9 Essential Questions to Ask Your Architect & Builder Before Starting the Custom Home Process
One of the most important steps in both the architectural and building process is proper communication—especially when it comes to contracts, penalties and warranties. A properly prepared contract will clearly communicate terms and conditions, responsibilities of each party and set expectations for schedule and payment. That being said, even with a buttoned up proposal, I still receive great questions in need of clarification from prospective clients.
Let’s start by investigating four common questions to ask your architect before signing a custom home contract.
4 Common Questions to Ask Before Signing Your Custom Home Contract
Question #1: Can I request a simple sketch design instead of a full architectural proposal?
During one of our recent projects, a couple approached Springhouse asking for a proposal. Specifically, they were considering adding a full master suite and possibly renovating their entire kitchen to make it larger with an eating area. This is a substantial project, because it involves two of the most expensive places in the house. So, I sent them a proposal of our full design services—which they were not expecting. Turns out, they only needed a sketch design so they could add up the square footage. They didn’t need a structurally designed plan yet, they just wanted to answer a simple question: Should we really do this?
I love that they felt empowered to state their expectations, because that’s the only way you and your architect will understand each other. In this case, the prospective client put us in a great position to offer them exactly what they’re asking for.
Question #2: Do I have to pay multiple engineers for my custom home build?
A couple of years ago, we sent a full proposal to a prospective client for a new, modern custom home in Columbus, Ohio. As we’ve been emailing each other, the client inquired about the engineering clause, which states we don’t do any engineering. This is true; we don’t do any electrical, plumbing, or HVAC engineering—but we do include structural engineering in our full service plans. However, it doesn’t say why we don’t offer those in our contract, which is why this client was confused. He was also worried he had to pay each engineer separately. Good news! You do not have to pay extra for electrical, plumbing, mechanical, and residential engineering fees. In residential construction, the architect drafts the architectural and structural plans, which are left blank for the electrician, plumber, and mechanical contractor to mark up their own plans and submit them for their own permit.
Question #3: What’s the difference between a preliminary contract and a full service contract?
I once presented a preliminary contract for a 150-year-old building, which means we’re investigating how the project could possibly work. The old building has structural issues, it also has code issues for what the client wants to use it for. She would like to rehabilitate this building, which could be a great idea! But this will also be a huge undertaking that needs investigation to decide if it’s worth doing the work.
When I sent her the contract, it was stated very clearly that this was just an investigation phase. Unfortunately, she misunderstood and thought she was receiving full architectural services for that price. Now we’re at the point where we’ve reached the end of our work together that was described in the contract, signed and accepted by both of us.
Business contracts are difficult. You need to take the time to understand what you’re signing and ask questions. As you embark on your renovation or building journey, you have to be prepared for a lot of contracts—some with the builder, some outside of the builder. Take the time to read them, understand them, and ask for clarification. Any good business wants to answer contract questions before everyone signs, so don’t be afraid to do this.
Question #4: Is my custom home contract still good after one year?
A few years ago, I received an inquiry about building a local distillery tasting room. I excitedly sent them a proposal, and just heard back from them this week. Unfortunately, when COVID hit, they fell off the map, and they have a new round of investors. Once restaurants and bars started to open up again, this client was ready to start the project, and wanted to know if their contract was still good. There’s no doubt the world had changed the year prior, so I told them I will need to review it thoroughly.
The moral of the story? If you’re sitting on a contract trying to make a decision, reach out before you spend too much time on it, like this distillery did.
Questions You Should Ask Your Home Builder Before Getting Started
Once your custom home contract is firmed up, you might be thinking it’s all smooth sailing from here—unfortunately, that’s not always the case. No matter how much you trust your builder, you’re going to want to ask the hard questions: How are you going to serve us? What are you going to do if things go wrong?
You may feel uncomfortable asking these questions while sitting across the table from your builder or on the phone or in a zoom meeting with them. This is completely normal! My advice is to send them an email. Believe it or not, they'll be happy to respond in a thoughtful way. Also, rest assured, nobody should get defensive in this business. We know things go wrong during construction, and it’s important to know how we’re going to mitigate the risk or how things are going to go before the process begins.
