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Homeowner Forum / Construction / March 2006Checking a builder's references
Is it considered above and beyond the norm to ask to see someone's home that has used a builder you are checking up on? I am going to be contacting references for a builder we are talking to, and would very much like to see his work first hand. Opinions are appreciated. Thanks. > Is it considered above and beyond the norm to ask to see someone's home that > has used a builder you are checking up on? I am going to be contacting > references for a builder we are talking to, and would very much like to see > his work first hand. > > Opinions are appreciated. Thanks. It shouldn't be a problem. Not everyone would want random people (you're the random person to the other homeowner) traipsing through their house, but it's up to the builder to find a willing customer for you. You should ask to see some recently completed work, say within the last year or so, and something a fair bit older so you can see how his work holds up over time. R >> Is it considered above and beyond the norm to ask to see someone's home >> that [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > year or so, and something a fair bit older so you can see how his work > holds up over time. When checking out contractors/sub-contractors to work for me, I ask to see some work-in-progress (if they have some) and it tells me a lot...mainly how well they manage their own work and work site.  SignatureMatt --------------------- Matthew W. Barrow Site-Fill Homes, LLC. Montrose, CO >Is it considered above and beyond the norm to ask to see someone's home that >has used a builder you are checking up on? I am going to be contacting >references for a builder we are talking to, and would very much like to see >his work first hand. It's quite common among small builders, who may not have a show home or a couple of completeds available for inspection. Most of us feel it inspires confidence when a potential client has seen our work and talked with a couple of people who have experience of us. You should see a current job site and a home that was completed a couple of years ago. And if course, ask the people how they checked him out .. and how he's been to deal with. (Most likely, they checked him out the same way you are. If you're not knowledgeable, take someone who is with you. Ken > Is it considered above and beyond the norm to ask to see someone's home that > has used a builder you are checking up on? I am going to be contacting > references for a builder we are talking to, and would very much like to see > his work first hand. I "interviewed" 5 builders for my house. I arranged to meet them at their office to discuss my project and asked to see some of their work. All of them took me to see houses they had completed for other people. Usually one of the owners would show me around while the builder chatted with the other. It was also interesting to see their offices. Some were a hopeless mess and they couldn't find the drawings that I had sent in advance. I would also try and find out where he is working at the moment. Go drive past the site at the end of the day. See how neat and tidy it is. (eg have they left materials scattered everywhere?). Perhaps ask the neighbours if they've had any problems with the work next door? My builder took the neighbours a few bottles of wine before he started digging our foundations! > Is it considered above and beyond the norm to ask to see someone's home that > has used a builder you are checking up on? I am going to be contacting > references for a builder we are talking to, and would very much like to see > his work first hand. > > Opinions are appreciated. Thanks. Ask for a client list, not just references. For instance, the last 10 projects completed. If you ask for references, they'll give you the "good" guys. The probably won't give you the really bad experiences on the client list, but you might get a more balanced list. Then call them all. Some will let you come by, some won't, and you'll probably learn lots about the builder. Check out the website http://www.hadd.com They have a lot of info. You should look at a builder's work in progress, and if you don't know what you're looking at or for, hire a competent and unbiased professional who does, and take them with you. I can speak from experience that many home builders are getting some pretty important things wrong, and the average home buyer, not trained in proper construction, would not know it if it was right in front of them. Just from what I learned in a construction defect case, I can now see that almost NO builders in my area are doing much of anything right. Before you sign a contract, learn to spot shortcuts and errors and be sure the builder you choose is doing it right. I believe the free info on http://www.jlconline and http://www.buildingscience.com could be very useful. I wish I had found all of these resources before I bought my last house. I will never again trust the builders or the building code officials, etc, to ensure a house is essentially done right. The buyer has to go to great lengths to protect themselves. The people I feel most sorry for are those who just walk into a builder's model and think only about carpet color, etc. You are looking at what's important: the construction. > > Is it considered above and beyond the norm to ask to see someone's home > > that [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > all. Some will let you come by, some won't, and you'll probably learn > lots about the builder. Find out from his references who he gave to them as references. Then talk to these second level references. You may find that the second level references are no longer current references for good reason. I hope that wasn't too confusing. |
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