Everything people ask before they call

Most custom homes in the Nashville area cost roughly $200 to $350 per square foot to build, before land, with high-end finishes and difficult sites running higher. Site work, roof complexity and the kitchen and bath finish level move the number most. Southern Belle Construction prices every home line by line in a free written estimate.

A mid-range kitchen remodel in Middle Tennessee most often lands between $45,000 and $85,000; moving walls or plumbing, adding an island with services, or choosing custom cabinetry and natural stone pushes it to $90,000 to $150,000 and up. Cabinets and counters are usually half the budget.

Yes. Every project starts with a free consultation, a site visit and a written, itemized estimate with no obligation. Call (615) 815-7698 or send the form and we will reply within one business day.

Yes. Southern Belle Construction, LLC holds Tennessee contractor’s license #76533 for residential and commercial work, carries general liability and workers’ compensation insurance, is a BBB Accredited Business with an A+ rating, and is HomeAdvisor screened and approved.

Nashville and every city within about 50 miles, including Hendersonville, Gallatin, Goodlettsville, White House, Springfield, Brentwood, Franklin, Nolensville, Spring Hill, Mt. Juliet, Lebanon, Murfreesboro, Smyrna, Clarksville, Ashland City and Pleasant View. The company is based in White House in Sumner County.

A bathroom takes three to five weeks, a kitchen six to ten, a screened porch three to six, an addition two to six months and a custom home eight to fourteen months of construction. Design, selections and permits add a few weeks to a few months before that, and we give you a written schedule before work starts.

Yes. We prepare the drawings, pull the building, electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits in our name, schedule every inspection and hand you the closed-out paperwork at the end. Unpermitted work is not something we do.

Every project runs on a written contract with a deposit and progress payments tied to milestones you can see. Clients who finance typically use a HELOC, a renovation loan or a construction loan through their bank, and we supply the documentation lenders ask for.

Yes. Southern Belle Construction was founded in January 2021 by Mary Wood, a native Nashvillian, and is owned by Mary and William Wood. It is one of the few woman-owned general contractors building custom homes in Middle Tennessee.

The office is at 600 N Sage Rd, White House, TN 37188, about 25 minutes north of downtown Nashville on I-65. Hours are Monday to Friday, 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM; site visits are scheduled around your calendar, including evenings by arrangement.

A custom home is designed for you and your lot from scratch or from plans you choose and modify; a semi-custom home is a builder’s existing plan with limited changes. Southern Belle builds true custom homes on your land, with plans you own, and can also modify a plan you found online.

No. Talking to us before you buy is the smartest order — we will walk a lot with you and flag grading, rock, septic, utility and setback issues that change what it costs to build there. Once you own it, we help with the plan and the budget.

Yes. Metal-roofed farmhouses, board-and-batten exteriors and barndominium-style homes on acreage are among our most requested builds in Sumner, Robertson and Wilson counties, along with brick and stone traditional homes in Williamson and Davidson.

Most of our custom homes run from about 2,000 to 5,000 square feet, along with detached garages, pool houses and in-law suites built alongside them. We also build smaller cottages and larger estates; the process and the attention are the same.

Yes. Purchased plans need to be reviewed for Tennessee codes, engineered for your lot and often adjusted for the way you live; we coordinate that with a designer and an engineer, then build from the finished set.

Through a written contract with a deposit and progress draws at milestones such as foundation, framing, dry-in and finishes, whether you pay directly or through a construction loan. Your lender inspects each draw, and so can you.

Sometimes — if the layout stays, the cabinets are refaced or replaced with a stock line, and counters and backsplash are mid-range, a smaller Nashville kitchen can be refreshed around that figure. Moving plumbing, gas or walls, or choosing custom cabinets and stone, takes the project well above it. We will tell you which one your kitchen is at the first visit.

Design and selections first, then order cabinets, then demolition, rough plumbing and electrical, inspection, drywall, flooring, cabinet install, counter template and install, backsplash, then fixtures, appliances and paint. Ordering everything before demolition is what keeps a kitchen from sitting torn out for weeks.

Not always. Our team draws layouts and coordinates cabinet design for most kitchens; for a large or complex kitchen we bring in a kitchen designer we trust and sit in on the meetings so the design stays buildable and on budget.

