Updated August 2026
Quick answer: Structural options change the bones of the house. Walls, plumbing lines, ceilings, doors, floor outlets, and anything that affects the building permit. You pick those first, and the deadline is hard. Design center options are the finishes. Flooring, cabinets, countertops, appliances, and fixtures. Those get picked later, at the Fulton Homes design center in Tempe.
The conversation that started this
I sat in on a structural appointment last month with a couple flying in from the Pacific Northwest. Two hours in, they’d built a wish list worth about $53,000. Tray ceilings, a spa shower, a mini split in the garage, two floor outlets, a linear fireplace.
Then the husband stopped and asked the question nobody had answered for him. He didn’t know what came standard and what didn’t. So he had no idea how much more money the house was going to eat before it was done. He said if he couldn’t get the number laid out, they’d stay in Washington.
That’s not a difficult buyer. That’s a buyer nobody explained the process to.
I’m Ryan Meeks, a Realtor with Compass in Gilbert, and this comes up on almost every new construction call I take.
What counts as a structural option?
A structural option is anything that changes the physical build. If a framer, plumber, or electrician has to do something different because of your choice, it’s structural. Structural options get added to your contract price before the home goes into production, because they change what the city permits.
From the appointment I sat in on, the structural list included things like:
- Tray ceilings in the great room, hallways, and primary bedroom
- A spa shower with a rain head, which needs extra plumbing
- Floor outlets in the great room, which have to be set before the concrete slab is poured
- An insulated garage plus a mini split AC unit
- A pre-plumb for a laundry room sink
- A gas stub for a future barbecue
- An extra gate in the block wall
- A linear fireplace
Notice the pattern. Every one of those touches framing, plumbing, electrical, or the slab.
What gets decided at the Fulton Homes design center?
Design center options are the finishes and the visible stuff. Fulton Homes runs a 13,000 square foot design center at 1241 West Warner Road in Tempe, which the builder calls the largest design center in Arizona.
That’s where you pick flooring, tile, cabinets, countertops, cabinet hardware, paint, light fixtures, ceiling fans, appliances, and window coverings. It’s also where recessed can lights get added, which surprises a lot of buyers, because lighting feels structural and isn’t.
Here’s the split in plain terms.
| Decision | Structural or design center | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Floor outlet in the great room | Structural | Conduit goes in before the slab is poured |
| Cabinet color and door style | Design center | Cosmetic, no permit change |
| Laundry sink plumbing stub | Structural | It’s a water line |
| The laundry sink and cabinet itself | Design center | It’s a fixture, installed later |
| Tray ceiling | Structural | It changes the framing |
| Crown molding and LED strip inside that tray | Design center | It’s trim and lighting |
| Recessed can lights | Design center | Wiring runs after framing |
| Gas line stub for a barbecue | Structural | It’s a gas run with setback rules |
Why does the structural deadline come first?
Because the builder can’t pull a permit or start your house until the plan is final. Builders across the industry treat it the same way. Structural options change the footprint, framing, or roofline, so they have to be locked before the home is released for construction. Design selections can wait a few weeks because they don’t change the plan.
That’s why the pressure feels lopsided. You’re being asked to commit tens of thousands of dollars on the structural side while you still have almost no idea what the design center will cost. The couple I sat with had a firm structural deadline and a design center appointment that hadn’t even been scheduled.
What happens if you run out of money before the design center?
You cut design center items, not structural ones. That’s the whole point of the order.
The builder’s rep in that appointment made a smart point about the laundry sink. Get the plumbing stub as a structural option. If your budget is gone by the time you reach the design center, skip the builder’s sink and cabinet and buy a stainless utility sink yourself later. The expensive part, the plumbing in the wall, is already there.
That logic works across the board. Pay the builder for the things buried in walls, slabs, and framing. Handle the surface stuff later if you have to.
How much should you budget for upgrades on a new build in Arizona?
Plan on 10% to 20% of the base price, and know that some buyers land higher. That’s the range you’ll see quoted across the new construction industry, and it matched what I watched happen in that appointment. Their base price sat in the high $500,000s. By the time structural, a lot premium, cabinets, and flooring were roughed in, they were near $700,000 and hadn’t picked a single tile.
