Questions to Prepare for a Custom Home Builder

Building a custom home has become increasingly popular with a difficult housing market and more particular buyers. Instead of searching forever to find a home that fits your style and budget, why not have a brand new one built to match your custom requests? There’s no shortage of custom home builders to choose from either! Bring these questions along when you’re talking to a potential custom home builder for your dream home.

Can I See Your Portfolio?

Finding a builder that’s compatible with your style is critical. Ask to see their portfolio of completed homes. An experienced builder should have plenty of photos, videos, and maybe even some model homes for you to walk through. This is a great opportunity to point out things you like and dislike about past builds too!

How Much Experience Do You Have?

Everyone has to start somewhere but hiring an inexperienced builder for your custom home isn’t a good idea. Find someone with the experience needed to handle your custom requests and unexpected issues that could arise during the building process. An experienced builder will be able to explain each step of the process along the way too, keeping your mind at ease.

Can You Help Find a Building Site?

If you don’t have a building site for your home yet, ask the builder if they can help find one. If you already have a building site, ask if they can come inspect it to determine the best location to build the house on the lot.

Do You Have a Warranty?

Any reputable home builder will offer a warranty to protect you for a period of time after the build is complete. That way if something breaks right after you move in, you’re not the one financially responsible. If someone refuses to put a warranty on their work, it’s a sign their work probably isn’t very good.

Are You and Your Contractors Licensed and Insured?

Never hire a builder that isn’t licensed and insured in your state. Ask if they outsource any contractors for the building process. If so, are those contractors licensed and insured too?

Can I Have References?

A good portfolio is one thing, but good references are even more important. References will give you some insight on what it’s like to work with the contractor. Are they professional? Did they stick to the building schedule? Were their custom requests met? A custom builder should have no issue supplying you with references to past clients.

If you’re interested in learning more about building the custom home of your dreams, contact Driscoll Contracting today! Our team would be happy to answer all of these questions and any others you might have.