Finding Your Perfect Builder

To select a builder, begin by thinking about yourself. What operational style will suit you best for this new home? Can an existing plan satisfy your new home needs and desires? Do you make up your mind and that’s it, or will you reconsider and make adjustments throughout the process?

How much construction knowledge do you have? Are you interested in learning more? Do you have the time and interest to involve yourself in the day-to-day decisions about your home? How quickly do you want or need to move?

Each company’s business style is shaped by the philosophies, personalities, and goals of the people associated with it. Their systems and procedures are designed around them. Believing you can change all that can result in frustration, conflict and dissatisfaction.

Production Builders
Production builders organize their companies for high volume construction. They offer a collection of floor plans, each with a choice of two or more exterior designs for elevations. Buyers personalize the chosen floor plan by selecting from a set menu of floor coverings, tile, countertops, light fixtures, cabinets and exterior finishes.
Adding features from a set list of popular options can further personalize the home. Altering the structural elements — those components that support the weight of the home, such as the foundation walls — requires re-engineering and re-submission of plans to the building department. These expensive and time-consuming steps disrupt the momentum of high-volume construction. Consequently, production builders permit few structural changes.
Custom Builders
Custom builders specialize in starting with a blank sheet of paper and creating a unique home. They tend to be small companies and design their operations around the customer’s active involvement throughout the building process. Their systems and personnel are organized to build on isolated, scattered sites.
Expect a significant initial investment in time and dollars for design development. Meetings can take many hours, followed by more meetings that take more hours. Because alterations are possible throughout the process and choices are virtually unlimited, costs can rise dramatically unless the buyer has the self-discipline to stick to the intended budget. Pricing economies are lost and custom-built homes typically take the longest to complete.
Semi-Custom Builders
Semi-custom builders combine the characteristics of both production and custom builders. They work with preexisting plans and are flexible regarding changes, including those that require engineering and building department approval. Revising existing plans is normally faster and less costly than creating a new set of blueprints, yet this option still provides an opportunity for extensive changes.
You lose the economies of large-volume work and the resulting prices. Semi-custom builders are more open to plan changes than production builders before construction begins but less willing than custom builders to accept changes once construction is under way.
Labels Do Not Equal Quality
Whether a home is categorized as production, semi-custom or custom neither indicates nor guarantees its quality. Avoid getting tangled in misplaced perceptions about the prestige attached to labels. Look for a builder who can meet your needs at the level of quality you find appealing. What is the builder noted for? What is the hallmark of the organization?
This research takes time, but nothing outweighs selecting the right builder. Everyone will offer advice on finding the right builder. Keep in mind that your ideal builder is not necessarily the same one your parents or best friend would select. Consider everyone’s input, but remember that ultimately this choice and the resulting home are yours.
Step One: Who’s Available?
Begin your search by discovering who is building in the area where you want to live. Start with a preliminary list of candidates from a variety of sources and focus on builders with experience in your style and price range.
  • Professional Organizations and Licensing Boards. Local chapters of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) can provide a list of member companies. Learn about licensing requirements; not all areas require builder licensing, and those that do vary widely in their requirements.
  • Advertising. Newspaper, radio, and even television advertising provide an obvious source of builder information. You can quickly scan information about prices, locations, product styles and sizes to identify potential candidates.
  • Word of Mouth. Talk to friends, relatives, and the folks at work. Ask people who have recently built homes about their builder. Veteran customers are good sources of information on construction quality and customer treatment.
  • Real Estate Agents. Real estate agents familiar with new home construction locally can provide builder names and insights into quality and customer satisfaction. Be certain the agent you speak to is familiar with new construction in your target area.
  • Exploring on Your Own. Drive around. As simple as this idea sounds, it offers the added advantage of helping you become familiar with communities and homes in progress. Note the names of builders whose work you find appealing.
Step Two: Checking Out the Builders
While compiling your list, you saw the offerings of a number of builders and probably eliminated some of them based on size, design, or price. Now you can take a closer look at remaining candidates.
  • Look at Their Homes. Look closely at each builder’s finished work and work in progress. Notice the quality of site management. Are the homes and materials reasonably protected from weather, traffic damage and theft? Take note of personnel you encounter. What are their attitudes toward you, each other, and the product they are creating?
  • Meet the Builder. When you visit the builder’s office or the sales office, do you feel comfortable? Ask to meet the person who would be in charge of building your home. Ask about turnover. Excessive changes in staff and trade contractors create opportunities for missed details. How well does this company listen? Are the builder’s suggestions and comments helpful and relevant? Are your questions answered clearly and completely?
  • Ask for an Overview. Many builders today provide an owners manual that guides buyers through the process and serves as a reference after move-in. Are there routine points when you are invited to tour your home and have the company’s undivided attention to discuss questions? What is the policy on change orders? How does the company determine a delivery date? Builders who promise a firm date too early often disappoint their buyers but every builder should have a system for updating you on the targeted delivery date.
  • Read Documents. Ask to see the contract documents and warranty. Pay close attention to sample specifications and written warranty standards. Consider whether the builder’s chosen materials and methods appeal to you. Note the amount of detail provided; details demonstrate how precise the builder is in communicating.
  • Check References. Learn about how the company treats its homeowners after closing by talking to the customers themselves. Call some of the builder’s previous buyers or drive through an area where the builder has been working. Few builders will send you to the customer they failed to satisfy, but random conversations may identify one. A single negative incident may result from an honest misunderstanding or a personality conflict. However, if you hear again and again about quality that disappoints expectations and lack of follow-through on items or slow warranty service, your search for the right builder is not yet over.
  • Understand Consumer Protection Entities. State and local consumer protection agencies and the Better Business Bureau can report only what’s on record. If you hear that numerous complaints are on file, exercise caution.

Many factors must come together for you to feel comfortable with your builder. Throughout your explorations and conversations, visits and revisits, you no doubt heard the same names again and again. Comparing details, you keep coming back to the same builder. Phone calls are returned promptly; questions are answered completely; information is forthright and clear. Suggestions about the home you want make sense; the chemistry feels right. The price range is in line with your budget and the school district appeals to your children.

Your hard work has paid off — You have found your builder!

Top of page