Choosing a Builder: How to Find the Right Fit (And Avoid the Wrong One)
Today, we’re stepping into your shoes and asking the same questions we would if we were in your position: How do I choose the right builder?
One of the worst things that can happen mid project is needing to switch builders. It’s costly, stressful, and often totally avoidable. That’s why it’s worth putting in a little extra work upfront during the selection process. We think of it in two phases:
Phase 1: Weed out the nonprofessionals
Phase 2: Find your fit
Let’s break that down.
Phase 1: Weed Out the Nonprofessionals
The goal here is to narrow your options to a shortlist of true professionals. You’re not looking for someone with money issues or poor communication skills, and it’s wise to be cautious of the “old school” builder who’s tech averse. Sure, they might have decades of experience and be great at installing a set of cabinets or knocking out a quick kitchen refresh, but managing a full custom home build or multiunit development is a different level of complexity. In today’s world, your builder should be comfortable sending calendar invites, managing email, and ideally using project management software. You want someone who treats this as a career, not a side hustle. If they see themselves as a professional with long term goals, that ambition becomes your peace of mind.
Now that we’ve set the baseline, here are a few key questions to ask during this phase:
1. When could you start?
This is a bit of a trick question. It might sound like you're pushing for a start date as soon as possible, but you’re really looking to understand how they think. A good builder will have follow up questions for you:
“Do you have approved plans?”
“Are you working with a designer?”
“Are your finishes spec’d out?”
If all of those boxes are checked, they should be able to give you a clear and reasonable timeline. Also, watch for signs of desperation. If they’re too eager to start tomorrow, that’s a red flag.
2. How long do you expect the project to take?
You’re listening for red flags here. A good answer should be a reasonable range, not too wide, and definitely not unrealistic. If they say they’ll finish a custom home in four months or a 10 unit building in five, we’d be skeptical.
3. What are your systems during construction?
You want to know how they run their jobs. We use Buildertrend and Google Drive. If someone asked us this question, we could immediately pull up a sample project and walk you through the process.
What you don’t want to hear is that they’re managing the job with a notepad and a pen.
4. How do you approach the budgeting process? When is it final?
This is one of the most misunderstood parts of construction. There are different pricing models, and you need to understand which one you’re working with before signing anything.
If you’re handed a big, round number in a non itemized contract before design is finalized, then one of two things is likely happening:
- They’ve priced it very high to protect themselves from future changes.
- You’re about to be hit with a wave of change orders.
Realistically, your budget will evolve with design, but you deserve a clear, transparent process from the beginning.
Phase 2: Find the Right Fit
Now that you’ve narrowed it down to professionals, the next step is figuring out which one is best for you.
1. What cost per square foot are you building at?
You're not asking this expecting a precise answer. It depends on many factors. We’ve built custom homes at $400 per square foot and 6 unit buildings at $140 per square foot.
What you are listening for is how they answer. A good builder will say something like:
“We’re seeing basic single families at $200 per square foot. Infill projects might be less. Complicated structural elements or high end finishes will push that up.”
If someone says they build new construction for $80 per square foot, run.
On the flip side, one of my mentors, a high end custom builder, starts around $350 per square foot and often goes well beyond that. If that fits your budget and your goals, great. If not, you’ll know it’s time to look elsewhere.
2. How many projects are you managing right now? How many project managers do you have?
This is crucial. You want to understand the builder’s bandwidth. If they’re working on 10 custom homes with only 2 project managers, they are stretched too thin.
Every project has its own complexity, but as a general rule, a project manager shouldn’t be juggling more than two custom homes at once. If a project is less complex then you can be comfortable with more.
For example, our team can efficiently manage 3 smaller multifamily or townhome sites with one manager. But, if a job involves additional complexity like more units then we may even assign one manager to that site exclusively.
You’re watching out for an overloaded schedule, something that signals a lack of focus and potential delays.
3. How do you communicate during a project?
This is a big one, and it's rarely asked. Every construction project evolves. You want to understand changes as they’re happening and be involved in decisions.
You should know:
How budget changes will be communicated
How deviations from the plans will be handled
Whether you’ll be notified before field decisions are made
Some builders take a "run and gun" approach. That might work if you’re building low income housing where speed is more important than detail, but not if you have a specific vision for the end result.
We prefer approvals before execution, and we have systems in place to keep communication flowing without causing delays. Every builder should be able to clearly explain their process.
This is a big decision. Treat it like one.
Put in the due diligence. Ask questions. If you can visit an active job site, always take that opportunity.
The right builder will welcome your questions and be excited to earn your trust.
Now that you're ready, test us out.
At Axe Builders, we specialize in luxury single family homes and boutique multifamily buildings. We thrive on new construction and complex renovations.
Our roots are in investor focused projects like ground up multifamily and townhome developments, but we also have a passion for custom homes. At any given time, about 80 percent of our work is investment based, and we typically have one or two custom homes in progress.
So reach out. Ask us the hard questions. We’re ready for them.