No matter how much research you do in books or online, nothing beats the hands on experience of people who work in the field on a daily basis.  Build a good team and you will build a good house.  Experts on certain, less common, topics are sometimes hard to find and may not be interested in small projects, so you are going to have a challenge building this team.

At the top of the list is the general contractor (if you choose to use one). Building a custom home is almost like entering a marriage.  You should talk to at least three different builders, more doesn’t hurt.  Ask people you trust for their opinions on any builders and subcontractors they know.  Sometimes it’s just as important to find out who not to work with as who you do want to work with.  Don’t rush into choices and ask the right questions.  Below are some highlights from an article on how to find the right general contractor.

There are plenty of websites and other resources that cover this process in detail. It seems simple, but it’s one of the most important decisions you will make for your home. 

In our case, we thought we found the contractor we were looking for, but we got more (and less) than we had bargained for.  The company owner, who we met with initially and were given the impression that this person would be in charge of building our home, had over 30 years of homebuilding experience.  The company was certified in both the Energy Star and Green Built programs (the only builder in our area to be so) and had extensive experience with ICF construction (again, the only builder we found who did).  The paperwork was in order (insurance, lien-release, etc) and the initial bid was competitive.  We were told that their homes typically took three to five months, and the construction loan was taken out for six months just to give some breathing room.  As we worked on the home layout, the builder seemed very in touch with our needs, and the design sessions were a pleasure. 

Then things started to go a little less smoothly.  The owner handed over the project to a very nice but less experienced employee.  Groundbreaking was delayed repeatedly, even though “we were the next house on the list”.  It finally happened on October 23^rd, just in time for cold weather to settle in.  Real estimates came in from subcontractors and they were much higher than the initial rough estimates given by the builder.  Some of the subcontractors turned out to be companies that friends and family had had difficulties with in the past. Delay stacked on top of delay.  I guess when they told us we’d be in for Christmas we should have asked Christmas of which year.  Finally, in late May 2005, running over time and over budget, I called the movers and scheduled them for June 22, 2005.  We moved in while work continued on the home.  A few odds and ends are still unfinished, but in spite of everything the house has still turned out to be much like we envisioned.  Maybe we even appreciate it a little more because it was such a challenge to get here.