Are you licensed and insured in the state I am building in?

How long have you been in business?

How many homes have you built in my price range?

My budget is ____________________.

Can my project be built for that amount? Yes/No

How can you be sure my budget will or won’t work?

Do you have a model I can walk through? Yes/No Address: ____________________.

Can I choose any or all of my subcontractors? Yes/No

What kind of warranty do you offer and what IS and IS NOT covered?

How do you handle change orders?

I will need to see all invoices immediately. Is that a problem?

If there are increases in materials or labor costs will you let me know immediately, including the amount of the increase?

How many homes do you currently have under construction, and how are you going to be able to closely monitor the construction of my home?

During construction, how often should I expect updates and contact from you?

How quickly will you return my phone calls or emails?

I plan to be on the construction site often. Is this a problem for you? Yes/No

Will you work with my home designer or Architect and interior designer to make sure my home will be built exactly as it was designed or to make changes along the way? Yes/No

If there is a problem with one of the subcontractors that you hired, how will this problem be resolved, i.e. my cabinets have a problem after I move in and the doors don’t align well or the finish is flawed. What will happen if there is no response from the cabinet-maker or he has gone out of business? How will this be handled?

What is your cancellation and refund policy?

What is your payment policy?

After looking at my plan, what is your estimated time for completion?

Who is your favorite client to work with? Why?

Who is your least favorite client to work with? Why?

Who are 3 references you have built for in the past 3-5 years that I can talk to?
1. ____________________
2. ____________________
3. ____________________

Do you finance the construction or do I need to secure a construction loan?

When do I need to have decisions made about cabinets, paint colors, flooring, etc?

Have you ever owned a construction company under a different name? Y/N If so, Please explain why?

What would your past clients say your strengths and weaknesses in building are?
-Strengths ____________________
-Weakness ____________________
-Ask this same question to the references and see if they match up or not.

What is your process?

How long have you been in business?

How many plans have you designed?

How does your fee structure work?

Do you charge for changes?

What separates you from other firms?

How often would you visit our job site?

Are site visits included in your fees? Y/N

What is and isn’t included in your fee?

What does your plan set look like?

How often do you create new plans?

What software do you use?

How quickly can our house plans be created?

Have you personally ever built a home?

Have you built any other significant structures? Y/N If so, what?

What was the last thing you have built?

Do you recommend any non-traditional materials or products? Y/N If so, what?

Who was your favorite client? Why?

Who is your least favorite client? Why?

How would you describe “value engineering”?

How do you specifically incorporate “value engineering” into your plan designs?

My budget is ____________________. Can my project be built for that amount? Yes/No

How can you be sure my budget will or won’t work?

Do you have homes I can walk through? Yes/No Address: ____________________.

How quickly will you return my phone calls or emails?

Will you work with my builder and interior designer to make sure my home will be built exactly as I designed it? Y/N What if I make changes along the way?

Who are 3 references you have designed for in the past 3-5 years that I can talk to?
1. ____________________
2. ____________________
3. ____________________

What would your past clients say your strengths and weaknesses in building are?
-Strengths ____________________
-Weakness ____________________

Why am I building a home? (What is your pain?)

Have I been prequalified for a loan or am I paying cash?

Where do I want to live?

What are the top three amenities that I need to be close to where I build?

What size home do I want?

What style exterior do I want?

Will this home be a rambler or a two story or other?

Have I drawn a simple bubble diagram to layout the approximate spaces for my home?

Have I called the city to find out any special requirements they might have? (setback, easements, lot coverage, max height, etc.?)

Does the land I plan on building on have slope or is it flat? (which direction does it slope?)

Have I checked the CC&R’s for my property?

Does my property belong to an HOA? (homeowners association)

Are there overhead power lines on my property? (this could affect swimming pool location, landscaping, etc.)

Are there underground gas lines?

Are there irrigation ditches near my property?

Do I have a sewer connection to my land and what depth is it at?

Is there a max height for my home in the city I’m building?

Is there a max lot coverage for the footprint of the home I’m building?

How will I use this home? (do I cook a lot, entertain, work from home, have a lot of toys in the garage, etc.?)

Where are the utilities located on your property?

Are there views I need to plan for?

Who will be my builder? (owner build, contractor, partnership)

Who will be my architect/home designer?

Who will be my interior designer?

What kind of finishes, appliances, flooring, etc. am I wanting?

Why am I doing this?

What is my budget?

On a scale of 1-10 how much do I like my neighbors? Neighborhood?

Am I going up, going out, or staying under the existing roof?

Have I thought about giving my home a facelift?

What year was my home built?

Am I going to spend more on the remodel (or within 30%) of what it would cost to build new?

Have I run comparable home costs for my neighborhood? Am I overbuilding?

How long am I going to live here?

How do I find a reliable contractor?

Have I checked with the city to find out codes? Lot restrictions? Other?

What are the current costs to remodel?

Can I move and get a better value?

Have I thought about tearing down, and rebuilding a new home on this property?

Is this the right location for me?

Is this lot flat or sloped and does it matter?

Does my budget include planning and building retaining walls which can cost $30k-$150k?

Is this property governed by an HOA? (homeowners association)

Is there a clear/clean title on the property?

Are the property lines clearly market?

Do I know who the internet provider is, and do I like them?

Have I met the neighbors and do I like them?

Are my top three amenities that I must have, located closet to where this property is located? (Costco, schools, restaurants, shopping centers, etc.)

Have I called the city to find out their building requirements? (setbacks, easements, max lot coverage, max height, soils reports, etc?)

Are there any overhead power lines on this property that might affect future swimming pool locations, landscaping, etc.?

Are there underground gas lines?

Are there irrigation canals nearby?

Are there flooding concerns?

What is the water table for my property?

Are there any fault lines on my property?

Am I required to make any improvements to the land upon building? (sidewalks, landscaping, etc.?)

Are the utilities stubbed into my land? (sewer, water, gas, electricity?)

Is there room on my property to keep the excavation dirt or do I need to budget to haul it away?

Are there views I wish to capture?