Congratulations on taking the first steps toward building or renovating your home! Whether you’ve already chosen a lot or are still in the design phase, we’re excited to assist you on this journey. Choosing the right custom homebuilder is crucial for a smooth and enjoyable experience. Here’s a guide to help you make this important decision:
- When to Choose Your Builder:
- It’s best to involve a builder early, either before or soon after engaging an architect.
- A good builder collaborates with architects, keeps plans on schedule, provides unique ideas, and offers valuable construction expertise.
- Beginning Your Search:
- Anyone can be a builder, so recommendations from friends and family are invaluable.
- Use online searches wisely, focusing on specific criteria and avoiding builders with negative reviews. Look for the specifics of their reviews. Check out our reviews for reference.
- Digging Deep in Your Research:
- Evaluate builders based on experience, portfolio diversity, team strength, quality, organizational ability, values, and industry recognition.
- Interview Your Top 2-3 Choices:
- Schedule face-to-face meetings and site visits to assess organizational effectiveness, team strength, communication style, construction quality, and job site practices.
- Questions to Consider During Interviews:
- Work collaboration with architects and designers.
- Experience building the desired style and quality.
- Estimating process, accuracy, and timeframes.
- Compensation for pre-construction services.
- Project team assignments and supervision.
- Addressing questions and concerns during construction.
- Qualification of subcontractors.
- Handling changes to design or unforeseen conditions.
- Anticipated construction timeline and schedule mitigation.
- Contract types (fixed-price or cost-plus).
- Preferred building materials and why.
- Servicing warranty issues after move-in.
- Sample contract, budget, schedule, and warranty.
- References from past and current clients.
- Contacting References:
- Ask past clients about their experience, strengths, project timelines, communication, budget, and subcontractor recommendations.
- Inquire about the builder’s response to warranty issues.
Remember, a well-informed decision at this stage ensures a successful partnership and a high-quality dream home. If you’re ready to build, contact us today!