Are you on the fence about hiring a custom home contractor? One of the most important decisions you’ll ever make is the one that could end up shaping the way you build your dream home. When it comes time to choose a home building and remodeling company, there are a few things you should know in order to make sure you get the best builder available.
The best custom home contractors all have excellent systems for explaining benefits and costs. If your custom home contractor candidate does not seem to understand how much his/her company is actually making, or how poorly he/she will manage your project, chances are that he/she does not really know the true costs of the job, which is always a ripe environment for budget overruns and changes. Ask for receipts from previous jobs, and/or a breakdown of the expenses for at least three years, a break down that shows exactly what the contractor will be charging you. Do not hire a custom home builder who will not provide you with this information. If the job is not something you can afford, it’s a pretty clear sign that you should probably look for someone else.
A custom home builder with a great track record also comes with another important consideration – good relations. If you’re having trouble getting in touch with your custom home contractor, or if you find that the call center representatives aren’t responding to your phone calls or e-mails, then this might be a bad sign. It can be nearly impossible to stay connected with a construction crew when they’re repeatedly ignoring you, and if you are the customer, you should feel that you have some sort of recourse. If that doesn’t work, move on to another company. You don’t need to end up working with a pirate crew that is only interested in taking your money and not in building you your dream home.
Lastly, consider the history of the custom home contractor you are hiring. There are some who specialize in one type of construction and remodeling, such as residential construction and renovation, while there are others with experience in everything from kitchen renovation to high-rise buildings. Be sure to choose a builder who has built a lot of buildings and who has a solid reputation for building both structurally sound and environmentally sustainable structures. While there are certainly some incredible buildings constructed by unscrupulous builders, the quality of a custom home contractor typically ranges across the board – so if you find that a contractor is cutting corners to cut costs, you should probably look elsewhere.
Unfortunately, it’s not always easy to find out whether or not custom home contractors and remodelers really do make the best construction and remodeling choices. Sometimes the best strategy is to simply avoid any project with such a contractor. Do a simple search online for “home contractors” in your city and see what other homeowners have to say. Often, they will be happy to talk about their experiences with certain construction and remodeling professionals.
In order to choose the best construction and remodeling professionals, you need to take the time to check out the backgrounds of a variety of contractors. Ask friends, family members, and colleagues what they think of their own custom home contractor, and don’t be afraid to ask construction professionals for recommendations. You’ll likely get a long list of recommended professionals – the best way to sort through them is to base your decision on your budget and your needs. Once you’ve narrowed down the field a bit, you can call each one of the contractors to discuss your construction plans and to get a better sense of who you’re going to work with in the end.