Both. Refacing keeps well-built boxes and replaces doors, drawer fronts and hardware for a fraction of the cost; replacement makes sense when the layout, the boxes or the storage are the problem. We will show you the difference on your kitchen.

Large islands with seating, white oak or two-tone cabinetry, quartz and quartzite counters, full-height stone or zellige backsplashes, walk-in pantries, pot fillers and beverage centers, and lighting layered between recessed cans, pendants and under-cabinet strips.

Yes, and it is one of our most common bathroom projects: the tub comes out, the drain is relocated, the walls are waterproofed and tiled, and a curbless or low-curb shower with a glass panel goes in. It usually takes two to three weeks.

For anything beyond swapping a faucet, yes. A bathroom involves plumbing, electrical, waterproofing, tile, glass and cabinetry that have to happen in the right order and pass inspection; a licensed general contractor is responsible for all of it under one contract and one warranty.

Porcelain for durability and low maintenance, with a textured or small-format tile on the floor for slip resistance. Natural marble is beautiful and needs sealing; large-format porcelain slabs give the marble look with fewer grout lines. The waterproofing behind the tile matters more than the tile itself.

Yes. Bathroom additions inside the existing footprint — under stairs, in a large closet, off a primary bedroom — or as a bump-out addition are both common. Plumbing access and venting decide the best location; we look at that first.

A sheet or liquid waterproofing membrane over the entire wet area, a properly sloped pan tied into the drain, a flood test before tile, and inspection before it is covered. Most shower leaks come from skipped waterproofing, which is why ours is never skipped.

Often, yes. The existing foundation and walls are evaluated by an engineer, reinforced where needed, the roof comes off and the new floor is framed and dried in as fast as weather allows. It keeps your yard and can double the square footage; one of our reviews describes exactly this project finishing in eleven weeks.

Most single-room additions can be drawn by a residential designer working with our engineer; large or complex additions benefit from an architect. Either way the county will require stamped structural drawings, which we coordinate.

We work hard to make it match: the same brick blend or a complementary one, siding in the same profile and exposure, matching windows and trim, and a roof tied into the existing pitch. Where an exact brick match is not possible, we design the transition on purpose so it reads as intentional.

Yes. In-law and multigenerational suites with a bedroom, full bath, kitchenette and separate entrance are among our most requested additions, attached to the house or as a detached accessory dwelling where zoning allows.

Usually, yes — the county assessor updates the assessment when a permitted addition adds finished square footage. The increase is typically modest against the value added, and a permitted addition is also what makes that value count when you sell.

Renovating restores or updates what is there — new floors, paint, fixtures, windows. Remodeling changes the layout or the structure — removing walls, moving the kitchen, adding a bath. A whole-home renovation usually does both, room by room, under one contract.

With the structure and the systems: what the walls, roof, plumbing, wiring and HVAC need before any finish goes in. Then the layout of the kitchen and baths, then windows and exterior, then finishes. Doing it in that order is what keeps a renovation from being torn back open later.

Yes. Older homes in East Nashville, Springfield, Gallatin and Franklin are a favorite kind of project — keeping the trim, the proportions and the porch while replacing what is behind the walls. Historic overlay districts have review requirements, and we handle those too.

Yes. Basements need moisture control, egress and ceiling height checked first; attics need structure, insulation and stair access. Both can add a bedroom, bath and living space for less than an addition.

In the open. We carry a contingency in the estimate, tell you the moment we find something — rot, old wiring, undersized framing — and price the fix with options before touching it. Nothing is added to the invoice without your approval.

Usually, yes. An existing deck needs its framing and footings checked for the added roof load; an existing covered porch just needs a screen system, a door and often a ceiling fan and lighting. We will inspect it and tell you what it will take.

Composite decking or a tiled concrete slab for a porch that sees weather; stained tongue-and-groove wood or porcelain tile for a fully covered porch. All of them are built to drain, and the composite options never need refinishing.

Yes. Outdoor-rated gas or wood-burning fireplaces, outdoor TVs on a stone wall, ceiling heaters and fans are all standard on our porches; the gas line and circuits are designed in before framing so nothing is surface-mounted later.

