A year ago we were 40% high on labor and 70% high on hardware. The bid book closed and you kept what was working. This document explains everything that's different now — and why a second look is worth thirty minutes.
1–2 wksStandard Lead Time
15,168Items Shipped / Month
0.24%Order Error Rate
$9.9MWon Builder Work 2026
Prepared exclusively for David Samson, VP Purchasing, Chesmar Homes Dallas Division. Companion to Chesmar_Pricing_Framework.xlsx — six anchor SKUs, four hardware packages, full volume calculator inside.
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Who You Are
A DFW Builder Worth Earning
Chesmar grew from Houston roots into a serious DFW contender — "neighborhoods of distinction" at an attainable price band. ~1,000 closings/year in the Dallas Division, Bel Air-tier as the workhorse spec, Environments for Living energy standards. We've been doing our homework.
01
The Product
DFW Level 1 product line at $350K–$500K. 6'8" interior doors — choice of Carrara, Roman, or Riverside. B211 base with 2½" matching casing (B211 saves $0.05/lf over B322 — we confirmed in the 6/2025 exchange). Window stools and aprons except transoms. 12" particle BN closet shelving with wood rod. No crown. Garage finished too.
02
The Communities
Canyon Falls, The Vines, Heartland, Solterra — plus the ramp into McKinney, Frisco, and Prosper. Each new community is a vendor-decision moment. We want to be the supplier that makes that decision easier, not harder.
03
The Spec Stack
Currently Kwikset Hancock + Orca Waldron + Kwikset Dakota handleset with 620 TRL deadbolt. You asked about Kwikset Cove last year and we never got the comparison clean enough. The Hardware section below shows it — plus two new sources we didn't have in 2025.
The Honest Recap
What You Told Us in June 2025
We don't get to skip the conversation we had a year ago. Here it is, in your words, and here's what's changed.
Direct Quote · 6/13/2025
“Thanks for providing the additional level of detail. I could not open the attachment though, can you resend? I can say at first glance the labor side is significantly higher than we are currently paying — 40% on labor and 70% on hardware.”
David Samson, VP of Purchasing, Chesmar Homes Dallas Division · in response to Abel's revised turnkey bid
That feedback was a gift, even if it ended the conversation at the time. It told us exactly what to fix — not "sharpen the pencil," but rebuild the cost stack. Three things changed between then and now:
Change 01 · Labor
Brought Install In-House
In 2025 our trim install crew was outsourced at $0.75/sqft + $0.15/sqft hardware = $0.90/sqft combined. In 2026 it's Abel's own crew at $0.55/sqft trim + $0.10/sqft hardware = $0.65/sqft combined.
−27.8% labor cost
Change 02 · Hardware Sourcing
Two New Hardware Books
Sure-Loc dealer pricing landed April 2026 via Core Decorative Resource — Bloomfield just spec'd Sure-Loc across all three of their tiers. Pamex dealer relationship locked through WBH Group (Mark Foster, DFW rep) at $399/home. Four hardware packages priced inside the workbook.
−35.5% on Pamex vs Hancock
Change 03 · Structure
Turnkey, Not Patchwork
3% management fee called out as a transparent line item. Covers single PO, dedicated PM, QC walk on every house, warranty channel, Aegis Builder Portal access — no surprise charges, no scope creep, no four-vendor invoice reconciliation.
1 vendor · 1 PM · 1 portal
Full Offering
Everything That Comes Off the Truck
Doors, trim, hardware, install — one PO across every category. Your purchasing team coordinates with one supplier, one PM, one delivery sequence. Not four reps, four invoices, four schedules.
01
Interior Doors & Pre-Hang
Carrara, Roman, Riverside — Chesmar's three named profiles, all stocked in 6'8". Pre-hung in our Gainesville shop, ready for staged delivery. Specials (8' tall, double-leaf, fire-rated) called out by name with their own lead times — never bundled into a "3–4 week" blanket.
02
Exterior & Front Doors
Fiberglass 6-panel 6'8" front (per your Bel Air spec). Patio ½-lite with internal blinds. House-to-garage fire-rated 20-min. Final-door install on closeout, not on rough — protects the door from the job site.
03
Trim, Casing & Closets
B211 base + 2½" casing — same spec you priced in 2025, $0.05/lf cheaper than B322. Window stools and aprons (skipped on transoms). 12" particle BN closet shelving with matching wood rod. No crown. We confirmed.