So, let’s dive in!
Question #1: What’s included in my custom home’s warranty? Here’s the difference between your builder warranty and your manufacturer warranty.
Many of our clients have a difficult time understanding their warranty, which is provided with the house. All items installed come with a manufacturer's warranty. Those warranties vary based on the supplier and the manufacturer (extended warranties can be purchased and discussed prior to installation). In a nutshell, every product that goes into your home comes with a manufacturer's warranty—the flooring, the appliances, the exterior siding, everything. So, for example, if your prefinished floor finish starts coming off, and it's a manufacturer's defect, the manufacturer holds that warranty. In other words, this does not go through the builder. We, of course, would facilitate the process and help you through it, but that’s not within our builder’s contract. On the other hand, if it's an installation defect like moisture on the subfloor, then that’s the builder’s responsibility because the subcontractor of the builder put it in. In this case, the builder holds that warranty.
Question #2: Before we start, will the builder provide an initial home warranty? If so, what would they include, and how long do they last?
The builder home warranty is different from the product warranty. The product warranty is with the manufacturer and the builder’s home warranty is with the builder. Makes sense, right? At Springhouse, all of our homes come with a one-year warranty. This is typical throughout the industry. We will schedule a walkthrough with you 11 months after your move-in date to generate a punch list of items that need attention (we’ll talk about punch lists in a moment). This gives the house an entire year of heating and cooling (aka, seasonal changes), and we will correct anything you’re not satisfied with by the end of your first year in the home. As a builder, we cover installation of the things we are responsible for, and we'll come to your home to fix anything urgent. However, you can expect non-urgent things to happen throughout the year like nail pops and settling. This is where we schedule a time at 11 months to do a second punch list. Punch lists are your friend, and should be taken very seriously. You need to schedule enough time to walk through your home and make sure someone is writing things down on a list filled with deadlines, timelines and priorities. You and your builder should put a punch list together that everyone signs off on—everything that needs to be done, when it will be done and who pays for it.
Question #3: Is the home inspection included in the warranty cost?
For Springhouse, there’s usually a final home inspection by us included in the costs prior to you moving in—this is the first punch list I just talked about. This covers things like making sure every door opens and closes properly, that there’s airflow from every vent, that your windows open and close, etc. However, asking for a home inspection from another professional at the end is not a bad idea. Keep in mind, the builder does not usually pay for this, but some do, so it’s important to ask. But it’s always nice to have a second pair of eyes to take a look at mechanical and installation issues, making sure there's nothing fishy going on.
Question #4: Are there any penalties incurred by the builder?
Let’s say your builder fails to meet the projected building dates on your contract. Maybe they go a little longer than expected. It’s perfectly reasonable as a homeowner to ask if there are any penalties to this. But the short answer is no. You need to trust that the builders are going to work their hardest, and are trying their best to do everything they can to get it done on the date you were told. Remember, a builder doesn’t make any more money to drag the process out. They want to create a really great project for you and finish as quickly as they can. But things happen to get in the way. For example, maybe Mother Nature says it’s going to be 18 degrees one night, which means the builders are not going to pour a slab—otherwise, it's going to pop and crack. This would be a disaster, so the timeline needs to be pushed a little.
Sometimes deadlines are pushed due to several factors beyond our control—whether labor shortages, or material fluctuations in price and availability. Therefore, there are no penalties for delays to the project schedule. However, we do build in some fluff into our schedule to accommodate for some of the items mentioned above.
Question #5: Does the contract include a cost escalation clause for unexpected or even anticipated costs of building materials?
Since COVID hit, prices have been all over the place. So, at the moment, the answer may be that they currently do not carry an escalation clause. With the volatility in the current market, builders just can’t predict the future. At Springhouse, we do, however, lock in our lumber costs early to ensure that cost is not impacted during the construction of your home. If you’re working on a big project, talk to your builder about locking in pricing.
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