In Middle Tennessee, yes — finished outdoor living is one of the features buyers ask for most, and a permitted, roofed porch is counted as an improvement by appraisers. More to the point, it is the room you will use most from April to November.

A porch is roofed and open or screened; a sunroom is enclosed in glass and can be heated and cooled; a lanai is a Florida term for a covered, usually screened patio. We build all three, and the right one depends on how many months of the year you want to use it.

Yes — deck replacement is the single most common project in our Google reviews. We remove the old structure, reuse footings only if they meet current code, and rebuild with a flashed ledger, treated framing and the surface and railing you choose.

Composite. Middle Tennessee’s humidity, summer sun and freeze-thaw winters are hard on wood; capped composite boards from Trex, TimberTech and similar brands resist fading, staining and rot and carry twenty-five-year warranties. Pressure-treated pine remains the value choice if you are willing to seal it.

Yes. Sloped lots are where decks make the most sense: engineered footings, taller posts with bracing, and multi-level designs that step down the grade. A screened room on the upper level and dry storage below are common additions.

A properly built composite deck lasts twenty-five to thirty years or more; a pressure-treated deck fifteen to twenty with regular sealing. The frame is what fails first on cheap decks, which is why ours are built with code-sized joists, flashed ledgers and corrosion-resistant hardware.

Often, yes. If the framing and footings can carry a roof — or can be reinforced to — we add posts, a roof tied into the house, a screen system and a ceiling. It is the most affordable way to gain a true outdoor room.

A built-in grill is the anchor, then a side burner, refrigerator, sink and storage, with a smoker, pizza oven or griddle for serious cooks. We build the island in stone or stucco with a granite or concrete top, run the gas and electrical, and set it under a roof if you want to cook in the rain.

Pavers cost more, can be repaired one stone at a time and never crack across the surface; stamped concrete costs less, goes in faster and needs resealing every few years. Both are built on a compacted, drained base; we recommend based on your budget, your soil and how you will use the space.

Yes — segmental block, natural stone and poured walls with proper drainage behind them. Walls over four feet are engineered and permitted. A retaining wall is often what turns a sloped Tennessee backyard into a usable patio and lawn.

Wood for the crackle and the smell; gas for one-switch convenience and no ash. Gas needs a supply line and can be shut off in a wind; wood needs a proper chimney height and clearance from the house. We build both and will show you where each works on your patio.

Yes. Freestanding pavilions with outdoor kitchens and fireplaces, pool houses with a bath and kitchenette, and pergolas with motorized louvers are all in our portfolio. They are permitted structures and we build them to the same standard as the house.

Yes. We inspect and photograph the damage, help you file, meet the adjuster on site and build to the approved scope. Hail and straight-line wind damage after Middle Tennessee storms are the most common claims we see.

Architectural shingles cost less and last twenty-five to thirty years; standing-seam metal costs two to three times as much and lasts fifty or more, sheds snow and rain faster and suits farmhouses and porch roofs. Many of our custom homes use both.

Yes, for most homes. It does not rot, warp, burn or feed termites, holds paint far longer than wood and carries a thirty-year substrate warranty. It costs more than vinyl to install because of its weight, and the difference shows over the life of the house.

Both. A roof under fifteen years old with localized damage is usually worth repairing; one that is curling, shedding granules or past twenty is usually worth replacing. We tell you which after an inspection, with photos.

Twenty to thirty years for an architectural shingle roof that is properly ventilated; less on a poorly vented attic or after repeated hail. Ventilation, ice-and-water shield in the valleys and correct flashing are what get you to the long end of that range.

Yes. Tennessee contractor’s license #76533 covers both residential and commercial construction, and the company carries the insurance and bonding capacity commercial owners and lenders require.

Yes. Duplexes, townhomes and small multi-family buildings for investors and owner-occupants are a growing part of our work in Davidson, Sumner and Robertson counties.

Yes. We phase the work, isolate dust and noise, and schedule loud or disruptive tasks around your business hours so tenants and customers are affected as little as possible.

Yes. As construction manager or owner’s representative we budget, schedule, hire and coordinate the trades and run inspections for a clear fee, with open-book subcontractor pricing.

Throughout Nashville and Middle Tennessee — the same 50-mile radius we build homes in, with most commercial work in Davidson, Sumner, Robertson, Williamson and Wilson counties.