04
Hardware Programs
Four packages priced inside the workbook: Kwikset Hancock (your current), Kwikset Cove (upgrade option you asked about), Sure-Loc (Bloomfield-spec equivalent), Pamex (value tier). Pick a finish, see the impact. Matched bath hardware in every package.
05
Trim & Door Install
Abel's own in-house install crew. $0.55/sqft trim + $0.10/sqft hardware = $0.65/sqft combined. One pre-walk + one QC walk + one punch return included. Garage finishing included. Attic stair install at $110/unit (R10 standard).
06
Western Sliders + Optionals
We install Western Window Systems multi-slide and bi-fold openings — the "indoor-outdoor moment" you didn't have on the original scope. Available as a community-level upgrade. Custom mahogany fronts on Reserve plans (3–5 week lead, called out by name).
Anchor SKU Pricing
Six SKUs. Real Numbers.
No black-box "per unit" math. Here are six SKUs that drive ~70% of a Bel Air material bill, priced at your Year-1 tier (120–180 homes, ~$1.2M–$1.7M annual). Full version in the workbook.
−30.5%
Interior Prehung — Carrara
6'8" SOLID CORE · 2-PANEL SHAKER
Chesmar's workhorse spec. Pre-hung at our Gainesville shop. In stock, 1–2 week lead.
Abel Tier$198
BFS Retail$285
−30.6%
Interior Prehung — Riverside
6'8" SOLID CORE · 5-PANEL CRAFTSMAN
Upgrade profile. Same shop, same lead time, same QC.
Abel Tier$215
BFS Retail$310
−24.5%
Front Door — 6-Panel Fiberglass
6'8" · STANDARD BEL AIR
Primed, ready for paint or stain. Final-door install on closeout.
Abel Tier$385
BFS Retail$510
Patio Door — ½ Lite over Flush
INTERNAL BLINDS · 6'8"
Per Bel Air spec. Internal blinds add 1 week to base lead; called out individually.
Abel Tier$920
Priced to tier—
−28.6%
B211 Base + Casing
PRIMED MDF · PER LF
$0.05/lf cheaper than B322 — we confirmed this for you in 2025. Same answer in 2026.
Abel Tier$1.32
BFS Retail$1.85
Closet Shelving
12" PARTICLE BN + WOOD ROD · PER LF
Per-plan quantity. Chesmar standard configuration.
Abel Tier$8.50
Priced to tier—
Featured Manufacturer
Lynden Door — One of a Handful of DFW Dealers
The Carrara and Riverside profiles in Chesmar's Bel Air spec hang from a Lynden line. Abel is an authorized stocking dealer — one of a handful in DFW — pre-hung in our Gainesville shop on standard 1–2 week lead. No 6-week special-order wait, no special-order vendor between us and your trim crew.
Authorized Stocking Dealer · Bel Air Workhorse Spec
Carrara, Roman, Riverside. Stocked Locally.
The three profiles named in your Bel Air spec — pre-hung in our Gainesville shop, on the truck the next morning. We carry the configurations Chesmar purchasing actually orders: 2-6-8 and 2-8-8 standard, 3-0 widths on demand, taller options for plan upgrades. No 6-week special-order wait, no special-order vendor between us and your trim crew. Same spec, same QC walk, every house, every plan.
1–2 wksStocked Lead Time
In-HousePre-Hung in Gainesville
DFWAuthorized Dealer
Hardware Offering
Four Brands. One Bid.
Your 2025 feedback was "70% high on hardware." That gap doesn't close by negotiating with the same vendor — it closes by changing the vendor. Four hardware programs priced inside the workbook, each at a different style and price tier. Pick the finish, lock the bid. Pamex lands at $399/home — that's the answer to the 70% gap David Samson flagged in 2025.
01
Pamex
Value-tier hardware that closes the 70% gap
Pamex is a private-label hardware program through WBH Group (Mark Foster is our DFW rep). They specialize in the production-builder volume tier — the same tier Chesmar's Bel Air spec lives in. Per-home cost lands at $399 — this is the answer to the line you flagged in 2025. Style runs traditional and transitional, clean and builder-grade.
