Why Sage Homes Chose Higharc

As a builder offering many options, including custom options, Sage Homes struggled with a challenge that hits nearly every builder, whether they’re production or custom: helping customers visualize large purchase decisions during the selections process.

“We were sitting down with PDFs on iPads, marking them up by hand. More and more customers were saying, ‘I just can’t picture it.’ And we needed them to trust us to do our job, but that trust only goes so far.” - Chris Pickard, Owner

Sage’s workflows relied heavily on 2D PDFs, Bluebeam markups, and third-party drafting teams. While these tools were familiar, they slowed everything down, from initial design discussions to construction documentation and permitting.

Customer Uncertainty & Visual Friction

Homebuyers often left design meetings unsure of what their selections would actually look like, undermining confidence and delaying decisions.

Manual Iteration Loops

Even minor design tweaks can result in full plan revision cycles, requiring Sage to send edits to a third-party architect, await changes, and validate them before resubmitting. Each of these steps could add days or weeks, causing friction across teams and delaying permitting.

 “Even the most simple plan change... still took two weeks. Every tweak was another week.” — Dustin Lepley, Purchasing Manager 

Permit Timing Constraints

Many local municipalities require up to four weeks to approve permits. A single delay at the design stage compounds this timeline, making faster document readiness a key performance lever.

 “We’re trying to get the ball rolling faster... so the cities can start the permit process sooner.” — Nick Archibald, Construction Coordinator 

Sage Homes believed that Higharc’s real-time visualization and automation could help them:

• Reduce design cycles from weeks to days
• Give customers greater confidence and clarity
• Eliminate reliance on third-party drafting resources
• Tighten cost estimating by reducing manual work
• Differentiate themselves in a competitive, customization-heavy market

“My main focus was how much better this would make life for our customer, and how much more at ease it would put them. You can’t show someone PDFs and expect them to feel good about spending that kind of money.” - Chris Pickard, Owner

1. Real-Time Design Visualization

Sage Homes has moved from manual markups and “guesswork” to real-time 3D design visualization with customers.

Customers now meet with Sage’s in-house drafting lead, Nick Archibald, who uses Higharc’s Studio to walk through floor plans, make custom changes, and show the live results instantly. There is no waiting, no misunderstandings, and no abstract redlines.

“We still spend a few hours with our buyers during selections, but now, instead of leaving with a redlined PDF, they walk out with construction documents. That puts people at ease.” — Chris Pickard, Owner

Even mid-meeting changes, like swapping siding textures or altering rooflines, can now be previewed on the spot. This is especially powerful for customers who struggle to interpret 2D plans.

“People used to sign off without being 100% sure. Now they see it, they know it, they leave with confidence.” — Nick Archibald, Construction Coordinator 

2. Internal Drafting and Estimating Ownership

Sage transitioned plan modification, drafting, and estimating from external partners to internal roles. Nick now manages studio work and plan configuration, with Dustin focused on estimating and procurement logic.

This eliminated dependence on slow third-party workflows and allowed Sage Homes to control its design lifecycle fully from sales to construction documentation.

“Now we can do it all ourselves. We’re no longer sending it out, waiting for changes, hoping it comes back right.” — Dustin Lepley, Purchasing Manager 

3. Speed to Permit

By consolidating the entire pre-construction process, from customer design to construction documents, into one system, Sage has dramatically shortened their pre-permit timeline.

Plans are finalized faster, CDs are generated automatically, and documentation is submitted days (or weeks) earlier, which is critical in cities with long permit queues.

“If we can start that process early and get the final product to the homeowners faster… they get moved in faster.” — Nick Archibald, Construction Coordinator 

4. Data-Backed Estimating, Same-Day Pricing

Historically, Sage Homes provided ballpark pricing to customers.  Sometimes they would win on margin, others they wouldn't and that was accepted as the status quo. With Higharc’s data-backed estimating logic, the teamis now able to reduce that margin of error while providing more accurate estimates to customers.  

“We don’t want to rely on suppliers to tell us what we need. We want to send them a list and say: here’s what you’re quoting. Higharc makes that possible.” - Chris Pickard, Owner

Operational Wins

Updating designs has been reduced from two weeks to real-time in-meeting changes and next day updates. This shift allows Sage to respond to customer needs immediately, speeding up decisions and minimizing delays. 

With stronger visual tools in place, customers now feel more confident in their selections, which has led to fewer post-sign-off change orders. 

Higharc’s also automates the completion of construction docs, enabling earlier permit submissions and helping Sage avoid bottlenecks. 

On the estimating front, data-backed logic has replaced manual guesswork, improving pricing accuracy while still supporting Sage’s commitment to same-day quoting.

Internally, the team has reduced the need for cross-functional handoffs and manual coordination, replacing redlines and markups with centralized, accurate plans everyone can trust.

Strategic Positioning

In a region filled with builders offering customization, Sage now stands out as a digitally enabled, customer-first homebuilder. Their ability to offer deep personalization, combined with intuitive tools and a clear, guided buying experience, positions them as a modern leader in their market. 

Customers now leave meetings with build-ready documentation and a clearer understanding of their home, strengthening trust and reducing buyer hesitation at a critical moment in the sales journey.

Their internal shift, from relying on third parties to owning every step of the process, reflects a broader cultural transformation toward systematized, scalable operations.

Externally, better documentation has led to clearer supplier communication, enabling Sage Homes to issue cleaner takeoffs and minimize uncertainty in their material procurement process.

Future Expansion

Sage is working to launch a website configurator that allows customers to design their homes independently, opening new lead-gen and engagement pathways. 

In parallel, Higharc Showroom integration will let customers explore real-time options during in-person walkthroughs. 

With over 30 plans in their catalog, Sage Homes is poised to offer scalable customization with greater speed and visibility than ever before.