Secrets to Finding Reputable Property Builders

Source: Photo by Jeriden Villegas on Unsplash.

Big box builders dominate search results when you try to find builders online. But you don’t want master-plan builders to construct your property—you want local builders with the niche experience, skills, and honesty of good old local businesses. After all, The quality of the builders you work with determines the outcome of your investment.

But how do you find the right local builder for your property? The good ones are usually known by word of mouth and can be difficult to find online. In this article, we outline how you should look for a reputable property builder in your area.

How Can You Find Reputable Property Builders?

Some of the best methods for finding a reputable builder for your property are to get out there, look at evidence of completed buildings in your area, and ask local businesses and contacts about their experiences. Here’s how to track down prospective builders to turn your blueprint into a solid structure:

Open Your Eyes to Completed Builds Everywhere

Excellent builders don’t have extravagant websites or social media. They don’t have the time for that. Instead, their proof of work is the actual properties they’ve built that you can physically see.

Close your computer and look around you. Ask about the involved building agencies for:

• - Local construction projects
• - Local newly-built properties
• - Local groups online

Get creative to find good builders by asking property owners and construction crews in your area, and join conversations online, like on Reddit threads. They aren’t easy to spot, but the effort to lock them in is worth it, especially if you plan to build more than one property.

You’ll eventually have a roster of reliable builders to choose from, where you can categorize them by expertise.

Get In Touch With Local Stores and Friends

Visit your local building supply store, ask them for property builders with accounts there, and get some recommendations according to your goals. And no, we’re not talking about Lowes or Home Depot—reach out to actual builder supplies stores or hardware stores that only locals know about.

Alternatively, you can ask people you know for their recommendations:

• - Call your friend who’s worked with a builder and had a good experience.
• - Call your real estate agent with a vast network of property builders.

Word-of-mouth is still one of the best ways to find recommended professionals. And even if a recommended builder’s expertise doesn’t match your project objectives, the lead is still an opportunity for you to ask for a recommendation from a buddy in the industry who might meet your criteria.

Use Zillow’s Find Home Builders Tool

Zillow’s Find Home Builders tool allows you to search for builders by location or specific name. You can also search for agents, property managers, inspectors, photographers, and more.

For example, if you put “Detroit, MI” in the search bar, Zillow will show you five available builders:

• At Properties: 4 properties built with a base price of $159k
• Robertson Homes: 33 properties built with a base price of $389k
• Exchange Detroit LLC: 11 properties built with a base price of $519k
• Bedrock Management: 2 properties built with a base price of $1.1M
• Hunter Pasteur Homes: 1 property built (no base price disclosed)

More importantly, the tool gives each builder’s properties portfolio so you can evaluate output quality, type of expertise, and estimated cost.

These builders are well-known professionals, so you’ll likely find online reviews from their past clients as well.

How Should You Interview Property Builders?

Once you have a list of builders for your building project, shortlist them using the interview questions below to evaluate their professionalism, quality of work, and more.

Start with the following list of questions to ask and add your own:

• - Are your contractors licensed?
• - Can you show me one property under construction and one near completion for a good view of the “bones” of the structure and the finishing touches?
• - What percentage of properties have you built in the past two years that stayed within the original budget and timeline?
• - What communication methods do you use to provide weekly check-ins and keep me in touch with your progress?
• - Who are the main points of contact for the team, and who should I contact about making final decisions?
• - Do you visit the property yourself, or do project managers oversee the build?
• - How do you handle supply chain issues, should any arise?
• - What are the specific features to prioritize to add value to the property and stay within budget?
• - Why do you recommend your team among other recommendations?
• - What are the structure price and its warranty?
• - Ask about their change order process or the changes that’ll happen after the contract is signed. The orders will either be contractor- or homeowner-driven, so know their construction process.

Asking detailed questions about the business, the contractors’ experience and skills, and the company’s mission shows that you’re intentionally looking for the best builder for your job. Plus, doing so helps you find a professional as passionate as you. 

We don’t need to explain why asking about licensure is important to find a reliable builder. But some other questions that don’t seem as important still are.

For example, agreeing on a communication method is critical to staying in touch when you can’t visit the site daily. Choose the method that lets you communicate in several ways (i.e., text, calling, video) and learn how to utilize the platform to your needs (e.g., change the settings on WhatsApp to automatically save to your phone all the photos your contractor texts you so you don’t miss any of the progress).

Reputable Home Builders = Quality Property Builds

Good builders can be hard to find. So look for completed builds in the area, ask stores and friends for recommendations, and use Zillow’s Find Home Builders tool. Shortlist your options and thoroughly screen every team before signing the contract, and you can be confident that you’re working with people who can bring life to your real estate.

My inbox is always open if you have any questions related to real estate, rental property investing, and property management. I also have a team of if you’re interested in getting a slice of the lucrative Detroit real estate market. Get in touch!