Building a Home: 6 Factors to Consider When Choosing the Right Builder

1. Pick your budget, location, and home style

Before you approach a builder, you need to have a pretty solid idea of what you want and need for your home, starting with a budget, location, and style. It seems like an easy decision to make but they’re all very crucial as these three relate to one another.

It also helps to have drawings and lists of what you want to include (or exclude). Builders are generally can assist you with pricing once they know exactly what’s wanted, but asking for a price without detailed information about the project sets you up for a lot of miscommunication problems later on.

2. Consider the scope of your project.

Not all building companies are identical, and while most can take on different kinds of projects, they do have their specialties, which you need to consider for your own project. For example, builders who specialize in luxury retail projects are highly-organized and produce quality work at speed, but this may be too much for a home project. On the other hand, there are small builders who are very hands-on but the level of service or speed may not compare. So you’ll want to look at the most appropriate balance of low price, high quality, and good organization. 

3. Don’t be afraid to ask questions.

When meeting with your builder, don’t hesitate to ask questions. Some questions you can take note of before your meeting:

• Are you licensed and insured?
• What is your warranty and service policy?
• What projects are you working on? How many?
• Does your style match what we’re looking for?
• Do you have enough time to take on a new project?
• What is your average turnaround time?

You can also ask them if they have a recently finished home you could tour or if one is being built that you could take a look at personally.

4. Look for reviews and testimonials.

Find out if there are any homeowners living in your potential builder’s homes and see if they would be willing to chat with you about what it was like working with them. You can also do quick searches online for any reviews or feedback.

5. Trust your builder to manage the project.

It’s the builder’s responsibility to make sure that the right people in the right numbers are on-site at the right times and everyone has the necessary supplies to do their work. You may have an architect or project manager to keep an eye on progress and look out for your interest, but it’s the builder who runs the project on a day-to-day basis. So look for a builder who is professional and trust them to do their job.

6. Be as specific as possible.

Beyond the drawings you already have, you need to make clear exactly what the builder is being asked to include in the price. If you want certain things for a part of the house, who will be supplying them? Unless all such things are clear, there’s potential for misunderstandings and arguments over costing once the work has started.