Home Building Tips: How to Check References

Selecting the right builder for your custom home or remodel is a critical decision and checking references is one of the important tools in your toolbox to ensure you’re partnering with a reliable builder who will bring your vision to life: smoothly, professionally, and to the highest standards. Speaking with past clients AND industry partners can help you hone in on arriving at the right choice of home builder for your Charleston project. 

Most builders are happy to provide a list of people for whom they have recently built homes, as well as the builder’s financial partners, trade contractors, materials suppliers, and other colleagues who can provide perspective on their professionalism and track record. Make it a part of your process to ask for references and do your diligence in following up with them.

Home Building Tips: How to Conduct a Reference Check

Follow these home building tips to make the most of your reference calls.

1. Check with multiple references

We’re all busy, and reference checks are just one more item to add on your to-do list. But treating them as an opportunity to paint a clear picture of your potential builder, and not just checking off a box, can give you an understanding of quality and cultural fit. Aim to speak with several home owners and some trade partners. Each conversation will add perspective from a different angle and likely give you ideas on questions to bring back to your building team.

2. Ask Targeted Questions

Use these questions to gain valuable insights about your custom home builder in Charleston:

• Project Details: What type of home or remodel was built (e.g., a custom waterfront home or a whole house remodel in Charleston)?
• Communication: How did the builder communicate with you? Phone calls, written reports, on-line, portal, preferably all three?
• Project Team: Did you have a dedicated project team? A project manager? Designer? Project Coordinator? Or was it the builder him/herself trying to manage all three roles? How did they work together on the project?
• Timeline and Budget: Was the project completed on time and within budget?
• Organization: Was the builder good at keeping deadlines and schedules? Did they give you plenty of notice to make decisions? Did they help you make decisions?
• Reliability: Did the team deliver on promises and attend meetings punctually?
• Quality: Was the home finished as expected, reflecting detailed specifications?
• Team Dynamics: Was the team easy to work with, fostering good relationships with architects, designers, and trade contractors?
• Recommendation: Would you work with them again them?

Wrap up by asking, “Is there anything else I should know?” to uncover additional insights.

3. Follow Up on Concerns

If a reference mentions an issue, like a project going over budget, don’t assume the worst. Bring it up with the builder to better understand the context; perhaps the homeowner requested costly changes mid-project. These follow-up conversations foster honest communication and provide a glimpse in how the builder may approach handling hiccups that come up during your building process.

Trust your gut

The best indicator of future outcomes is past performance and reference checks are a helpful way to vet prospective builders, but they aren’t the be all, end all. Review past work, understand your builder’s process, and trust your instincts. If your research, on top of conversations with the builder, leaves you with an even better feeling, you’re in a great spot.

Looking for other home building tips? Check out this post about maintaining budget and your role as a homeowner in the process.