Hiring a builder is arguably the second most daunting challenge. The biggest challenge is of course the investment. If you manage to hire the finest builder given your needs and preferences, then you can be relatively assured that the outcome would be satisfying. There are numerous things you need to focus on while contracting a builder. Due to the sheer diversity of factors, we are briefly discussing those that matter the most.
- Begin with license and insurance. Do not hire a builder or any tradesman who is not licensed and doesn’t have home indemnity insurance. Check the profile and history of the builder, not to assess their expertise, that would come later, but to know if the company is mired in disputes. Check with the building commission in the state to know if there are any present, existing or pending building disputes related to that company. Check the financial history of the company to know if the builder has ever gone bankrupt.
- Once you have attended to the basic elements, you need to focus on the expertise and experience. Ask the builder where most of their projects have been completed and also where they are working right now. Preferably, you must opt for a local builder so you have projects completed or in development nearby and you can visit them physically.
- Do not hire builders that would hire subcontractors without notifying you. If you agree to have some specialist come in as subcontractors, then that call is yours to make. The builder must have the infrastructure, manpower and expertise to get the job done without any help from a third party. Ideally, the same company must work on the architecture, get plans approved, source the materials, complete the development and leave a tidy premise.
- While it is important to visit projects in development or those completed by the same builder, that scenario wouldn’t arise if you don’t get a builder specialising in a type of home that you want. There are numerous attributes that may make your home unique or different from what a builder is accustomed with developing. Only hire one that has developed exactly the kind of homes you want.
- Get to the price, discuss the materials, assess the quality of consultation you have, how convenient and reassuring it is to communicate with the builder, if they are thorough professionals and get references. Finally, read the contract and only sign after you are sanguine about all the terms.