Building in Bull Shoals
Bull Shoals Lake borders this Marion County town on three sides, and the town itself grew out of the building of Bull Shoals Dam. Today it is mainly a vacation and retirement community about ten miles south of the Missouri line. If you're building here, the lake is probably part of the reason, whether the plan is a house to retire into, a getaway for part of the year, or covered room for a boat.
Water on three sides
With the lake wrapping around town, a lot with a water view may well slope toward it. A sloping lot can carry a walkout lower level or a garage tucked under the house, but it also means taller foundation walls, more excavation and drainage that has to be planned rather than left to chance.
Ask each builder to look at the lot before they price it and to show the foundation, any retaining walls and the driveway as separate lines. If you're thinking about anything close to the shoreline, find out who manages that shoreline and what they allow before you include it in a plan. On a steep lot, ask as well how materials will reach the site, and where a lift truck could set up if one is needed.
A getaway that looks after itself
If the house will sit empty for weeks at a time, build for that. Ask about a whole-house water shutoff that's easy to reach, a heating and cooling system you can monitor remotely, and finishes that won't mind a closed-up house in summer. Durable siding and roofing and a simple roof shape mean fewer things to check when you arrive.
Think about who will look in on the place while you're gone, and give the builder their name. A local contact who has keys and knows where the shutoffs are is worth planning around from the start.
Settling in for good
If this is where you plan to retire, put the everyday rooms on one level with the entry. A ramp or a no-step path from the garage is far easier to build in than to retrofit on a sloping lot. Ask for blocking behind bathroom walls, a shower without a curb, and lighting on the stairs to any lower level.
Choose a builder who will talk through those details with you instead of only quoting square footage. The difference shows up years later.
Covered room for the boat and the gear
A boat on its trailer is often the largest thing a lake owner needs to park. Measure the rig with the motor up, plus the truck if both have to fit, and allow for an apron long enough to back in straight. A tall overhead door now saves rebuilding a wall if you trade up later.
For a detached building, you have three main choices. A framed garage built like the house matches it most easily. A post-frame building is often the lower-cost way to cover a big open space. A steel building spans the widest and suits heavy doors. Have each builder say which one fits your size and slope, and list what the price covers: slab, insulation, power, doors and gutters.
No builder in town, so compare the travel
Every builder on this page comes from somewhere else. They work from Mountain Home, Harrison and Hoxie, or statewide. That isn't a problem in itself, but it's worth asking each one how a trip across the county line changes their schedule. How many days a week will their crew be here? Do they bring their own concrete and electrical subs, or hire locally? Will they charge for mobilization?
Ask, too, how they handle a callback after you've moved in. A builder an hour away can still give good service, but you want the response time in writing with the warranty.
Lining up what each bid covers
With only a few builders to choose from, make each bid count. Write down what you want built, from the footprint and roof pitch to the doors, windows, insulation, slab and power, and give everyone the same sheet. When the numbers come back, list what each one leaves out, then price those items so you're comparing finished projects, not partial ones. Ask how long each bid holds and whether the start date is firm, since a quote that expires before a crew is free isn't much use.
Requirements depend on where the lot sits, so check what currently applies with the City of Bull Shoals, or with Marion County for land outside city limits, before the design is final.
Who's listed for Bull Shoals
This page has a short list. Sandland Construction, a Mountain Home custom home builder, names Bull Shoals on its own site, and so does Integrity Contracting of Harrison, which builds steel buildings, barndominiums and homes. Square Post Buildings, a post-frame and steel builder from Hoxie, covers the area, and two statewide post-frame builders also appear. Our Mountain Home and Harrison pages list more builders who work in the region.
Ask each one to point you to lake-area projects you can look at, to put you in touch with owners of similar lots, and to give you the scope and the warranty in writing. Check license status with the Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board before any money changes hands.
Sources: Encyclopedia of Arkansas: Bull Shoals (Marion County), Arkansas.gov: Marion County, Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board