Finding the best house builder for your home isn’t a task to be taken lightly, whether it’s renovating a bathroom or building a new house. Your home builders might be the deciding factor of whether or not you’re going to love spending time in your new home—which is why it’s important to make sure you’re getting the right person for the job.
While it’s not trivial to determine which among your shortlisted house builders is the correct choice, it’s not impossible, either. Here are some questions you can ask so you can narrow down your list and identify the bad seeds in the bunch.
1. Have you worked on similar projects before?
Like with all jobs, having experience is always an advantage. As much as possible, find a contractor who has worked on a similar project in the past. An experienced house builder will be able to offer insights into aspects of the construction that you haven’t considered before.
Ask your contractor about similarities between your project and the ones they’ve had, what problems arose on their past projects, and how they dealt with any problems to finish the construction.
2. What insurance do you use for your services and materials?
Make sure your house builder is backed by insurance. This is a guarantee that should your contractor suddenly go out of business, the insurance company will fix any problems your housebuilders left behind.
Don’t forget to get the insurance guarantee in writing as well. Even if you trust your house builder, it’s not enough to ask about their insurance in person or over the phone. Ensure you have a physical copy of the documents to use them if necessary.
Ask about their employees’ insurance and their building indemnity insurance, too. Let them present their insurance certificates so you know that they have all their bases covered.
3. What safety procedures do you follow, and how do you monitor employee safety?
Construction isn’t exactly a minimal-risk job. Construction employees use physical labor that requires specific safety guidelines.
In addition to knowing these guidelines, trustworthy homebuilders should have standard operating procedures for when something goes wrong. Ask them about what kind of emergencies they’ve dealt with in the past and how they weathered those situations.
Test their knowledge about public health and safety laws as well. Seedy contractors are not likely to be able to explain these regulations, which is an obvious red flag that they shouldn’t be the home builders you hire.
4. How long will it take to complete the job?
This is another question that can weed out inexperienced home builders. A trustworthy contractor such as Delaware Homes in Blackburn or Jazz Homes in Townsville, which was voted Townsville's top builder, will be able to provide you with an estimate of how long it will take before they can finish the job. They’ll also be able to explain why it will take them that amount of time.
A bad sign would be if the contractor gives you an extremely specific finish date that does not account for any worker illness or similar (which could mean they’re bluffing and trying to impress you) or if they are unable to explain the time frame they provided at all.
5. When can I get a final price quote for the job?
A trustworthy home builder wouldn’t put you on hold for an extended period. They won’t need to—if they’ve been in the business for a long time, they’ll know how much certain materials will cost and how much they’ll have to pay their employees for the kind of labor needed.
6. Are you willing to work in the area where my property is located?
This is one of the first questions you should be asking. A home builder may be excellent at their job, but they might not be willing to travel to the location of your property.
Either that, or you’ll have to pay extra to cover the travel time and gas they’ll consume to get to where you are. Your best bet is to find a home builder close to your area and provide high-quality work.
7. Can you provide me with previous customers I can talk to?
Think of it as checking up on someone’s references on their resume. To ensure that you hire the best house builders for the job, get feedback from their previous clients. It’s not just about knowing if they’re capable of accomplishing the construction; it’s about figuring out how reliable they are, too.
Hiring home builders requires that you trust the contractor. You must be confident that they’ll treat your property with respect. Don’t just settle for a contractor who promises you they’ll do their best. Find the house builders with proven results.
