This list contains every one of the companies and contractors you would need to do this project yourself.  I've tried to be as fair as possible in my comments and ratings.  I suggest that anyone considering a project of this magnitude perform their own due diligence in order to find the contractor that is right for their particular job.

Most of the building materials for our home were supplied by the modular manufacturer (Penn Lyon) including the SIPs. We personally sub-contracted the finish work, except for electrical and plumbing, in order to build this house within our budget. Here are the folks we used from start to finish and a bit about working with them.

Primary:

Modular Dealer / GC - Avalon Building Systems -

http://www.avalonbuildingsystems.com

What can I say…?  Avalon did a wonderful job of working with us throughout the entire planning and building process.  They understood that we had a budget and helped us work within it (at least for the stuff they could control).  Paul went to batt for us with the factory whenever necessary.  Rich made sure everything was right after the house was set.  Rich was able to pick out details (like wavy ceilings) that I would not have seen until much later, or perhaps never.  Rich used his years of experience and looked at our house as if it were going to be his.  He made certain everything was right.  I would definitely recommend Avalon to anyone wanting to build a house.  Stick, SIP, modular… they can do it all.  I’d rate them a 10.

Modular Manufacturer - Penn Lyon Homes -

http://www.pennlyon.com/

Penn Lyon was the only modular manufacturer I could find willing to build my house the way I wanted it built (with SIPs).  Would I recommend them to a friend because of their attention to detail or customer service, nope.  Quite frankly, they sucked.  Even more disappointing is the fact that one of their best guys, Mickey Locey, left them for another opportunity.  I feel that my experience with Penn Lyon would have been even worse without Mickey.  Therefore, I can not recommend Penn Lyon per se.  If another manufacturer is willing to build with SIPs, try them.  If Penn Lyon is your only choice, I have to admit, a house built with SIPs is fantastic.  I rate them a 5.

SIPs - The Murus Company -

http://www.murus.com/

Murus supplied the structural insulated panels for our home.  While I did not work directly with Murus, I did introduce them to Penn Lyon.  That IS neat!  I did visit their factory.  I did have any questions or concerns directed at them addressed promptly.  From my perspective, I would have much preferred to work with Murus than Penn Lyon, but they don’t build modular houses.  They DO build timber frame homes if you are interested.  I am not sure that I can give them a proper rating since I did not have to work with them directly.  However, if you are considering a site-built SIP home, timber frame home, or any other SIP project, I urge you to contact them.  They are good people.

Windows / Slider - Alpen -

http://www.alpeninc.com/

I spent a lot of time working with Alpen as we tried to figure out the most cost effective and energy efficient windows for our house.  I have not one complaint about this part.  We did have a few minor issues with some of the windows (broken parts or missing parts).  The slider shipped unassembled and without the hardware necessary to put it together.  It took them two shipments to get me the correct parts.  The windows are decent quality although the vinyl frames feel flimsy at times (perhaps fiberglass would have been a better choice, but we used vinyl to keep cost down).  I rate them an 8.  Alpen has since been purchased by Serious Materials (http://www.seriouswindows.com/), so customer experience may be different now.

Modular Foundation - Oasis Wall -

http://www.oasiswall.com/

Working with Oasis was great.  The planning went well.  The product was manufactured and delivered as promised.  Set up went well, but not exactly as expected.  There was a significant bow in one of the 58’ walls (two sections) when complete.  This made some of the other future tasks difficult from the start (i.e. sill plate, siding).  I find the walls are not as air tight as I expected them to be.  I added quite a bit of spray foam to air seal the foundation the way I wanted.  I like the product.  I like the concept.  I do wish there was an “upgraded insulation” option.  In my house, the foundation is, by far, the weakest point in my building envelope at R10 (in terms of both insulating value and air infiltration).  Keeping in mind that most houses are not super insulated, this foundation provides better insulating value than a poured and non-insulated foundation.  Air infiltration is another issue that may not be present with other foundations.  The seams and corners leaked air.  We also felt some draft from the utility chases and from the drywall seams when doing the blower door test.  I rate the company and people a 10, the product a 7.

Concrete Flatwork (basement/garage floor) - Quaboag Construction -

Jim Vail - 508-347-2714 / 413-575-4243

I only worked with Jim one day.  Jim showed up when he was scheduled to do so.  He and his team did the work quickly and properly.  They did not leave a mess.  Not much more to say.  I rate them a 10.

HVAC - SouthEastern Heating & Air Conditioning -

http://www.southeasterngeothermal.com/

Dave was the only HVAC vendor I could find who did not want to make a killing on each unit sold.  Geothermal units are NOT as expensive as nearly everyone makes them out to be.  In fact, our geo system cost LESS than our neighbor’s high end oil burner and electric A/C.  If you are considering geo, it pays to shop around.  I would have recommended Dave to anyone, he did a great job.  Unfortunately, it appears he has closed up shop.  Last I heard he was going into drilling (for geo systems).  It kind of sucks that I can’t call him any more if I need help.  For that I have to ding him a bit and rate him a 9. 

