Little Gems: Sterling Quality

Unique designs, meticulous scheduling, and a focus on customer service helped A.F. Sterling Homes in Tucson, Ariz., tie for second place in 2004 in a very competitive market.

Randy Agron, the company's COO, says A.F. Sterling offers homes that range from $180,000 to $900,000, but regardless of the price, the company sticks to its consistent construction and design standards.

Agron says each home is built with 2x6 boards versus standard 2x4 boards, mainly to hold more insulation, which helps keep homes cooler in the blazing Arizona heat. A.F. Sterling also uses steel rods in the slab—known in the trade as a post-tensioned slab, which delivers a stronger, more secure foundation. Every A.F. Sterling home also has an indoor air quality system designed by a local integrator that recirculates the air throughout the house.

“You can really tell an A.F. Sterling home. They are unique in comparison to the national production builders” says Agron, adding that all A.F. Sterling homes have distinctive designs featuring radius walls and 45-degree angles.

DISTINCTIVE DESIGN: Arched doorways and wall niches throughout the house are among the design details that keep A.F. Sterling's customer satisfaction high.

“We have a wide variety of product, but consistent standards,” says Agron. “A $900,000 [home] just has more options, and it's bigger,” he says.

Rob Brack, the company's vice president of construction, says the bedrock that helps A.F. Sterling maintain consistent quality is the checklist the company uses at the five stages of construction. “The reason for the checklist is that we want to take care of things at the proper time,” says Brack.

“The home buyers are in the house quite a bit. You don't want them seeing you pulling out the drywall,” he explains, adding that “it's very time consuming to pull out the drywall, fix it, then repaint it again. With such a tight labor pool out here, if the trades can't finish their job, it kills their [schedule].”

Here's a rundown of A.F. Sterling's five-step checklist:

Preconstruction. Make sure there's no dumpster in the way, that a water meter is available, that the curb isn't damaged, and that there's nothing to prevent construction from proceeding.

Preslab. Ensure that all of the underground electrical is installed. Review all plumbing issues.

Framing. Before plumbers and electricians start their work, make sure the framing was done according to the original plan.

Intermediaries. Prior to insulation and drywall, check for pipe leaks if pipes are close to the studs; have a bang plate so that nails can be hammered in; make sure the tile looks good; and, finally, the roof has to be on.

Completion. Standard punchlist items are meticulously administered. This includes checking over drywall repairs, making sure that everything is secure, the painting is done properly, the right plumbing fixtures are in, and there are no scratches on the mirrors.

“A lot of this might be cosmetic, but the idea is for the customer not to know what's behind the wall,” says Brack. “It has to look like the crew was never there, even though they may have been the day before or even just a few hours before.”

Another strategy that helps A.F. Sterling win over customers is an orderly transfer between the construction super and customer service. The day customers move into their home, a customer service representative meets with them. The service reps then do a 90-day follow-up.

“We try to make a good attempt to be proactive and follow through on all customer service issues,” says Agron. “Even if people have been in their homes five or 10 years, we'll always go on a courtesy visit,” he says, adding, “a good portion of the time, we'll take care of the [complaint] for them.”

Market: Tucson, Ariz.

2005 closings: 320

Price range: $180,000 to $900,000

Average square footage: 2,100

2004 J.D. Power score: 121

In 2004, A.F. Sterling Homes tied for second in Tucson, Ariz, with US Home.