Building a custom home in Temecula is a huge undertaking! Even when you have the most accomplished general contractor on your side, it will still be a long process. However, having a good general contractor on your side can take a lot of stress out of the process, so it’s important to choose the right one.
Most people understand the wisdom of talking to multiple custom home builders in Temecula, not only so you can compare prices, but also so you can find the one that is best suited for your project. As you interview custom home builders, here are two things to be sure to ask them:
How Many Custom Home Builds Have You Completed?
Just because a company advertises on their website that they are custom home builders in Temecula doesn’t necessarily mean they’ve actually completed any custom home builds. They may just be a general contracting company that wants to get into custom home building, so they advertise it as one of their services. They may have completed some home remodeling projects or some room additions, but these smaller types of projects can be very different from ground-up custom home builds.
For example, a general contractor could complete a room addition by only hiring a few subcontractors—or even none at all. With a custom home build, on the other hand, many subcontractors will need to be brought in. All of these subs will need to be properly scheduled, managed, supervised, and paid by the general contractor. If a contractor doesn’t have excellent project management skills, and doesn’t have a good network of skilled subs the project could see delays and setbacks.
Look for custom home builders in Temecula that have completed multiple projects—ideally in the City of Temecula. This will ensure that they are familiar with the approval and inspection process in the City, and also that they have a local network of subcontractors. It may also allow you to view their work and talk to their previous clients in person.
Who Will Be My Point of Contact on my Project?
With some custom home builders in Temecula, you will be dealing directly with the company owner on your project, but this isn’t the case with all companies. In larger companies, the owner runs the business and meets with potential clients, and then has project mangers under him or her who take the lead on the actual projects. This is the person who will be on site dealing with the subcontractors and overseeing the progress.
It’s important to know who you will be working with directly. Who will you go to with questions or concerns? Who will be providing you with regular updates on your project?
Whoever this person is, you will want to meet with him or her before signing a contract and see if they are someone you will be able to communicate with easily. The last thing you want is to be working with someone who is dismissive of your concerns or won’t provide you with clear answers to your questions.
