The BEST Questions to Ask your builder BEFORE you sign up…
Choosing the right Builder for your project is paramount to a successful project, and we know that choosing the right Builder can be quite an arduous task. There are a lot of factors to consider before making this selection and many times it can get a bit overwhelming. Different Builders will have different experiences, fee structures, in-house staff, preferred project costs and locations….not to mention personalities. We believe that in order to achieve a successful project it’s absolutely imperative to find that right builder that responds to your budget, location, professional ability and experience. Most important of course is finding an honest and professional builder that has a track record of successfully executing on a set of plans…and has consistently generated happy and satisfied clients. You should be able to communicate easily with your Builder and be updated clearly on the progress of the project. You will be “married” to this builder for the next 12 months to 15 months (if not more) and in reality this Builder should be available for many years after to answer questions about your house. It’s important that you enjoy the building process… after all, building a house should be fun and exciting and you don’t get to do that very often.
Below is a list of questions you can consider asking a potential Builder in order to determine which one may be the right one for you. This is a pretty extensive list and I don’t know if you need to ask all the questions, but I would certainly review the list and see which ones are particular important to you. Enjoy 🙂
- How big is your firm? How many people do you employ and who will be my main point of contact?
- How long have you been in business? How many more years do you plan to be in business?
- Where do you build most of your homes? Is this a good location for you?
- What is your typical cost/sf? What is the typical caliber ($$) of home you build?( I.e. does my house fall into your primary “niche” of home?)
- How many times will you be at the house during the week? Will there be a full time Superintendent at the house?
- If there is a superintendent, can I meet him/her? How many years of experience does he/she have? Who will update me on periodic progress?
- Will you hire a 3rd party inspection service?
- Ask for a list of References!!!!! Talk with the last 3 or 4 people that the builder has built a house for and also a few where the homeowners have been in the house for over 3 years to see how the quality held up and how well the Builder dealt with call-backs.
- Have you ever gone through bankruptcy?! Have you been sued? Why?
- How long do you warrant the house for? 2 years? 5 years? 10 years?What is your typical Warranty?
- How do you work with interior designers? Do you have one on Staff? How well do you work with independent Design consultants?
- How many other homes will you be working on while building my home? How many homes do you build a year?
- Do you have a home that is similar to yours and can you see it?
- How do you handle Change orders?
- How long do your typical Construction projects take?
- How do you charge? What is the total fee that I will pay you, including your line item for superintendent? (if applicable). Do you do a Fixed-fee or Cost-plus Contract?
- Do you have an “open book” policy with invoices?
- How often do you go “over” the estimated Bid? How many times do you go “over” the estimated construction time period?
- What kind of contract do you use?
- What kind of Construction Management software do you use?
- Would you supply us with a list of your trades as references?