Why do you build houses?

We liked going through one of the houses they were building. We were able to learn more about what they include in their homes, their strengths (fir example one was a meticulous carpenter so his finish work was amazing, another really believed in energy efficiency and another was very creative with niches and tray ceilings).

Do you email? Do you text? It seems a lot of the guys who do nicer homes in my area are older gents and aren't up with the technology. While I try not to drive them nuts, I'm very busy and late night emails or texts during the day is a very efficient means of communication.

I would have a scheduled meeting with the builder. We met with several builders and then narrowed our list and sent the plans for a cost estimate. I don't think they would have responded to lots of emails and random texts.

I worked for builders in high end new home construction for many years. First, ask your architect if he works with any builders. We always had a relationship with a few architects. BTW, if your architect doesn't work with any builders, I might question that.

Obviously, try to tour some homes. Ask for recent and OLDER references from owners. You want to know how the home has fared over the years and also what level of service the builder has provided. Everyone is enthusiastic in the first flush of a brand new home. The other side of that coin is someone who hasn't had a positive experience in the process and can't separate that from the quality of the home and/or service.

If you are building in an area with other new construction, ask your prospective neighbors who built their homes.

Meet in person with the builder several times before you ask him or her to bid the project. You are going to have a relationship (whether you like it or not, lol) with this person and their staff. There must be some level of rapport.

Ask about every process. How are selections made? Does the builder require you to use certain vendors? What is his mark up on upgrades if you must use preferred vendors? What is the timeline of construction? How are change orders handled? Where might "fee creep" occur? This can happen with change orders or any other administrative tasks. Ask how long his subs and trades have been with him. A lot of turnover in subs is a huge red flag. How are your payments structured during construction?

In my experience, the most efficient way to build a house is to MAKE EVERY SELECTION before construction even begins. A 4,200 sq ft (and up) house can be completed in 4 to 6 months from excavation to final walk through if everyone is on the same page with selections. This doesn't mean you can't change your mind (to a degree), but it certainly streamlines the process.

Ask for a quote, then ask if it's a quoted final price or just an estimate.

Tell them you want the quote broken down really good. A good quote should list and price the materials that will be used and labor.

Ask how long the job will take and how many is in his crew, you should compare this number with the rest. Ask when will they start, and when will they finish.

If it's not a quoted final price, then ensure they won't hit you with some outrageous bill in the end. Do this by making sure they list the price of the materials in the first quote, Any extra billing they may try to pull on you in the end, they will then have to justify. If any changes are made after the agreement, tell them you want to see bills, and let them know that you want to be notified immediately of any unexpected changes.

Some will quote less because they need the work, and will then overprice you in the end.

Some will over quote you because they don't really want the job, but will take it because your willing to pay.

Others will try meet somewhere in the middle.

You should know just as much about what the job entails as they do before hiring them, this way you can ask them job specific questions, understand that there's many ways to skin a cat, and every contractor does things slightly different.

Probably the most important decisions are yours to make before looking for a bulder(s): 1) Will you competitively bid your project or will you negotiate with a single selected builder? 2) What type of owner-builder construction agreement are you seeking--fixed cost; cost plus something or other; or heaven forbid a time and materials agreement?

What you ask and discuss with a builder depends on your answers to the questions.

If you're not sure about these you should discuss with your architect. Your architect should also be able to recommend builders for you to contact.

I would strongly recommend against a cost plus builder. I have known too many who double bill their trades to create an invoice for the client.

I would strongly recommend against a cost plus builder. I have known too many who double bill their trades to create an invoice for the client.

Not sure I'd agree here. Fixed price contracts incentivize cheap materials and cuttting corners -- to maximize builder profit. The key in Cost plus contracts is for the builder to provide complete transparency. If the builder isnt willing to show you what's going on with actual, itemized costs, then that's a big warning flag. If you can get a builder to perform a cost + fixed fee, that is probably the best bet.

"After sitting here across from each other for the morning and responding to my questions, do you still want to build my house??"

The house we're in now was a 100% custom build, cost-plus, was a great experience and came in within budget. I know I got lucky. The builder was young, getting started, had excellent attention to detail, and was completely transparent. I'd gone to him to draft the plans. Not only did he provide outstanding advice to make the plans better, but advised that he was starting in the building business. Because we got along, I trusted him with the build. It worked out.

He sadly passed away, fast forward 15 years seeking a new builder for our lake house. This time, we have a very seasoned, very experienced builder and we are doing a partial fixed price. It will be interesting to see how it goes.

As usual Architectrunnerguy brings up a key point. If both parties want the project to succeed, it will. When we were interviewing builders for the lake house, I asked the first builders we met with, "What qualities do you prefer in a client?" They looked surprised, I think it was not one of the usual questions they expected. They said "good question" but never answered it. LOL. ARG's question is a lot smarter, it's a yes or no question.

Well said Omelet!

Any successful relationship is founded on it being a two way street. No one "owns" anybody else just because one party is the check signers.

And if an owner recognizes that and appreciates the value inherent in that kind of thinking, it will serve not only them well but serve to being part of a successful project.