Working with a Builder
courtesy of CMHC
Begin your search
- Check the home section and ads in your newspaper to find out which companies are building in your area, the types of homes they offer and the prices you can expect to pay.
- Ask friends, family and coworkers for names of reputable builders they have dealt with.
- Call or check the Web site of the local Home Builders’ Association for the names of builders in your area.
- Call the new home warranty provider(s) in your province for a list of registered builders, or check their Web site (the Ontario New Home Warranty Plan administrator lets you check the builder’s warranty record at the same time).
- Visit the Web sites of builders in your community.
- Call builders to find out where they are building, or where you can see some of their homes.
- Check the Yellow Pages™.
- Go to home shows to meet builders and to explore the latest in features and finishes.
- Visit builders’ sales offices, model homes and communities.
As you go through your home search, collect as much information as you can — pamphlets, brochures, builder’s packages, product literature, warranty information and so on. Read through it all and create a file of everything that interests you.
Always carry a notebook with you and write down information about the builders and the homes that you see. If you don’t, it can be difficult later to remember the details of a particular home or discussion, or to recall which builder said what.
You may also want to bring a camera along. When you keep track, it is easier to remember to collect the right information from every builder you visit. It also makes it much easier to compare the companies, their products, their selling process and their reputation, when you are ready to make a decision.
Who is who in home building?
The type of builder you will be looking for depends on the area you live in, and the home you want. Here is a general overview of different types of home building companies.
Developers are responsible for getting large tracts of land ready for building. This can involve infrastructure and services (utilities, roads, sewers), community layout and design, including recreational spaces — whatever it takes to turn the land into a neighbourhood. Developers may also construct the homes, or the lots may be sold to individual home building companies.
Large building companies specialize in building homes in bigger developments. These companies generally offer a selection of homes designed specifically for the development. Minor customization by homebuyers is usually permitted, but there are usually limits to the amount of change possible. Most will also have a set process for all aspects of the purchase, from the contract signing to the pre-delivery inspection.
Medium-sized companies range from 10 to 50 homes a year, depending on your region. Medium-sized companies can be quite diverse — building in developments as well as on individual lots; constructing single-family dwellings as well as townhouses and other low-rise buildings.
Small-sized companies build under 10, and often less than five homes a year.
Custom builders build one-of-a-kind homes, each one usually designed and built for a particular customer who may or may not already own the lot. The custom building process allows for complete flexibility, within the limits of municipal regulations and what’s possible technically.
Construction contractor is another term for builder. Most commonly, it is used for companies who are contracted by purchasers to build a home on land they already own.
Manufactured housing builders construct homes in a factory and bring them to the building site as panels, modules or fully completed units. The amount of work required on-site to complete the home depends on the type and size of the building, the type of foundation and the customization required.
