Building a custom home in Tyler, TX is one of the biggest investments you'll ever make. Before a single nail gets driven, your floor plan needs a thorough review. Mistakes caught on paper cost nothing. Mistakes caught mid-construction can run tens of thousands of dollars and weeks of delay.

1. Window Layout & Seasonal Light

In East Texas, the sun angle shifts quite a bit between summer and winter. South-facing windows are ideal for main living spaces. West-facing windows in bedrooms are a mistake a lot of homeowners end up regretting.

2. Room Traffic Flow

Walk through the floor plan in your head from the moment you pull in the driveway. Can you get from the garage to the kitchen without walking through the living room? A layout that forces awkward paths will frustrate you every single day.

3. Roof Pitch & Local Code

Smith County has specific requirements for roof pitch, especially near flood zones. Have a builder who knows East Texas permitting review your plan before you submit it.

4. Mechanical Space

A lot of floor plans don't leave enough room for HVAC units, water heaters, and electrical panels. Make sure your plan dedicates real space for mechanical equipment and that accessing it for service actually makes sense.

5. Lot Orientation & Setbacks

Your floor plan has to be reviewed against your actual lot. Setback requirements, easements, and where your driveway comes in all affect where the home can physically sit on the property.

Raw land in Smith County varies wildly in what it'll actually cost to build on. Two lots that look identical in a listing can have completely different construction costs depending on what's underground, how far utilities are, and how water and waste will be handled.

Check Build Capacity First

Before you fall in love with a piece of land, have a builder walk it with you and give you an honest read on what can realistically be built on it and what it'll cost.

Road Access

Rural lots often need gravel or chip-seal driveways that can run anywhere from $8,000 to $25,000 depending on length and terrain. Factor that into your budget before you make an offer.

Septic & Soil Testing

Get a soil perc test done before closing. If it fails, alternative systems can add $15,000 to $40,000 to your build cost. Don't skip this step.

Utilities & Power

Check how far the nearest electric service is and get a cost estimate before you close. Also verify whether water will come from a well or a rural water co-op, both are common in East Texas.

Tub-to-shower conversions are one of the most rewarding bathroom projects we handle. A jetted tub that nobody uses becomes a walk-in shower that gets used every single day. The project is more involved than it looks from the outside, but done right, the result is a bathroom that feels completely transformed.

Is a Curbless Entry an Option?

In most cases, yes. A curbless or zero-threshold shower has no step or lip to step over — the floor transitions directly into the shower. This requires proper slope and drainage planning so water stays where it belongs. A linear drain along one wall is the most common solution and gives you a very clean, modern look. Whether curbless is possible depends on your existing floor structure and how much room there is to work with below the subfloor.

Handicap and Wheelchair Accessibility

A curbless entry is the foundation of an accessible shower, but there's more to it than just removing the curb. For true wheelchair or mobility accessibility, you'll want to think about shower width — at least 36 inches, ideally 60 — grab bar placement on the walls, a fold-down bench or built-in seat, a handheld showerhead on an adjustable slide bar, and non-slip tile. These features make a shower safe and functional for aging in place or for anyone with limited mobility.

What the Conversion Actually Involves

Removing the tub is just the start. The plumbing rough-in usually needs to be relocated, the subfloor may need to be modified for proper drain slope, and the surrounding walls need new waterproofing and tile backer before any tile goes up. Skipping any of these steps is how you end up with water damage inside your walls a year later.

Will It Hurt Resale Value?

Removing the only tub in a home can affect resale for buyers with young children. If your home has a second bathroom with a tub, it's generally not a concern. If the master is the only tub in the house, it's worth thinking through before committing. That said, for most homeowners who convert, the daily usability wins out.