So if you’re looking at a base price of $600,000 in Queen Creek or Gilbert, budget $60,000 to $120,000 on top of it. If that number makes you flinch, look at a smaller plan or a different community now, not after you’ve signed.
One more thing to plan for. Most new construction in the East Valley doesn’t include backyard landscaping, a pool, or window coverings. Those come out of your pocket after closing.
What should out-of-state buyers do differently?
Prep before you fly.
Fulton Homes puts more than 6,000 options online with pricing, so you can price your wish list from your kitchen table before your appointment. That’s unusual, and it’s worth using. Fulton also runs Browse Nights at the Tempe design center, historically the first and third Thursdays from 5 to 8 p.m. Confirm the current schedule with the builder before you plan a trip around it.
Two things I tell relocating clients every time:
- Price the model, not the base. Ask your sales rep what the model home you fell in love with would cost as built, minus landscaping. That’s your real ceiling.
- Build the list before the appointment. Every hour you spend deciding in the room is an hour you’re not spending comparing prices.
You can find more on new construction in the East Valley at EscapeToArizona.com.
FAQ
Can I change structural options after I sign?
Usually not, or not without a change order and a delay. Structural options affect the building permit, so once the home is released for construction the plan is locked. Ask your sales rep for your exact structural cutoff date in writing at contract, and put it on your calendar.
Are recessed can lights structural or design center at Fulton Homes?
Design center. In the appointment I sat in on, cans were priced at the design center, not on the structural sheet. The buyers had planned on about 16 extra cans across the great room, primary bedroom, office, and retreat, and that count was easy to trim when budget got tight.
Is a lot premium negotiable on a Fulton Homes lot?
Lot premiums are generally set by the builder and rarely negotiated. The couple I worked with paid a $15,000 premium on a corner lot facing a park, with no neighbor behind or beside them. Whether that’s worth it depends on how long you plan to stay and what you value in a view.
What is a pre-plumb, and why does it matter?
A pre-plumb is a capped water or gas line the builder installs in the wall or slab for a fixture you might add later. It’s cheap during the build and expensive after, because someone has to open a wall or cut concrete. Laundry sinks, water softeners, and future barbecues are common pre-plumbs.
Do I need a Realtor if I’m buying directly from Fulton Homes?
You can register your own agent, and it costs you nothing extra. The sales rep in the office works for the builder. Having someone in the room whose job is to translate the process and slow down the pace is the entire reason I sat through that two-hour appointment.
Where is the Fulton Homes design center?
It’s at 1241 West Warner Road in Tempe, just east of the I-10. Fulton describes it as a 13,000 square foot facility and the largest design center in Arizona.
What does Fulton Homes build in the East Valley?
Fulton Homes builds across the Phoenix metro, including Gilbert, Chandler, Queen Creek, and Mesa. Barney Farms in Queen Creek is one of their larger recent projects, a 550-acre master planned community the builder announced with $85 million in planned improvements.
About the author
Ryan Meeks is a licensed Arizona Realtor with Compass, license #SA685504000, based in Gilbert, Arizona. He handles buyer representation and relocation across Gilbert, Chandler, Queen Creek, Mesa, and Paradise Valley. Ryan moved to Arizona from the Chicago suburbs about eight years ago and works with out-of-state buyers every week.
Call or text 480-612-2219, email ryan@ryanmeeks.com, or visit EscapeToArizona.com.
Sources
- Fulton Homes, Decision Guide and Pocket Guide (design center size, location, Browse Nights, Design Online option count): fultonhomes.com
- Perry Homes, “Customization Options: Structural vs. Design Changes,” July 2026
- K. Hovnanian Homes, “A Guide to the New Home Construction Process”
- NewHomeSource, “8 Tips for Selecting Options and Upgrades from Your Builder,” October 2024
- Opendoor, “Which new build upgrades add the most value,” February 2026
- BuilderOnline, “Fulton Homes Breaks Ground on Phoenix-Area Community”