16 Questions to Ask a Home Builder Before Hiring
Don’t let building your dream home become a nightmare
Highlights
Find out as much as you can about a custom home builder to help your project go smoothly.
Ask detailed questions about experience, your home, and the building process.
Learn what to expect if problems arise during or after the build.
Building a home is a major investment of time and money, so you want to make sure you’re hiring the right person for the job. Knowing what questions to ask a custom home builder can help you make the right decision, and ensure you start the building process with as much information as possible. Use these questions to ask when building a home to help make your dream home a reality.
1. How Many Years of Experience Do You Have?
When choosing who to hire to build your house, experience matters. Knowing how much experience your builder has, as well as how long their company has been in business, can help assure you that your builder has the skills and reliability you’re looking for. A builder who’s been in business for a long time has a proven history with local homeowners.
2. What Sets You Apart From Other Builders?
This is your opportunity to find out what a builder can offer that’s different from what their competitors provide. Builders can let you know the details they’re most proud of, what they can do to make the process easier on you, and what benefits they offer that you won’t find anywhere else.
3. How Many Homes of This Style Have You Built?
Overall experience is important, but so is hands-on knowledge of the type of home you’re looking to build. A builder who has built dozens of homes in your preferred style will know the ins and outs of that type of home, as well as common problems and how to solve them. You don’t want your dream home to be a learning experience for your builder.
4. Can You Provide References or Reviews From Past Clients?
Happy homeowners are a great sign of a builder you’ll want to work with. Builders should be able to provide not only a portfolio of past work, but testimonials from clients. Look for reviews that include what’s important to you, from budget to timeline to work ethic and customer service.
5. Are You Licensed, Certified, and Insured?
This may seem like a no-brainer, but it’s important to verify that your builder has all of the relevant licenses, certifications, and insurance needed to protect your investment as it’s being built. Proper licensing will help ensure your home is built to code, the necessary building permits are pulled, and that you’re protected if anything happens during the building process.
6. Do You Use Subcontractors?
Most builders use subcontractors to complete various parts of the project, while some builders employ the necessary tradespeople within their company. If your builder subcontracts out, find out if they tend to use the same subcontractors, and how many jobs they’ve completed with them. Subcontracting is a very common practice, but it’s a good idea to have as much information as possible on who’ll be working on your home.
7. How Much Customization is Available?
There’s a wide variety of how “custom” a custom home can be. Some builders work from a strict set of plans and limit what can be changed, while others offer more options for what can be changed. From choosing building materials to upgrading fixtures to rearranging floor plans, it’s good to know how much flexibility you’ll be allowed.
8. What Will Our Timeline Look Like?
One of the most stressful parts of building a new home is not knowing how long building your house will take. Ask your builder to provide a clear timeline for the project, and be sure to ask how many of their jobs are completed within the original time estimate.
9. How Will You Handle Delays?
Delays while building a home are all but inevitable, so find out how your builder will handle them. Ask what sorts of things tend to affect the timeline and if they have a plan in place to handle them. A builder who doesn’t plan for eventual delays may not be giving you realistic expectations about the progress of the project.
10. When is the Latest I Can Ask for Changes?
The home-building process is filled with a million little decisions, and there are times when you might want to change your mind. Get a firm deadline from your builder for when you can ask for changes so that everyone involved is clear on what can be changed and when. Having a firm stop date for changes can prevent disappointment and frustration on your end.
11. Who Will Be In Charge of the Job Site, and How Do I Communicate With Them?
It’s important to know your point of contact at the job site and how to get in touch with them. Some builders will have you communicate directly with the construction manager or superintendent, while others will relay your messages from the office to the staff on the job site. Make sure you’re clear about who to contact when you have questions.
12. What Access Will I Have to the Job Site?
Finding out if your home will be an open or closed job site may help you decide on the right builder for the project. Homeowners who prefer to be involved frequently throughout the process will want to be sure they’ll have that level of access, whereas it may be less important to a homeowner who doesn’t want to be particularly hands-on.
13. What Is Your Inspection Process?
Inspections are a key part of building a home, not only once the project is finished, but for quality control throughout the process. Ask your builder what protocols are in place for quality assurance and what the final inspection will consist of. In addition, find out what the process is if something is discovered during the inspection that needs to be remedied.
14. When Will I Know the Final Price of My Home?
There are so many factors that go into how much it will cost to build a house. Your initial estimate is just that—an estimate. Be clear about when you’ll know the actual costs and how they’ll be communicated to you, as well as how and when the builder will let you know if the project is going over budget.
15. What Type of Warranty Do You Offer?
Your home is one of the biggest investments you’ll ever make, and you want to be sure your investment is protected. A warranty is an assurance that the builder stands behind their work. Get the details about what the warranty includes, what the time frame is, and any exclusions or exceptions to the warranty so you don’t have any surprises down the road.
16. How Do You Address Post-Build Problems?
It’s not unheard of for problems to crop up after your home has been built. Find out from the beginning how those problems will be handled, what the process is to communicate them to the builder, and what the timeline for a fix will look like.
Once You’ve Decided to Hire a Pro
After asking prospective builders these questions, you’re ready to hire a custom home builder near you. Be sure to stay diligent and communicate with your builder throughout the entire process, from signing the contract through the build itself. Knowing exactly what to expect from the professionals you’ve hired will help make the process easier and less stressful so you can enjoy every moment in your new dream home!