General

Verify Insurance and Licensure
What is your availability to start my project?
How many projects do you typically have going on at once?
Who will be my main point of contact at your company? Will this change as time goes on?
Depending on your needs, ask some scope of services questions:
- Can you help me find a lot?
- Do you have an architect you work with?
- Do you have an interior designer on your team?

How do home loans work for my new build? see our CP Loans post
What contract type do you use? (Ie. cost plus or fixed price)
How do I know my money is safe with you? See our answer in our FAQ’s page
How long does construction take?
Can you provide a schedule? Note: this is generally provided later in the process prior to kickoff.
How does your budget vs actual typically look at the end of a project?
What costs per square foot can I expect? Note: Cost per SF varies wildly, this can be a conversation starter but that’s it.
How are change orders addressed? What is the fee and when are out of pocket expenses due?
How are overages in allowances handled?
How are overages in non-allowance items handled?
Do you assign a contingency amount to a project, if so what is your recommended amount?
Who pays for mistakes? Note: construction is an imperfect process, anticipate a small amount of mistakes but also expect accountability.

What performance standards do you build to? Note: National Association of Home Builders has a performance guideline that protects the homeowner and the builder pretty well.
What is the length of the warranty you provide, and what’s covered? See our warranty.
Are you homes energy efficient? What proof do you have?
Are your familiar with best air sealing practices? - See our post on why we air seal here

Tour home built by them if possible.
Ask for 1 or 2 home owners that would be willing to share their story with you.
Homeowner questions:
- How long did you home take? Was this on target?
- How did the budgeting process go, was it accurate?
- How has the warranty process been? Prompt service, any major issues?
- Anything you wish you knew about the builder before you hired them?
Call builders banker to help confirm solvency.
If building in Country Club, speak with country club directly and ask if the builder has had any issues.
Look up licensing on Secretary of State website to confirm.

Building a custom home requires substantial work from both the builder and homeowner. Anyone promising a fast and easy process may not being telling you the whole truth. We tell all of our potential clients that It is a a lot of work, but we are here to make it smooth as possible, and we fight to make the end result live up to your expectations. We respect our clients very valuable time and money by treating every hour and dollar like it’s our own. Ask your potential builder about what they think your workload will look like as the homeowner.
This industry is a relationship based one, and the builder interview process goes both ways. You want a builder you can rely on and trust with a great deal of your money, and we as builders expect the exact same in return. You will be spending the next 16-24+ months working with your custom builder, so trust is a big component.

Questions for a Builder