Bringing Clarity and Speed to Custom Homebuilding with OnsiteIQ

Classic Cottages is a custom homebuilder specializing in infill development across urban Northern Virginia. Their vertically integrated structure includes real estate brokerage, architecture, design, construction, and warranty services, all managed in-house. They build around 25 homes a year on tight 5,000 sq ft lots, where homes often occupy nearly the entire footprint.

COO, Evan Muelenaer, has been with the company for over a decade, rising from quality control to operations lead, while Operations Manager, Aaron Goldberg, brings both construction and technical systems expertise to support field execution and help optimize their internal systems.

Growing Complexity, Limited Visibility

As Classic Cottages scaled from 5 homes a year to 25, their workflows became increasingly complex. Before OnsiteIQ, project visibility was fragmented:

1. Weekly photos from superintendents varied in quality and scope

2. Issues in the field often required physical site visits to investigate

3. Key decisions were delayed due to gaps in field data

 

Classic Cottages implemented OnsiteIQ to bring full-site, weekly 360° walkthroughs across their portfolio. Over time, the tool has become embedded in operations, sales, budgeting, architecture, quality control, and even vendor coordination.

For Evan and Aaron, the value is simple: speed + certainty

1. Making Client Decisions in Minutes, Not Days

Classic Cottages often sells homes while they’re still under construction, which means buyers’ questions arrive at unpredictable moments: Can we change finishes? Is this already installed? What did this look like in another home?

Instead of waiting on site visits or chasing updates, Evan can answer those questions immediately using
OnsiteIQ.

That speed directly impacts deal momentum.

 

2. Catching Small Issues Before They Become Big Rework

With OnsiteIQ, architects and internal teams can review full-site visuals as work progresses, flagging details before they’re buried behind drywall or finishes.

The historical record also serves as a reference library when teams change or experience levels vary.

 

3. Solving Problems Faster During Construction and in Warranty

When something goes wrong, speed matters. Classic uses OnsiteIQ’s historical walkthroughs to quickly understand what’s behind finished surfaces and determine the right fix without guesswork.

 

4. Turning OnsiteIQ into a Shared Workspace for the Extended Team

Because Classic Cottages invites trades, suppliers, stagers, and even investors onto the platform, not just internal staff, they reduce status-check emails, improve coordination, and enable smoother handoffs across every stage of the project.

OnsiteIQ has become more than just a documentation tool for Classic Cottages. It’s a time-saver, a deal-closer, a quality enabler, and a shared workspace for a complex, high-touch construction business.

By layering OnsiteIQ’s construction intelligence on top of their existing systems, Classic has created a scalable, repeatable way to work smarter without sacrificing their craftsmanship or customization.