QUALITY ASSURANCE: KB Home Nevada receives national accreditation

The National Association of Home Builders Research Center has named KB Home Nevada the first publicly traded company in the country to earn the Certified Builder designation, according to a release from the industry group. KB Home and privately held Grayson Homes in Maryland earned their quality assurance certifications after an audit of their quality assurance systems by the center.

From partnering with contractors to partnering with home buyers during the building process, Las Vegas' largest home builder ensures every home is top quality from start to finish, according to Doug Eddie, quality manager for the builder's local office.

"We work together with our trade partners to ensure that we speak the same language and develop the same culture of quality," Eddie said. "We have formal quality standards and quality certification checklists to make sure we all have the same formalized system of inspecting our homes throughout the construction process."

A couple of examples of the builder's commitment to quality are its prestart checklist and preslab inspections.

"With the prestart checklists, we make sure that each home lot is ready to be developed on," Eddie said. "During the preslab inspection, we measure and verify that forms are in the correct locations and plumbing and customer-selected options are all correct."

KB Home also involves its homeowners in the construction process.

"We hold regular meetings with customers to go over each step in the construction process," Eddie said. "In our prestart orientation meetings, KB Home superintendents meet with home buyers to review their options, explain the building process and answer any questions they may have."

Homeowners are also invited to visit their homes throughout construction.

"Some builders discourage their customers from coming to the job site during construction," Eddie said. "We understand how important the homes are to our customers and view construction as a partnership to build their homes."

Leah Bryant, regional general manager of KB Home and former president of KB Home's Nevada division, said meeting the standards of the certification program makes for better business practices.

"Building on our stringent internal quality processes, KB Home's participation in the ... Certified Builder program sends a powerful quality message to our customers. So far, as a result of program implementation, we have seen a four-day improvement on our build time," Bryant said.

The company has active subdivisions throughout the Las Vegas Valley, including Mayfield Estates, Mariposa, and The Classics at Iron Mountain Ranch.

Mayfield Estates, located near Cheyenne Avenue and Tenaya Way, offers four floor plans ranging from 2,697 to 3,648 square feet with three to six bedrooms and 2 1/2 to five baths.

Mariposa, located in Summerlin near Charleston Boulevard and Interstate 215, features four floor plans ranging from 2,031 to 2,524 square feet. The homes are available with three to five bedrooms and 2 1/2 to three baths.

Located in northwest Las Vegas near Jones Boulevard and Grand Teton Drive, The Classics at Iron Mountain Ranch offers six floor plans ranging from 2,612 to 3,803 square feet. Homes are available with three to six bedrooms and 2 1/2 to three baths.

The builder offers one-stop shopping at its home studio near Interstate 15. The facility, located at 7440 S. Industrial Road, Suite 201, offers a design center, credit counseling, and information on its local neighborhoods and mortgage division.

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