StyleTraditional + transitional
Lead time2–3 wks (stocked at volume)
Per home$399
ReferenceActive TX rollouts
02
Sure-Loc
Bloomfield-spec finish with a slight savings
Sure-Loc is an ASSA ABLOY brand (parent of Schlage, Yale, Medeco). Dealer pricing locked through Core Decorative Resource (Kyle Ford), confirmed April 22, 2026. Bloomfield Homes switched their entire spec book to Sure-Loc across Classic, Signature, and Elements tiers — the credible Texas-market mid-tier brand. $589/home, $28 under your Hancock baseline.
StyleTransitional + contemporary
Lead time1–2 weeks
Per home$589 (−4.5%)
ReferenceBloomfield Homes (all 3 tiers)
03
Kwikset Hancock
Your current spec, priced honestly
This is what Chesmar Bel Air homes ship with today — Kwikset Hancock + Orca Waldron + Dakota handleset + 620 TRL deadbolt. We're including it not to push it but to anchor the comparison. If the right answer is to stay with Hancock and pull only the trim and door scope into Abel, the math still works. No hardware switch required to start a partnership.
StyleTraditional
Lead timeSame day–1 week
Per home$617 (baseline)
ReferenceCurrent Chesmar spec
04
Kwikset Cove
The upgrade you asked us to price last year
In your 6/10/2025 email you asked for the cost difference between Hancock and Cove plus bath hardware options. Here it is. Cove is the design-center upgrade path — same Kwikset distribution, premium finishes, matches the higher Bel Air option packages. We don't pitch this as the volume answer — we pitch it as the upgrade tier when a community's design center calls for it.
StyleTraditional+
Lead timeSame day–1 week
Per home$794 (upgrade)
ReferenceYour 6/10/2025 ask
The Math — Per-Home Cost
Component
Kwikset HancockYour current
Kwikset CoveUpgrade option
Sure-LocBloomfield spec
PamexValue tier
Entry Handleset
$142.00
$168.00
$127.00
$89.00
Entry Deadbolt (620 TRL eq.)
$64.00
$78.00
$54.00
$38.00
Interior Door Knob (passage) ×6
$87.00
$126.00
$73.50
$51.00
Interior Door Lever (mixed) ×4
$78.00
$112.00
$70.00
$51.00
Bath Hardware Set ×2
$156.00
$220.00
$180.00
$104.00
Hinges + Door Stops
$38.00
$38.00
$35.00
$25.00
Garage-to-House Tagged Set
$52.00
$52.00
$49.50
$40.00
Total Hardware / Home
$617.00
$794.00
$589.00
$398.00
Delta vs Kwikset Hancock
—
+28.7%
−4.5%
−35.5%
How to read this: Hancock is your current baseline. Cove is the upgrade you asked about. Sure-Loc lands $28 under Hancock with the same Bloomfield-spec finish you'd find on their Classic, Signature, and Elements tiers. Pamex is the value-tier answer to the 70% hardware gap you flagged in 2025 — $219 under Hancock, −35.5%. Pick the package that fits the community. The bid is identical across packages aside from this hardware row.
Why Abel for Chesmar
Volume-Tier Builders Care About Different Things
A semi-custom builder cares about a Western Slider lead time. A production builder at Chesmar's tier cares about whether 1,000 doors a year all show up the right way, on the right day, with the right hardware. That's our scoreboard.
1–2 Week Lead Times
Default standard material. Specials called out by name (custom front, internal-blind patio, mahogany sidelights) with their actual window. Not blanket "3–4 weeks."
15,168 Items / Month
That was our shop output the month before we sent you the original bid. 36 errors. 99.76% accuracy. We have the data because we measure it.
Zero Missed Drop Dates
Last 12 months. Your PM doesn't have to call us to ask if it's coming. The portal shows them.
One PO. One PM. One Invoice.
Doors + trim + hardware + install. The 3% turnkey fee covers single-point accountability. No four-vendor reconciliation, no "that's not our scope" emails.
QC Walk on Every House
Pre-walk + install + punch return. Not "we ship it and call it done." Sean Phillips owns the QC channel directly.
Builder Partner Rebate
Stacks on top of invoice pricing. No exclusivity required. Silver at $500K–$1M, Gold above $1M. Full sample projection in the workbook.
How We Run a Community
From Quote to Closeout
No black-box "leave it with us" pitch. Here's what every house looks like operationally, from the day plans hit our estimator to the day Sean closes the warranty channel. Three phases, transparent ownership, posted in the portal.
