Frequently Asked Questions

Bielinski Homes was founded in 1960 by brothers Harry Bielinski and Frank Bielinski. The two brothers began their careers as carpenters, building detached garages. Shortly after that, they began building new homes and became the largest homebuilder in the state of Wisconsin within a short amount of time. Harry Bielinski retired at the end of 2019, while Frank's son, Paul Bielinski, invested in ownership, continuing the family legacy. As of 2021, Bielinski Homes reached the milestone of having built more than 12,000 new homes and condominiums, making us the largest and most experienced new home builder in the state of Wisconsin.

We can build your new home in nine Southeastern Wisconsin counties, including Dodge, Jefferson, Kenosha, Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Racine, Walworth, Washington, and Waukesha.

The length of time to build a home evolves and changes. For details on current timeframes, please get in touch with a new home consultant.

Making product selections and customization is simple. We'll ask you to attend two separate meetings. The first is to discuss custom design revisions, and the second is to make product selections. In both sessions, our talented design staff will guide you every step of the way. For more complex changes, we'll require subsequent meetings. We will price all custom revisions and products. We will also allow you to review and either accept or reject these items.

We understand your need to be adequately educated on a subject that may be unfamiliar to you. We've trained our staff to keep you informed every step of the way.

When choosing to build, we do not offer home and lot packages in the form of a single closing. However, we can offer guaranteed pricing if you choose to build in the majority of our neighborhoods.

Our RediHomes^® and condominiums are turnkey products and can be purchased though a simple real estate transaction. These products are offered in a variety of locations and at various price points throughout Southeastern Wisconsin.

While it is helpful to have a lot in mind before meeting with us, it is unnecessary. If needed, we can assist you with finding a lot for you.

A lot is a personal selection. What's suitable for one may not be for another. However, here are a few things to look for – commute to work, conveniences nearby, and the school system. Another important aspect is to find the shape and size of the building pad. In general, a ranch home needs both a wider and deeper building pad than a two-story home. However, this is only a general rule. You should ensure the dimensions of the home you select work with the lot you choose.

One should also be aware of lot exposures. If the lot you choose slopes to the rear, the basement will be partially or fully exposed. The negative to this is the home will cost more due to finishing the back with additional siding and windows. The positive is that it creates a view and even a walk-out from the basement in some cases. This situation can be ideal if you plan on finishing the basement and want more natural light or access to the backyard.

Yes, every Bielinski Home is sustainable by employing both green building and energy-saving practices. Learn more about how we build.

We have multiple lines of homes that have different inclusions. To see them, click on the floor plan of your choice and then click the features button.

The cost to build per square foot varies from home to home. Square foot costs are not a recommended tool to use when comparing costs across home builders as each home builder offers different inclusions. As more features and upgrades are included in the base price, the square footage price will increase. What's important to know is inclusions cost less than upgrades, so the more a home builder includes in the base price, the lower the cost. One additional tip is that it is less expensive to build a home vertically than horizontally. Therefore, a two-story home will cost less than a ranch when the footages are the same.

While Bielinski Homes does not hide any costs, there can be unforeseen costs if the price is not guaranteed. These unexpected costs typically occur on build jobs outside of a Bielinski Homes neighborhood and in more rural areas but are not limited to this. For example, we cannot guarantee the price of a well on a rural lot as we do not know how far drilling is required before hitting suitable drinking water.

Building a new home does not cost any more or any less in the winter. The cost is the same. However, additional ancillary costs like heating your new home do exist.

The building cost is the same whether you choose a lot in a Bielinski neighborhood or on any lot within our building territory. However, the price of the lot and lot improvements will vary from community to community.

We do not finance new homes, but we can recommend lenders that have successfully worked with our customers in the past. See your new home consultant for details.

We highly recommend being pre-approved by a lender. Pre-approvals help us determine which home size and style will fit into your budget. If you don't have a lender, we can recommend one.

A construction loan gives an individual the money needed to build a new home. Unlike a standard mortgage, the term on a construction loan only lasts for the time it takes to build the new home. The lender pays the loan to the builder, and not the borrower, in installments as building milestones are achieved. During construction, the only payments the borrower makes goes towards interest. Once the construction is complete, the lender transitions the loan to a mortgage. For more detailed information, contact a lender.

Yes, you can customize our plans to fit your needs. Customization can be achieved through both product selection and structural revisions. A minimum of two meetings with our talented design staff is required for customization.

You can see many of our products by touring our model homes. If you would like to see our entire offering, your new home consultant can arrange a tour of our Design Studio.

The amount of time to build a new home is ever-changing. Plus, factors like the extent of custom changes, individual municipal requirements, product availability, and labor availability contribute to the timeline's length. In essence, every new build is unique and will take a different amount of time. Contact a new home consultant to discuss current timeframes.

We build during all 12 months of the year. However, there are certain times of the year that work may slow. For instance, many municipalities impose road limits after the snow thaws. Road limits prevent heavy equipment from traveling on certain roadways for a limited time.

All work performed on your home is completed through a base of subcontractors. Each subcontractor receives a scope of work from Bielinski Homes to ensure they complete your new build using our stringent standards. Bielinski Homes does employ construction managers who ensure our subcontractor base adheres to our schedule and construction standards. Each customer is assigned a construction manager who will update you on the progress of your home every week.

We do not allow customer-supplied materials with the exception of plumbing faucets and light fixtures as these materials will void the warranty of your new home.

We allow work credits in only a few cases. In most cases, a licensed contractor must perform the work and proper insurance must be provided. In all cases, the working party must follow our schedule as provided by our construction manager. Work performed by someone outside of our contractor base will void our new home warranty in that area. It can potentially void the warranty in a related area as well.

All decisions are final when you sign the final change agreement after the product selection and customization meetings. We do this to improve efficiencies in both the pre-construction and construction process. In addition, many products require long lead times. As a result, we order them early in the process. Once ordered, we cannot revise or cancel the order. We understand that there are circumstances when you require a change. In those cases, we can make a change for an additional fee as outlined in the contract. Please note that late changes will cause delays to the construction process and may increase the cost of your new home. See your new home consultant for details.

• 1-year builder warranty - Our 1-year builder warranty is a callback service that will address any of the minor settling issues that may occur in your new home. These services will happen at 4 months and 11 months after closing. We will also complete seasonal work like exterior painting if you closed on your new home during the winter.
• 10-year structural warranty - Our 10-year structural warranty guarantees the structural integrity of your new home.
• Manufacturer warranties - Your new home also comes with warranties on the products installed in your new home from the product manufacturers.