Exeter.

Exeter sits at the foothill edge of Tulare County and is the last town before the ground starts to rise toward the Sierra. That matters for construction: sloped lots, varied drainage and older homes that were built to the site rather than to a tract plan.

Concrete, hardscape and outdoor living make up a larger share of JSC work in Exeter than they do out on the valley floor, because the lots here reward it. So do foundations and drainage details that a flat lot never has to think about.

Exeter permits through the City of Exeter. Anything involving grade, retaining or drainage on a foothill lot needs establishing at design stage, because it drives cost far more than the finishes do.