1
Day 0 → Day 7
Quote → PO
Submit the plan via Aegis Builder Portal or email. Quote back in 1 business day on standard SKUs — 48 hours on custom configurations with a confirmed timeline if longer. PO confirmed, materials staged in Gainesville. No silent intake, no "we'll get back to you next week."
2
PO → Drop Date
Build → Deliver
Pre-hang in Gainesville on Abel's own line. Trim staged per community, not per truck. Drop date posted in the portal — your PM sees the truck before it arrives. Delivery sequenced to your build calendar, not to our fleet rotation.
3
Drop → Closeout
Install → QC → Warranty
Abel-employed crew installs — not a sub. One pre-walk, one QC walk, one punch return included in the 3% turnkey. After closeout, the warranty channel routes through Sean Phillips on his direct cell. One number, not a 1-800.
Built In, Not Outsourced
Six Teams You Don't Get From a National Supplier
Every prehung that leaves Gainesville passes a QC walker. Every account has a named PM. Every install crew is Abel-employed, not a sub. None of this is contracted out — which is exactly why the 2026 numbers are different from 2025.
01 · Shop
Manufacturing Shop
Gainesville. 7 production staff. ~25 doors/day throughput. Pre-hung in-house.
02 · Crew
Install Crew
Abel-employed trim crew. In 2025 this was outsourced — the 40% labor gap was a contractor margin we no longer pay.
03 · Logistics
Delivery Logistics
4 delivery trucks, supervisor-led routing. Drop-date accuracy is the metric we manage.
04 · PM
Project Management
4 dedicated PMs. Chesmar would get a named account owner — not "whoever picked up the phone."
05 · Bid
Estimating & Bid
Lead Estimator (Lisa Adams). Every plan re-priced when specs change — with notes on what changed.
06 · CX
Customer Experience
Sean Phillips owns post-delivery. Warranty + punch + escalations route through one channel.
Reference Customers
We've Run This Play For Builders Like You
Production builders, semi-custom builders, $1M+ luxury — the same playbook scaled to the price band. Three active accounts at the same tier or above as Chesmar. Reference call available on request.
Active Partner
Bloomfield Homes
Mid-production, ~2,000 homes/yr. Switched their entire spec book to Sure-Loc across Classic, Signature, and Elements tiers (April 2026). Active turnkey program. Same hardware book we'd put on a Chesmar Bel Air.
DFW · Production · Three-tier spec
Active Partner
Toll Brothers
Premium semi-custom, $1M+ price band. 5-day slab line, semi-custom door specs delivered without 3-week penalty. We run their slab-to-hung cadence in Frisco, Flower Mound, and Heath communities.
DFW · Luxury Semi-Custom · Used as credential
Active Partner
Olerio · Shaddock
DFW production, 200–300 closings/yr each. Recently onboarded (Q4 2025 / Q1 2026). Full rollout from doors to install crew — the same scope we're proposing for a Chesmar pilot community.
DFW · Production · Full-scope rollout
The Aegis Builder Portal
Real-Time, Without the Phone Calls
Aegis went live April 13, 2026 — the same platform our existing builder partners use today. Chesmar gets co-branded access for free. The point is to take work off your PMs, not give them another login to manage.
Live Order StatusEvery door, trim run, hardware order. Status, ETA, exception flags.
Quote RequestsSubmit specs in portal, quote back same business day on standard SKUs.
Delivery ETA DashboardRoute-optimized scheduling. Your PM sees the truck before it arrives.
Invoice & AP HubOne bill. Simplified AP. Dawn talks to Chesmar AP, not your PM.
Warranty ChannelFile and track punch / warranty in one place. SLA-tracked, not email-tracked.
Plan PricebookYour Bel Air plans, priced and locked. Spec change = price refresh <24 hr.
Take It With You
The Proposal and the Workbook
Both documents — your file format, your timeline. Or open this page on any device. The workbook has the full SKU calculator, every hardware package, and the volume tier projection for Year 1 and Year 2.
Confidential · Prepared for Chesmar Homes Dallas Division · No INTERNAL margin data in customer copy
One Community. One Bel Air.
We're not asking for the whole division back. Give us one community — or one Bel Air pilot — and let the install accuracy, the delivery cadence, the hardware bid, and the Builder Portal speak for themselves. If the numbers in this document hold up on the ground, we earn the next community on merit. If they don't, you've lost nothing.