| The creation of a new home stands at the | | | | What else to look for in a good contractor? |
| intersection of style, vision, craft and practical | | | | Excellent communication. Your builder should |
| living. Building a house is so much more than | | | | provide written, daily communication (daily status |
| arranging a series of boxes into a design | | | | emails), weekly site meetings (if possible), |
| vernacular and choosing some colors and | | | | multi-week look-ahead schedules updated weekly, |
| textures. It presents an opportunity to express | | | | and completely transparent financial |
| yourself and create positive life change through | | | | documentation. |
| solid design and sound craftsmanship. | | | | A builder that plays well with others and |
| A good house is based on good design, and it all | | | | communicates clearly as a team member with |
| depends on flawless execution by the builder. | | | | clients, architects, and engineers will ensure that |
| Often, the professional designer/architect specifies | | | | the process of building, as well as the final |
| some unique materials. Sometimes those materials | | | | product, shines as superior in nature. Process |
| require precise handling and installation. Even the | | | | matters as much as product. After all, moving |
| most common materials can be installed with | | | | into a house built by a firm with whom the client |
| great precision and care that allows them to | | | | has had a contentious relationship is no fun. |
| outperform even their own specifications. | | | | This is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of |
| Conversely, expensive, supposedly durable | | | | qualifications and process. But by choosing a skilled |
| materials can be poorly handled and fail long | | | | builder that is passionate about good |
| before they should. There is no way a design | | | | communication, you should be able to rely on |
| professional can realistically ensure that a design is | | | | them to make your vision real, and enjoy the ride |
| well-built. Therefore, choosing an experienced, | | | | along the way. But be sure to check that they |
| highly-skilled builder becomes mission critical with | | | | have a strong track record of built work and |
| design-driven projects. And your builder's project | | | | satisfied clients. |
| manager should be a master craftsman. | | | | |