GSHP - Climate Master - Tranquility 27

http://www.climatemaster.com

I have two 3 ton units installed.  Each has its own standing column well (we use ground water to heat our house).  The units have run flawlessly.  I wish the installed price came down a bit, but from what I hear the manufacturers are already having difficulty keeping up with demand.  Climate Master deserves a 10.

ERV - UltimateAir 200DX

http://www.ultimateair.com

Our house would be unhealthy without this product.  It provides a constant source of fresh air to our tightly sealed house (controlled ventilation).  I have gripes similar to other raters on the Internet…  The unit is a bit louder than expected.  The filter pies came loose, got stuck, and broke a belt.  Unfortunately, there is no warning alarm for this.  I discovered it during a filter cleaning.  To their credit, they were – extremely – apologetic when I called them about the problem.  They told me what I needed to do and sent me the parts to do it with.  In short, this company stands behind their product 100%.  It also happens to be the most energy efficient ERV on the market.  Overall, I give them a 9.5.

Well Design & Drilling - Scales Well & Pump - Bob Scales -

http://www.scaleswellpump.com/

Bob was an absolute joy to work with.  He knows geo.  He knows wells.  He knew what I needed to do and how to do it.  Contrast this with the well drillers I spoke with who stated they didn’t know geo, but would do whatever I asked them to do.  Standing column wells are an excellent way to couple a ground source heat pump to the earth.  You also get drinking water from the same well.  Do yourself a favor, make sure the well driller you choose is as good as Bob.  Better yet, hire Bob.  I rate him an 11.  He gets a bonus point for working with me on the phone and coming out when I had a problem (on his dime).

Affordable Septic & Excavation - Bob & Dianne Miller - 508-865-1050

Bob and Dianne were also an absolute joy to work with.  They know what they are doing.  They get the job done on time and on budget.  Bob and I worked together on a weekend to clear my land.  We cut the trees into lengths that Bob and Dianne will later use to build the timber frame home of their dreams.  The remainder went to Bob’s Mom for firewood.  Watching the heavy equipment was one of the best parts for my boys.  Bob even took them for a ride to the sand pit in his 10 wheel dump truck.  That made their summer.  Bob and Dianne rate a 10 in my book any day.

Granite Countertops - The Stone Cobblers -

http://www.thestonecobblers.com/

The Stone Cobblers (TSC) did a nice job on our countertops. They weren’t happy, but they were accommodating when our cabinets were not level and needed to be adjusted.  They were WAY OFF level from the factory.  Avalon did send someone to do this work (leveling the cabinets).  Once they were leveled, TSC returned and installed the granite.  I’ve never had granite countertops before so I have nothing to compare with.  However, the countertops look great.  I have no complaints about the quality of their work.  I have one very minor gripe… the kitchen sink.  We purchased the sink from TSC to avoid having any issues with the sink cutout.  We picked out the sink when we signed the contract.  I would have appreciated discussing a larger sink – perhaps after they came to template.  We obviously have a 36” sink base cabinet.  The sink we have is only 20”.  In the showroom the sink looked fine.  However, given the size of our kitchen, the sink looks too small.  Changing it now would be a major pain (and perhaps expense).  I rate them an 8.5.

Siding, Window Installation, and Gutters - MTS Siding and Roofing - Matt Sicard - 774-535-1307

Matt did a nice job on the siding.  There was a little grumbling when the project took longer than expected, but it all worked out in the end.  I rate them a 9.

* Electrical - Alfonso Electrical Services -

http://www.alfonsoelectrical.com/

Alfonso was hired by Avalon.  They do acceptable work at standard rates.  I did find myself in the middle of a disagreement between the owners of Avalon and Alfonso regarding another job.  The owner of Alfonso actually called the Town of Douglas and reported that I had unauthorized work being performed under her permit because I was personally hanging ceiling fans rather than paying them $100 each to do it.  We have 10 ceiling fans and we were running short on cash.  I was not aware that this was a problem.  She never mentioned it to me and went directly to the building inspector.  I was not happy at all when all work had to cease because of her petty complaint.  It never should have involved me.  I was able to pull my own electrical permit that day and continue work.  For her unprofessional manner, I rate Alfonso a 6.   

* Plumbing - Steve Hogan - 716-777-6763

Steve was hired by Avalon.  I called him the invisible plumber (a good thing).  I’d be away for a day and come back to see an amazing amount of plumbing work done.  Steve is a great guy.  He worked with me to get my “unique” plumbing job done.  Now he can say he works with geothermal.  I rate Steve a 10.

