No builders in the family.
When going directly to a builder for design and build, are there anythings to watch out for? Pitfalls? I have no inroads into builders in the area, so I will be at their 'mercy' so to speak. I can recognize a lot of things, but one of my largest weaknesses is that I am pretty trusting. I don't lie and think the same of most others. It has bitten me more times than I want to remember, but I still find myself forgetting reality sometimes.
So, if we went that direction, how would you approach the builder and what would you watch out for?
Finding a good builder is the secret to a happy life. This needs to be your number one goal. Walk away from the Architect and start your search for your Contractor. If you have already asked around with everyone you know, posted it on Facebook and still don't have any names, and searched online, then you need to do some foot work. Most lumberyards deal with the local builders. It's tricky getting a solid recommendation, but you can usually find out who the busy ones are, and that's a good sign. You have to be careful of a friend recommending a friend, that usually leads to issues. You can also just drive around and look for homes being built, then do a quick inspection of how clean the job site is. This really is a good indication of a lot of things. Messy job sites also tell you a lot about the builder. Find a clean, organized home being built, find out who the builder is, and who the client is. Talk to both of them.
I'm a firm believer that you need to interview at least five builders. More is even better. Never talk to fewer then five!!!! Most will be engaging, pleasant and agreeable to what you want. But after talking to five, you will see differences. Each will have suggestions, ideas that you might not have thought of. One will usually stand out. Inspect their current projects. I can't emphasize this enough. Google their names, look for complaints. Maybe talk to your banker and ask if they know of anybody. Bankers will rarely recommend somebody that wont finish the job, but they also rarely recommend anybody, so that might be a waste of time. But I would ask anyway.
Most areas have a builders association. Here, it's the Tyler Area Builders Association. They all pay $500 a year to be part of this group, and then they say that they are the good builders. Most are not even builders, but just people in the trades. Half of the builders are worthless and should be avoided. But there are some really good builders in the group too, and when looking for somebody to hire, it will end up being one of them. Twice a year they have an open house showing off what they have built called the "Parade of Homes". You can get some really great ideas going through those houses and a lot of the time, meet the builder. Then start the process of researching them for complaints, talking to references and inspecting their current projects. Be sure to look them up on FB too. The drunks and party animals cannot hide this and seem to go out of their way to post stupid pics of themselves on there.
As a contractor, I hear lots of issues that people have had with contractors that they hired and ignored until it became a disaster. Trust your gut. Never assume it will get better.
Do not pay upfront money. Do not hire somebody that cannot get materials until you pay for them first.
Never hire somebody that does not have a FB account. I know this is kind of silly, but crooked people are always hiding, and honest ones are out in the open.
Be cautious if the only address they have is a PO Box. You want an office at least, and a home address is even better. Honest people are easy to find.
Be careful of flashy trucks. Show off vehicles mean they are spending it faster then they make it.
When talking to the builder, find out who will actually be doing the building. Some farm everything out and rely on who is available. Other have regular crews that have worked for them for years. One isn't better then the other, unless their is a problem.
Find pictures of the foundation being poured in previous projects. Make sure that they use rebar and that it's set on chairs. This is such a basic principle, but one that is short cut all the time. Concrete will always crack. Rebar needs to be in the middle or lower part of the slab, but with concrete all the way around it. There is no way to lift it while spreading concrete and expect it to stay in the middle of the slab. This game last long enough for pictures, if that long, and then the crew has to get busy and they stop playing that game to get the mud spread before it hardens. Never use wire on a house slab. If you see that in any of their pictures, walk away.
Most issues that I see with a house are with how the roof was framed. A bad contractor will try to save a buck and under size the lumber in roof. Great rooms are where most problems happen because they didn't use the correct sized lumber for the span. No matter who you hire, make sure to check the math on this by going online and searching span tables for the type of wood used. This will be hard to check if you are not knowledgeable on framing. But still a good indication of who is doing it right, and who is ripping off their client.
