For many, building a custom home will be the biggest investment of their entire lifetime. As such, it’s crucial to find the custom home builder who can make your concepts a reality. If you choose well, you’ll have an organized, creative partner who supports you through the entire building process—from the first contact to well past move-in day. But hiring the wrong custom home builder can mean missed marks, spiraling budgets, and frustrating delays. So how do you choose?
At CNC, we recommend finding a custom home builder who can handle the scope of your project, values transparency, and reliably communicates with you.
Consider the scope of your project
Are you starting from scratch, with nothing but the vision in your mind? Or have you already worked with a designer, and you’re contacting custom home builders with drawings in hand? Maybe you know the type of home you’d like to build, but not how much you’d like to spend. Or you need someone to handle the build, but you’ve already found your dream contractors for interior finishes.
It’s also important to consider the size and style of your custom home. Are you building a contemporary, open concept family home from the foundation up, or remodeling your luxurious, multi-level townhouse?
One way to screen your custom home builder is to browse their portfolio and look for projects of a similar scale and style. This will help you eliminate builders in your area who lack experience in projects with the same scope as yours.
Ask the right questions
At CNC, we believe transparency is critical. That means honestly and openly answering our clients’ questions. Any custom home builder knows the basics: how long have you been building? Are you licensed and insured? Have you completed projects like mine in the past?
But the best custom home builders will go beyond the basics. Take the time to compile a comprehensive list of questions—this should include everything from financing to fixtures. You should also be comfortable enough to ask your custom home builder about the systems and processes they have in place if things go wrong. A few examples include:
- What type of new home warranty do you offer?
- How will you address questions and concerns during construction?
- If there are changes to the design or unforeseen costs, how and when do you communicate them to me?
- How do you vet and select your subcontractors?
- What’s your inspection process at different points of construction, including the final walk-through?
- How do you address any matters that need to be corrected or finalized?
Communication is key
If you can’t get a callback from a builder while you’re still in the planning phase, how hard will it be to reach them mid-build? Or even worse, if something goes wrong? The ideal building team will be easy to connect with—they’ll be interested in your concepts, goals, and vision. In the end, you should feel like the builder’s only client, no matter how many projects they have on their schedule.
The CNC Homes Promise
At CNC, we strive to meet you where you are. Whether that means designing from the ground up, or working with you to bring your designs to life. We pride ourselves on exceptional customer service and transparency—you can even follow our progress through Buildertrend. Have questions about working with CNC? We’ve got answers! Contact us today.