Hot Water – I have a complete story on this website about our hot water because it is typically responsible for 20% of home energy use.  Here is what we have installed…

GSHP desuperheater with 50 gallon storage tank coupled to an 80 gallon solar hot water tank heated with evacuated tubes from Silicon Solar (http://www.siliconsolar.com).  Final temperature is regulated by a 94% efficient Noritz on demand propane hot water heater - http://www.noritz.com

Carpentry, Drywall, Painting - PRO Painting - Chris Lavoie - 508-835-4946 / 774-535-1564

Chris was my jack-of-all-trades.  He did a majority of the carpentry work.  He built the fireplace surround from a picture.  He did the columns in the great room.  He did the base moldings.  He built the windows casements.  He completed the drywall, and did all the painting.  He even did the railings on our staircase (he had never done them before).  We built the deck together.  We completed the bonus rooms together.  There was a bit of a learning curve on the staircase, but other than that his work was top notch.  His attention to detail with the finish carpentry was better than I ever would have expected from a “painter.”  His prices were very reasonable.  I have only two gripes… near the end of the job we changed from flat rate to hourly.  It was my impression that work slowed after this change.  At the end of the job there were some disagreements about who owned what.  We had both purchased new tools and materials over the months and it got a messy at the end.  I will rate him an 8.

Carpentry - Russ Collette - 508-864-3408

Russ was one of the first carpenters onsite.  He built the temporary front stairs and the stairs to the basement.  His work was completed quickly and he did a nice job.  My only regret is that I did not have him back to do more work.  I give Russ a 10.

Spray Foam installed by Think Green, LLC. –

http://www.thinkgreenfoam.com

I found Think Green through the foam distributor (Freedom Foam).  I could not have asked for a better spray foam insulation contractor.  Art Martin and team are highly trained and well versed on the different types and densities of insulating foams available.  They were very conscientious about their work and were determined to get the job done right – the first time.  After the blower door testing, we did find an area of air leakage behind the HVAC equipment.  I called Art.  He apologized and sent the team back out on the next available day – without an issue or gripe.  I rate them a 10.

Spray Foam Insulation - Freedom Foam –

http://www.freedomfoam.com

I contacted several spray foam manufacturers and distributors for this project.  A few expressed interest in my project, but only Freedom Foam stepped up.  They gave me a small discount and directed me to their installation contractor.  We used their closed cell spray foam product to complete the non-SIP areas.  I have no complaints, and would recommend their product to anyone insulating a new home or retrofitting an older home.  I give the product a 10.  

Paving - Sutton Paving - 508-476-3937

Sutton Paving gave us the best price for paving (out of 6 quotes).  We were at a point in construction that we had no money left, so a low quote was good.  We also had to “pave” the driveway with something in order for the bank to consider the project complete.  We opted to use recycled asphalt in order to keep costs low and keep things green.  While this all sounded good, the driveway is not much different than using pea stones.  It is certainly not smooth enough for our kids to use their skateboards or scooters on.  It did however, compact enough that a fully loaded propane truck can drive on it without leaving a dent.  I suppose there was a bit of a miscommunication.  I was expecting a regular “paved” driveway utilizing recycled asphalt.  In any case, we can always put a topcoat over this in the future should we deem it necessary and have the money available to do so.  Right now it is 100% out of the question.  I rate Sutton Paving a 9.

Energy Efficient Products - Energy Federation Inc. -

http://www.efi.org/

EFI supplied all of our compact fluorescent lights through the Energy Star Homes program.  I was able to open an account and purchase foam, and other various energy saving things, directly from them (at prices better than Home Depot).  Since they have a warehouse in Massachusetts, most of my orders arrived via UPS the very next day.  I highly recommend this company.  I rate them a 10.

Other Necessities:

Financing - Salem Five - http://www.salemfive.com/

LEED Certification - Steven Winter Associates, Inc. - http://www.swinter.com/

Energy Star Certification - GDS Associates - http://www.gdsassociates.com/

Builder's Risk Insurance - Flagship Insurance - Bruce A Kestenbaum - http://www.flagshipins.com

Home Owner's Insurance - State Farm Insurance - http://www.statefarm.com/

Legal - SKM Title & Closing Services - http://www.weclosetheloan.com/

Site Engineering / Septic Design - Guerriere & Halnon - http://www.guerriereandhalnon.com/

Dumpster / Disposal Service - YES Disposal - http://www.yesdisposal.com/

Porta-Potti - Alm & Son - http://www.almandson.com/

Honorable Mention:

JEP Contracting - Patrick Perkins -

http://www.jepcontracting.com/

Patrick built my in-law's house less than 300 feet from ours. Patrick took the time to understand what my in-laws wanted, and built their house exactly as they envisioned it. While Patrick didn't receive a penny from us, he was always generous with his time by allowing Melissa and I to bounce ideas off of him. While I can't vouch for his "green" building, I can vouch for his skill as a custom builder who knows how to make customer's very happy. Perhaps I can win him over on green building when my low energy bills start arriving.

* Hired By Avalon (General Contractor)