Building Process

Building an energy-efficient home with The Stitt Group

When you build a Stitt Home, you’re not just building a house—you’re creating a safe, comfortable place where your family can thrive. Designed for beauty and lasting performance, every home we build centers on one critical element: the energy envelope.

Your home’s energy envelope is what separates and protects you from the outside world. It includes the foundation, walls, roof, windows, insulation, and air sealing—working together to keep your home quiet, healthy, and comfortable year-round.

Stitt home energy-efficient features:

One of the first questions homeowners ask is, “How much does it cost to build a custom home?” It’s also common to assume that an energy-efficient home comes with a higher price tag. In reality, the materials and base construction costs are often very similar to those of a typical home.

The difference lies in how the home is designed and built. By applying proven building science principles and energy-efficient strategies, we create homes that perform better—delivering greater comfort, healthier indoor air, and significantly lower energy bills over time.

At Stitt, these high-performance features are built into our standard process, not treated as upgrades. Here’s what a Stitt home typically includes that most conventional homes don’t:

  • Free site visit: We’ll identify solar south and placement of your home to take full advantage of site features.
  • Use ANY inspiration – From a magazine, architect, or the Internet. We offer custom design services and plan modifications.
  • Passive solar design: Enjoy free energy from the sun in the winter yet shade in the summer.
  • Complete construction drawings: Receive sets for you, sub-contractors, banks, and permit officials.
  • Engineered building specifications: Ensure the structural integrity and resilience of your home.
  • Engineered roof and floor trusses: Provide design flexibility, are cost effective and resource efficient.
  • Anchor bolts, hurricane ties and metal strapping: Above and beyond code minimum to tie the structural shell to the foundation for storm resilience, safety and structural integrity.
What does it cost to build a house in Arkansas?
  • Insulated concrete forms (ICFs): Insulate your foundation, crawl space or basement. Achieve high R-Value while controlling moisture, odors, and mold.
  • Spray foam insulation: Insulates and air seals the energy shell; air infiltration test confirms quality of installation.
  • High-performance windows: Low-E, argon gas-filled windows.
  • Insulated exterior doors: with adjustable sills to suit any style.
  • Ice House Roof® – Save up to 50% on your summer cooling bills.
  • High-efficiency fresh air systems (ERV): Ensure healthy indoor air quality and help control CO2, moisture, mold and odors.
  • Indoor air quality: We specify low VOC paints and wood products with no added urea formaldehyde. We recommend other material choices that don’t off gas
  • Solar operated skylights: Enjoy natural light, pleasing aesthetics, and flow through ventilation.
  • Right size heating and air conditioning system: Energy efficient homes require smaller, less expensive high-efficiency systems.
  • Energy-efficient gas or wood-burning fireplace or stove: Direct-vented units provide cozy and efficient heat for your whole house in the winter.
  • Low maintenance exterior: Fiber cement siding, aluminum soffit and fascia, composite trim, and recycled decking require minimal maintenance.
  • Two-year energy guarantee: Backed by Maverick Warranty Group, our residential energy guarantee offers monthly or yearly reporting.

Optional:

  • Home-For-Life features: Placing all essential rooms on main floor with barrier-free access enables you to age in place.
  • Safe Room: We build safe rooms to FEMA standards.
  • Solar energy and back-up battery systems: We can integrate solar panels and batteries to power your entire home, or we can pre-wire your home to seamlessly add solar energy later.

HERS iNDEX

When it comes to building an energy-efficient home, performance verification is essential. That’s why we use industry-standard testing to ensure your home delivers real energy savings and lasting comfort.

To objectively compare the energy performance of new and existing homes, the Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET) developed the Home Energy Rating System (HERS) Index. A standard new home built to the 2004 International Energy Conservation Code scores 100 on the HERS Index. A net-zero energy home—which produces as much energy as it consumes—scores 0 or below.

Proven Results from Stitt Homes

Explore three real Stitt Homes and their verified HERS scores to see how smart design and tested performance translate into real energy savings.

Two-year Energy Guarantee

We proudly offer a Residential Energy Guarantee which ensures your home’s energy usage will not exceed a predetermined Annual Energy Guarantee Level (AEGL). If your actual energy consumption goes over this threshold within a 12-month period, you may be eligible for reimbursement—up to a defined maximum—based on your utility costs. This guarantee encourages long-term energy efficiency and peace of mind, provided homeowners maintain their systems as outlined in the terms. The guarantee is transferable to future homeowners and supports homes built to high energy-performance standards.

Stitt Home Benefits

At the end of our design and construction journey, one thing is clear—living in a Stitt Home means year-round comfort, lower utility costs, and healthier indoor air quality.

On hot summer days, your home stays naturally cool without constantly running the air conditioner. During winter, it remains comfortably warm without overusing the heater. This smart energy efficiency translates into significantly lower energy bills while maintaining a consistent indoor temperature year-round.

Thanks to advanced insulation, air sealing, and moisture control, your home provides cleaner, healthier air—reducing allergens and supporting better respiratory health. And because we build with durability in mind—using high-quality materials and time-tested construction techniques—your Stitt Home is designed to resist moisture and stand strong for generations, resulting in significantly lower maintenance costs over time

Beyond energy efficiency and durability, Stitt Homes are built with climate resilience in mind. From high winds and heavy storms to wildfires and flooding, your home is thoughtfully engineered to help withstand the growing challenges of extreme weather—giving you even greater peace of mind in a changing climate.

When you choose a Stitt Home, you’re investing in comfort, energy savings, and long-term peace of mind.

Spray foam and air seal

Join us and walk through an energy-efficient, custom-designed home built to higher standards, focused on comfort, durability, and long-term savings.