How to select your home Builder.
A great builder is only 3 steps away.
Ask questions that outline their trustworthiness.
Ask questions that highlight their competence.
Trust but Verify. Critical questions, and who to ask.
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Trust.
They show you how to trust them.
What is your availability to start my project, do you service the area and price point I want to be at?
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?
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? Commingling of funds, misuse of funds, bankruptcy and fraud are constantly in the news headlines for contractors. Dig deep on this one. See our answer in our FAQ’s page
Competence.
They show excellence in their Craft, Communication and Budgeting.
How long does construction take for my size home?
How long should I expect preconstruction to take? Note: Precon includes Design, permits, and selections. The homeowner easily accelerate or delay this part of the process depending on their availability.
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? Ask for a percentage.
What costs per square foot can I expect? Note: Cost per SF varies wildly, this can be a conversation starter but that’s it.
What is your preferred method of communication?
How often should I expect to receive project updates?
How are change orders addressed? What is the fee and when are out of pocket expenses due?
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 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.
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Verify.
Trust but Verify.
Verify Insurance. Insurance can be verified with a Certificate of Insurance directly from their provide.
Verify appropriate licensing. Licensure can be verified with the Secretary of State. GA SOS Lookup
Tour home built by them if possible.
Things to look at during the tour:
Paint and drywall finish quality
Window and door quality
Exterior material wear and tear
Overall fit and finish regardless if it meets your personal tastes.
Ask for approximate build costs of homes similar in scope to what you want in their portfolio. Note: This is my single favorite way to communicate budget possibilities during opening conversations.
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.
Bonus Tips
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.
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What our clients are saying…
We take great pride in making sure every client is happy with both their home and the build process. You will see numerous clients speak to this, and that is what make us one of the Top Custom Home Builders in North Atlanta.
Passion.
I founded ADG Custom Homes in 2017 with a specific goal: to close the gap between high-level design and on-site execution.
Considering building in metro Atlanta? I would love to go through the above list with you and show you why I believe ADG is the right choice. I only work on 1 to 2 homes at a time, I look forward to dedicating myself to your home.
Talk Soon,
Danny Kay
Founder & Principal, ADG Custom Homes
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