of the necessary planning and prep required prior to breaking ground on your project.

Without proper planning and proactive decision making, you will very likely experience unexpected change orders that push you way over your budget and/or significant schedule delays.

Without a PSA, you set yourself up for frustration and disappointment because any budget you received without proper planning and investigation cannot be accurate. You don’t want to sign a construction contract without all necessary planning completed first.

Ultimately, we utilize the PSA to protect our clients and make building a home much more enjoyable. Your investment into a PSA is the first step to a streamlined, predictable building experience.

It is the process of modifying the contract price, schedule, or scope of work.

Change orders can occur for a variety of reasons, but the main culprits are often:

• Client changes the vision, goal, or scope of the project

• The design evolves

• Coordination mishaps between various disciplines occur

• Contractor’s misinterpretation of the design requirements or documents

• Unforeseen site conditions

Client-initiated change orders to the project are the most common, but also the easiest to anticipate.

Our solution to limiting change orders is the implementation of a Professional Services Agreement. This process provides us with a greater understanding of your project and gets all project partners aligned on what the project goals are. Involving us early on in the project will eliminate unknowns, supporting the development of clear, accurate, and complete design documents and budget prior to the start of construction. Successfully managing the schedule and budget for your project begins with completely understanding your goals, priorities, and objectives as well as the scope of work.

We believe in collaborating early on in the project with your design team - ensuring that the design aligns with constructibility and budget - preventing future delays or costly redesigns. It is through a true commitment to teamwork and collaboration that we are able to consistently delivery value at every stage of a project even prior to the design phase - defining values and outcomes, setting goals, and making decisions that ar in the best interest of your project.