Are you afraid you’ll choose the wrong builder for your home build and the process will go badly? I get it! Your builder can make or break your entire home build experience. The key to choosing a great builder is to ask potential home builders these 8 CRUCIAL questions!
By asking each builder the SAME 8 questions, you’ll get a gut feeling about which builder is the right fit for YOU. Plus, there’s a bonus ‘question’ that is actually the most important of all.
First, you need to create a list of potential local home builders that you would like to interview.
Start by asking local friends and family for builder recommendations.
If you don’t know anyone locally who has built a home and you need more ideas of where to start with your list, read ‘How to Choose a Custom Home Builder’.
INTERVIEW ALL POTENTIAL BUILDERS
Once you’ve created your list of potential builders, interview ALL of them. Ask the same questions to each builder and write down all answers for later reference.
Just by meeting with each builder, you’ll get a good sense of how you feel about them and how you think it would be to work with them.
Keep in mind that a good builder will be patient and take the time to answer all of your questions as thoroughly as possible. He/she won’t try to rush you or make you feel silly for asking questions.
8 CRUCIAL QUESTIONS TO ASK POTENTIAL HOME BUILDERS
- How many of your homes come in over budget? What about under budget?
- How many of your builds finish on time?
- What is a realistic timeframe for the completion of my [custom/production] home?
- Do you offer options in floor plans? Do you build custom floor plans?
- How will you determine the final price of my home? What is included (and not included) in the quote?
- Are you licensed and insured?
- What is your follow-up policy? Do you come back for the first year and fix items?
- Do you offer a warranty program?
THE ‘BONUS’ (+ MOST ESSENTIAL) QUESTION TO ASK
Can you give me references from recent clients?
A reputable home builder will have a solid list of references who are happy with their completed homes and will highly recommend the builder.
Make sure to contact each and every reference to learn about their experience working with the builder as well as the quality of their completed home. Ask about the builders’ promptness and how he/she addressed any issues or problems.
IT’S TIME TO INTERVIEW BUILDERS!
To recap … create a list of potential builders, ask all them the same 8 CRITICAL questions, get a list of references, contact the references, and then it’s time to make a decision and choose a builder!
If you want to dive deeper into how to best prepare for your home build, grab my *FREE* ‘Custom Home Build Prep Guide’ that will give you the 5 crucial preparation steps to build your home with less stress, more confidence, and without going over budget. Yes, please!
You might also enjoy my *FREE* on-demand training: 3 Keys to Design Your Dream Home Within Budget (without sacrificing your must-haves… no matter how big or small your budget). CLICK HERE TO SAVE YOUR SEAT!
Thanks for listing some questions to ask a potential contractor for my custom home building project. Since my wife and I have planned to do it by September, we’re hoping to have it discussed with a professional. With that considered, I shall then begin with making a list of local home contractors for an interview and ask if they can provide a portfolio of their previous work to see if it matches our preference in a house.
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It’s good to know that reputable home builders won’t hesitate to give us a list of customers they’ve worked with in the past. I just learned that my brother and his wife want to look at lots for sale and start the process of having a custom home designed for their family. Your advice should help them evaluate and compare builders more effectively, so I’ll probably pass it along to them soon!
My friend is asking me for help to find custom home builders for her dream home and this article will definitely be a big help. It’ll be good to ask if they won’t go over budget since my friend’s money is limited. I’ll definitely ask that along with the other questions you mentioned as they should help us find the best builders for her needs. https://www.pearsonhomesinc.com/huntsville-area/