From Paws to Porches: Why Pet Owners Love Our Home Plans

We use tough, easy-to-clean luxury vinyl plank (LVP) flooring in the main living areas, laundry room, and bathrooms — the high-traffic rooms that take the most abuse from claws, zoomies, and the occasional spilled water bowl. It holds up to accidents and spills a lot better than carpet, and it makes day-to-day cleanup faster when you’ve got a shedding dog or muddy paws coming in from outside.

Most of our plans tuck a back door into laundry or mudroom-style spaces, creating natural landing zones for wet or muddy paws, and a smart spot to add a pet door down the road. Several of our plans also include pocket doors instead of swinging ones. This feature enables homeowners to close off a private space when your pet needs crate time, a quiet spot during a thunderstorm, or whatever the moment calls for, without a door swinging into your walkway and eating up floor space.

If you’ve got a dog, you know how fast the pile by the back door grows. Many of our plans include a built-in drop zone so everything you need for a walk or bath lives in one spot, instead of scattered across three rooms:

• Leashes
• Towels
• Treats
• Poop bags

Our homes are typically built on generous lots, and whenever possible, we think carefully about where the home is positioned to create an ideal, fenceable yard, rather than taking up more of the lot than necessary. That means when you and your pet are ready to add a fence with room to run, you’re not fighting setbacks or working around a home that was dropped in the middle of the property without much thought.

Our window placement gives dogs and cats a clear view outside — and a lot of these spots are perfect for adding a bench or perch where your pet can post up, soak up the rays and watch the world go by. If you’ve ever had a dog lose its mind over the mail carrier, you know exactly why this matters.

Open sight lines between public living spaces mean your pet, not to mention your guests, can see you from more places in the house. So whether you’re cooking, working, or just relaxing, nobody’s stuck in another room wondering where you went. Less separation anxiety for the dog, less awkward shouting through the house for everyone else.

Smart spigot placement is something we think through early — where you’ll actually use water around the house, not just where it’s easiest to run the line. One of our outdoor spigots sits at the back corner of the home, on the same side as the driveway and right along the path to the laundry room door. That means muddy paws get rinsed off on the gravel before pets step inside, great for active pups who treat every walk like an off-road adventure. And it’s not a bad setup for watering the flower beds!

A dog wash station — sometimes called a dog bath — built into an expanded laundry room or garage gives you a dedicated spot for bathing, grooming, and rinsing off after a muddy walk. It keeps all that mess and hair out of your main bathroom and out of your living areas altogether.

Homes with dog wash stations are becoming one of the most requested upgrades we see, and it’s easy to understand why — once you’ve bathed a 70-pound lab in a regular tub (and felt the back pain the next day) you don’t want to do it again!

For pet owners looking to extend the spa experience a step further can add a warm-water outdoor spigot. Rinsing off muddy paws — or giving your dog a full bath outside — is more comfortable for everyone with tempered water, especially during the cooler months.

Adding a pet door off the back entry gives your dog more independence for everyday routines — early morning bathroom breaks, late-night outings, and all the moments you’d rather be supervising them from the comfort of your bed.

For cat owners, a dedicated nook in the laundry room for the litter box and supplies keeps everything organized and out of sight, while remaining easy to access and clean. It’s a small addition that makes a noticeable difference in how the room feels, and smells, day to day.

When you customize your cabinetry, you can opt for a dedicated feeding station with food and water bowls. It’s a simple way to keep bowls out of the walking path, cut down on clutter, and make feeding time feel like it actually belongs in the room — instead of two bowls shoved in a corner.

A lot of pet owners choose to extend the same LVP flooring from the main living areas into the bedrooms. It’s one of the most common upgrades we see from families with dogs and cats — simpler cleanup, fewer odors, and a seamless look from room to room, instead of switching between flooring types at every doorway.