Custom Home Selections Checklist: Every Finish Decision, Room by Room
A custom home selections checklist is the complete list of finish decisions a client has to make on a new home, organized by room and by category, with a spot for each choice’s product details and due date. A typical custom home has a few hundred of them, from the roof color down to the cabinet pulls. Below is the checklist I’d work from, room by room, plus what a selection sheet needs to capture for each item.
Whether you’re the builder or the homeowner, the goal is the same: no decision gets discovered by a trade standing in the house with a tool in their hand. That’s when choices get made badly, and paid for twice.
What is a custom home selection sheet?
A custom home selection sheet is the document where each choice gets recorded in enough detail that someone can order and install it without a phone call. The checklist tells you what has to be decided. The selection sheet for new construction records what was decided.
For every line, a good sheet captures:
Location. Room, and where in the room
Item. What it is
Manufacturer, model, color, and finish. Exactly, including the product number
Supplier. Who it’s being bought from
Allowance and actual cost. If the item has an allowance
Due date. When the decision is needed
Approval. Client sign-off and date
This article is the list of what to select. For deadlines, meetings, and how to run it all, see the custom home selections process.
What exterior selections need to be made?
Exterior choices come first because many have long lead times and affect framing.
Roofing. Material, color, metal accents, gutters and downspouts
Windows. Manufacturer, frame material, color inside and out, grille pattern, glass options, hardware
Exterior doors. Front door, patio and sliding doors, style, finish, glass, hardware
Garage doors. Style, material, color, windows, openers
Cladding. Brick, stone, stucco, or siding, with color, texture, and mortar color
Trim and paint. Fascia, soffit, trim, and body colors
Outdoor living. Porch ceiling, columns, decking, railings, outdoor kitchen, fireplace
Exterior lighting and hardware. Fixtures, house numbers, mailbox
Flatwork and landscape. Driveway finish, walks, patio surfaces, fencing
What is on the interior checklist for building a house, room by room?
Here’s the interior checklist for building a house, starting with the rooms that carry the most decisions.
Kitchen.
Cabinet style, wood species, finish, and interior accessories
Countertop material, color, edge profile, and backsplash height
Backsplash tile, pattern, and grout color
Appliances, each with a model number, plus the vent hood
Sink, faucet, disposal, pot filler, water filtration
Cabinet hardware and under-cabinet lighting
Island pendants and decorative lighting
Primary and secondary bathrooms.
Vanity cabinets and countertops
Sinks, faucets, and drain finishes
Tub, tub filler, and shower valves and trim
Shower tile for walls, floor, and niche, plus pattern and grout
Shower glass style and hardware finish
Toilets
Mirrors, medicine cabinets, and vanity lighting
Towel bars, hooks, and paper holders
Floor tile
Living, dining, and bedrooms.
Flooring material, color, and plank or tile size
Fireplace type, surround, mantel, and hearth
Built-ins and shelving
Ceiling details, such as beams or paneling
Ceiling fans and decorative light fixtures
Closet shelving systems
Laundry, mudroom, and garage.
Cabinets, countertop, sink, and faucet
Washer and dryer models
Flooring and wall tile
Bench, hooks, and storage
Garage floor finish and storage
What whole-house selections do people forget?
The ones that aren’t tied to a single room. These touch every space, and they’re the easiest to leave for “later,” which is how they end up being decided by whoever is on site that day.
Interior doors. Style, height, solid or hollow core
Door hardware. Knobs or levers, finish, hinges, stops
Trim. Baseboard, casing, crown, and window sill profiles
Stairs. Treads, risers, railing, balusters, newel posts
Paint. Wall, trim, and ceiling colors and sheens for every room
Drywall. Texture or smooth finish, and corner style
Electrical. Switch and outlet color and style, dimmer locations, recessed light trim and color temperature
Low voltage. Data, audio, security, cameras, and smart home devices
Mechanical. Thermostats, vent and register style, water heater type
Grout and transitions. Grout colors everywhere tile goes, and how one floor meets another
In what order should custom home selections be made?
Custom home selections should be made in the order the house needs them, which is roughly lead time first, then construction sequence. A common order:
Before or at the start of construction. Windows, exterior doors, roofing, cladding, and anything else that’s structural or slow to arrive.
Before framing is complete. Appliances, plumbing fixtures, tubs, and fireplaces, since they set rough-in locations and framing dimensions.
Before mechanical rough-in. Cabinet layout, the electrical and lighting plan, and low voltage.
Before drywall. Tile, countertops, flooring, interior doors, and trim.
Before finishes begin. Paint colors, hardware, mirrors, shower glass, and decorative lighting.
Lead times vary by product and by market, so the builder should put a real date on each category. Many of these items will have an allowance attached. If that word is fuzzy, read what a construction allowance is and then how to track allowances as selections come in.
How do builders and homeowners use this checklist together?
The builder owns the list and the deadlines. The homeowner owns the decisions. It works when both sides see the same document.
Builders: hand over the full checklist with due dates at the start, not one category at a time. Our Selections Sheets Template includes the selection sheets and the process for managing them.
Homeowners: work ahead of the deadlines, and bring model numbers, not just photos. “The brass one from that picture” can’t be ordered.
Both: sign off on each completed sheet. A selection that isn’t written down and approved is a rumor.
Both: treat a change after sign-off as a change order, because that’s what it is.
Frequently asked questions
How many selections are there in a custom home?
It depends on the house, but a few hundred individual decisions is common once you count every fixture, finish, and color. That’s why a written checklist matters.
What selections should be made first when building a house?
Long lead-time and structural items: windows, exterior doors, roofing, appliances, plumbing fixtures, and cabinets. Paint colors and decorative lighting can wait until later.
What’s the difference between a selections checklist and a selection sheet?
The checklist is the list of everything that needs to be chosen. The selection sheet records the specific product chosen for each item, with model, color, cost, and approval.
Who fills out the selection sheet for new construction?
Usually the builder or the builder’s designer fills it out based on the homeowner’s choices, and the homeowner reviews and signs it. The signed sheet becomes the instruction for ordering and installing.
BTW, if you want the selection sheets already built along with the process to manage them, grab our Selections Sheets Template over at the Building Optimal Shop, where you can check out the rest of our swag to build a better business. Proceeds go to benefit, Exponencialistas, my non-profit investing in entrepreneurs transforming their communities in Latin America.