The first question every buyer asks me on a Planning Call: “Bryce, what should I be asking the other builders I’m interviewing?” Here are 10 questions that will tell you in 30 minutes whether someone is the right fit — or about to take you for a six-figure ride.
1. Show me a sample change order from a recent project.
If they hesitate, walk. A real builder has anonymized examples ready. Verbal change orders are how $2.5M custom homes turn into $3.4M nightmares.
2. What is your rule for when work can start on a change order?
Right answer: “After it is written, priced, and signed by both parties.” Anything else means you are about to find out about cost overruns at the closing walk-through.
3. How do you track daily progress, and what do I see?
Real builders use JobTread, BuilderTrend, or Procore. Daily logs, photos, line-item costs visible to the client. “I will text you” is not a system.
4. Who is my point of contact day to day?
You want one named project manager who knows your job. Not a rotation. Not “whoever picks up the phone.” A single person with skin in the build.
5. What is your average response time to a homeowner question?
Hours, not days. If they cannot answer, the answer is days — and that is your build experience for the next 18 months.
Review Budget vs Actual for a Finished Project – SwagerBuilds LLC
Builders who run jobs cleanly will show you. Builders who do not will deflect. This is the single most diagnostic question you can ask.
7. What references can I call from clients you finished in the last 18 months?
Not “we will send some.” Names and numbers, today, in the meeting. Recent finishes only — projects from 5 years ago do not tell you how the company runs now.
8. What is your insurance coverage and your sub list?
General liability, workers comp, builder risk. You should be added as additional insured. The sub list tells you whether they hire the same crew or whoever is available.
9. If my budget cannot carry my design, will you tell me before I sign?
This is the question most builders will not answer honestly. The right answer is yes. At SwagerBuilds, the first 30 days are plan-or-walk: if the budget cannot carry the vision, you walk with no fees.
10. Will you put a plan-or-walk window in writing?
The most expensive decision in a custom build is signing with the wrong builder. The cheapest is walking before you do. Make sure the option is contractually yours.
How to score the answers
If a builder hits 8 of 10 of these well, they are worth a second meeting. If they hit fewer than 6, walk. The numbers do not lie.
If you want to see exactly how SwagerBuilds answers all 10 — book a 30-minute Planning Call. The first call ends in a yes-or-no on the project. No follow-up loops.
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