Do Your Homework Before You Hire a Builder

• Ask friends, relative and trade associations for referrals.
• Visit other homes that aren’t on the builder’s references list. Look at the quality of work, and talk to the owners to see if they are satisfied.
• Go to the local Building Department and find out how many permits he pulled in the past year. Does he specialize in the kind of work you want done? Is he overextended with too many projects?
• Ask the builder if he has a home in the area; if he does, it shows that he has ties to the community and is less likely to take your money and skip town. Be wary if he is a renter.
• Check courthouse records. Are there any tax liens or construction liens against the builder? Is there any litigation involving the builder?
• Finally, check out the contractor’s business status and history. Call the State Construction Industry Licensing Board in Tallahassee, (850) 487-1395, for licensing confirmation and a record of past complaints. The state’s Division of Corporations, (850) 488-9000, can provide a list of corporation’s officers, how long it has been incorporated, whether it’s active or dissolved and the name, address and phone number of the registered agent. The Better Business Bureau, (800) 275-6614, for Volusia County or (800) 940-1315 for Flagler County will also have a record of any complaints logged against the company.

Building a home is one of the biggest investments you will make and doing your homework now can help things run more smoothly in the long run. A little extra time and effort spent doing research in the beginning can save time, money and even frustration in the end.