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Questions You Need To Ask Before Choosing A Home Builder

Written by Posted On Tuesday, 16 April 2019 23:34

When you’re having a new home constructed, it’s essential that you work only with good home builders. Your friends and family probably know one with a good track record, or you can scour the Internet for the right construction company.

Keep in mind, however, that you still have to interview any candidate for the job and ask that person the following questions:

Are you licensed and insured?

A license typically goes hand-in-hand with insurance because in most states, being insured is a requirement for a builder or contractor before the acquisition of a license.

Don’t hire unlicensed—and therefore uninsured—home builders, because if anything goes wrong with your project that leads to an injury or property damage, you will be liable for them.

Besides, a license is an indicator that the builder has at least the skills and the training required for the job, although it’s still not a guarantee that the finished product will be top-notch.

How long have you been building homes?

The more experience a home builder has, the better the chances that they can do a good job. It’s also likely for experienced builders to listen to your ideas about the project and implement them. They know the value of following the wishes of clients, not the dictates of their egos.

Can I take a look at your portfolio?

Work samples are important because they give you an idea of how good or bad a particular home builder is at his job. You can even go one better and ask the candidate to take you to one of his past projects so you can judge the quality of his work in person.

Can you work at the location of the project?

Asking the potential builder if he is willing to work where you want to build and getting an honest answer is essential. You wouldn’t want a candidate to say yes to this question, and end up sending somebody else to do his work for him because going to the project site is not convenient for him.

Will you be working on other projects?

Working on multiple projects is okay as long as the builder has the resources and the capability to pull it off. But if the home builder is at the head of a small operation, you have to ask for his commitment, because a small contractor working on multiple projects at the same time doesn’t bode well for your timetable.

Are you updated on building codes?

Far too many newly-built structures have been torn down upon the order of government authorities for violation of local and state building codes. You need to make sure that the builder you will hire is up-to-date on them or your new home will risk suffering the same fate, all after you have spent so much time, money, and effort on its construction.

Do you guarantee your work?

If possible, hire only home builders that provide a 1-year warranty at the very least. Consider yourself fortunate if the contractor you’ll hire offers a 10-year structural warranty. You also have the option to extend any coverage by purchasing your own additional warranty.

Any ideas on how we will communicate?

Skills and experience count for nothing if your home builder cannot come up with an effective way for both of you to communicate while the project is ongoing. Most builders would probably go for the usual suspects like the telephone system, email, or Skype.

However, it would be a plus if the candidate uses software specially designed for construction projects. Construction management software and tools can make communications between the builder and the client easier, on top of managing their budgets, scheduling subcontractors, issuing purchase orders, and other work processes.

These are just some of the questions you need to ask candidates who are vying to land your home building project. You can also think up your own questions to make sure everything is covered.

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Victoria Grace

https://nucleusconstruction.com/

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