You’ve been building your dream home in your head for months and have finally decided to take the leap. Now, it’s time to reach out to the professionals that can bring your vision to life. 

At first, it can feel overwhelming to navigate the plethora of custom home builders. Building your custom home should be exciting instead of stressful. To ease that stress, it’s important to learn how to find a custom home builder. 

Keep reading to learn how to find a custom home builder, how to narrow down your list of potential builders, and questions you should ask.

What is a Custom Home Builder? 

To find a home builder, you’ll need to understand the difference between a general contractor and a custom home builder. 

A general contractor will manage the professionals who build your home. They’ll take the blueprints created by your chosen architect and ensure that it is implemented correctly. At each stage of the project, your general contractor can find and hire the professionals necessary to complete the next task. 

A custom home builder, on the other hand, is a part of the experience from the very beginning. They manage each step, from architecture to landscaping and everything in between. Your custom home builder can also offer unique customizations in your home that work perfectly for you. 

Some responsibilities of a custom home builder include:

  • Working with homeowners to establish a budget for the project
  • Ensuring subcontractors are building to code and executing the floor plans correctly
  • Preparing estimates and tracking all costs associated with the home building process, and submitting payment requests to the bank
  • Serving as a liaison between the team and governing jurisdictions
  • Ordering and accepting all building materials
  • Overseeing approvals, inspections, and obtaining the certificate of occupancy
  • Educating homeowners on maintenance of their new custom home

Now that you know the role and responsibilities of a custom home builder, we will share how to find a builder for a new home.

How To Find a Custom Home Builder

The first step in bringing your dreams to life is knowing how to find a custom home builder. This includes creating a must-have list, vetting a variety of builders, and touring past models. Keep reading to learn more about how to find a custom builder for your new home.

Brainstorm Must-Haves 

When it comes to building your dream home, you’ll want to find someone who meets your expectations. Before you begin your search, create a list of what you’re looking for in a home builder. 

Are strong working relationships a top priority? Do you have specific home features you absolutely want? Are you interested in a more hands-on approach to your space? Consider how you want the process to go and what you are looking for in your home as you search for potential builders. 

Create a List of Potential Builders

Knowing how to find a home builder can be challenging if you aren’t knowledgeable about the industry. While a quick Google search will bring up names, they may not tell you the full story. What experience do these builders have? Can they help you achieve your vision? 

As you start your search, make sure you’re looking for builders that are local to your area. You don’t want to pay hefty fees for someone to travel a long distance just to build your home. Plus, you want to work with a custom home builder who has experience building in your area.

Another thing to keep in mind is whether you know anyone that has worked with a builder before. If you know someone who has recently built a custom home, ask them who they chose as their builder. Other people to ask are those you’ve worked with that are in the industry. 

Perhaps you’ve used an interior designer or hired someone to renovate your home. By using your network, you can find builders that come with word-of-mouth recommendations from people you know.

Compile all of these potential builders into a list and schedule meetings with your top choices to learn more about why they may be the best fit. 

Interview Your Builders

Now that you have a list of custom home builders, it’s time to narrow your list down. You can accomplish this by interviewing your potential builders. 

When reaching out to custom home builders, you will want to know how much experience they have building homes like the home you desire. Overall, you’re looking for a business with the experience that can provide the quality you deserve. 

Other questions to ask can relate to the features you’re looking for in your home. Knowing what a custom home builder can or can’t do can help you find a builder without compromising your dream home vision. Let’s say you want to find a custom home builder that can help you find your homesite. In this scenario, it is important to ask your potential builders if they offer this service. 

You should also ask the custom home builder to provide you with a portfolio of their past builds. Some custom home builders may even take you on a tour of past builds or a for-sale model home. 

Tour a For-Sale Model

Touring a for-sale model home from a custom home builder is both inspiring and insightful. A tour of a for-sale model gives you an up-close look at a custom home builder’s work. 

A for-sale model also gives you examples of custom home features that a builder can include. Plus, you can inspire your own custom home by touring a for-sale model. 

Keep a list of the things you most like and dislike about any for-sale model home you tour. This allows you to reference specific features you want to include or avoid in your custom home. 

Take Your Time

While you may be eager to get started on your dream home, rushing the home-building process may lead to mistakes or dissatisfaction. Take your time getting to know home builders and discussing your ideas with them. Make sure you choose the right one for your home who can exceed your expectations. 

5 Questions To Ask Potential Custom Home Builders

There are some questions you should ask any potential home builder you are considering hiring. Here are a few questions to get you started on the right track.

1. How long have you been building custom homes? 

Having years of relevant experience is a sign of a skilled builder. Ask about past projects and challenges they have faced to see how they handled them. At Cullum Homes, we have over 35 years of experience designing and building custom homes in the Valley.

2. Do you have past client testimonials I can view?

Testimonials or reviews from past clients are a great way to learn more about the experience of working with a particular builder. If past clients only have good things to say about the communication, quality, and professionalism, you can feel confident in your builder.

3. What is the average time it takes your team to build a custom home?

The answer to this question may vary depending on how custom the homes they typically build are. Specify that you are curious about the timeline of a project similar to yours to get a good estimate.

4. Have you built similar homes to the style I am envisioning?

When you find a custom home builder that has experience building homes in the style you prefer, you can rest easy knowing they have the expertise needed to achieve your dream home style. If you have styles in mind, bring pictures to show them so they can compare to past builds. 

5. How do you plan to communicate and answer questions during the home building process?

Communication is very important when choosing a custom home builder. You want to know that they are going to be open communicators who will keep you up to speed on project milestones and any issues that may arise.

These questions will help you to choose the best custom home builder for your dream house. As you can see, there is a lot that goes into how to find a home builder, but with the right preparation, it doesn't need to be difficult!

Bring Your Vision To Life With Cullum Homes

When you choose a custom home builder, you are looking for someone with experience, quality work, and that is highly recommended. 

At Cullum Homes, we believe that the custom home experience should be as luxurious as your custom home. What makes Cullum Homes unique is that we are your one-stop-shop for the custom home process. From start to finish, the Cullum Homes team is ready to bring your dream home to life. 

The first step in our in-house process is homesite selection. With Cullum Homes, you can find the perfect homesite for your future home by leveraging our experience, local knowledge, and relationships. Next, our architecture and interior design team works with you to fully capture your vision. When it’s time to build your custom home, Cullum Homes uses our relationships with trade partners to build a custom home you’ll fall in love with.

Ready to get started with building your custom home?

Contact the team at Cullum Homes to learn more about our in-house custom home process.