How did the supply chain crisis impact the building process at Ceci Bates?

The crisis prompted Ceci Bates to overhaul our procurement and pre-construction processes, securing materials early and leading to more efficient and complex builds.

What permanent changes did Ceci Bates make during the supply chain disruptions?

We implemented early material selection and purchase, issuing orders at contract signing and securing 70% of materials before construction begins.

Why does Ceci Bates continue these new processes post-crisis?

The new processes have significantly improved build efficiency and quality, showing that early, thorough planning enhances project outcomes.

Notes From Our Journey

From twenty-six years of building custom homes on Lake Texoma, here we share about our process and what we've learned about design, materials, engineering, and the decisions that shape a home built to last for generations — the questions clients ask us most often, and the answers we give around the table in our design center.

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Permanent Lessons from a Temporary Disruption: Building Better Homes with Ceci Bates

Permanent Lessons from a Temporary Disruption: Building Better Homes with Ceci Bates

Ceci Bates

June 16, 2026

The supply chain crisis of recent years forced nearly every builder to find ways to operate differently. Materials that had once been readily available became nearly impossible to source on short notice, resulting in long delays. Prices were unpredictable, often climbing without warning. Builders who could not adapt to these conditions struggled. Some closed their operations entirely.

At Ceci Bates, this period catalyzed a thorough reevaluation of our approach to procurement and pre-construction. The team restructured these processes from the ground up. Unlike industry norms, materials for our homes are no longer chosen as construction proceeds. Instead, selection and purchase occur at the project’s outset. The moment a contract is finalized, detailed purchase orders are deployed — securing approximately seventy percent of necessary materials before construction begins.

Even as the supply chain crisis began to ease, the changes we implemented proved too beneficial to abandon. Our approach now emphasizes a deeply rigorous start. By front-loading the effort — committing to early decisions, securing materials, and establishing clear paths for construction — we have managed to build more complex homes more quickly than during previous simpler projects. The improved speed stems not from cutting corners but from ensuring that most of the work is planned out well before we’re on site.

This transformation affirms that challenges can lead to lasting advancements. At Ceci Bates, we have retained these evolved practices because they offer significant improvements in efficiency and quality that go beyond temporary crises.

Some of the best methods for building a home come from difficult periods and remain effective long after the reasons for them have been resolved. We welcome you to explore how Ceci Bates continues to refine and enhance the home building process at cecibates.com.

It is where our tradition of quality meets the realities of today.

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