There are over 450 Santa Clarita Custom Home Builders. Where do you begin your search to find the right craftsman to build your dream home?


An Santa Clarita custom builder must be more than just an expert with building materials, sub-contractors, timelines and building codes. Custom builders must have extraordinary relationships with everyone involved in the process.

General contractors and builders must be thoroughly organized. They must be proactive about addressing potential problems. There are many challenges for builders, including: scheduling challenges, back-ordered materials, and weather. Your builder's ability to handle these challenges and his or her communication style can dramatically reduce the stress associated with building a custom home.

Your custom home will be the foundation of your family's lifestyle. It is also one of the greatest financial investments you'll make. Choosing the right Santa Clarita contractor is imperative to ensuring a successful endeavor.

Where to start your search for a builder.

• Contact friends and neighbors who have had experience building their own custom home.
  

• Contact an Santa Clarita realtor who has relationships with local custom home builders. Additionally, the current real estate market has a large selection of available new homes that were built by speculation builders. You may be able to find a new home that has already been built. Ask your real estate agent for a tour of current "spec homes" built by local custom builders. This will give you an opportunity to see the builder's work firsthand.
  

• Contact the Santa Clarita Builders Association. Santa Clarita contractors who join the Home Builders Association of Santa Clarita must meet all legal and insurance requirements to maintain a valid membership.

What to look when interviewing contractors.

• Personality. It is said that building a custom home can be likened to a marriage. Indeed, you will be working with your custom home builder for several months during the planning stages of your custom home, then there will be several months during the building phase as well as several months of follow up ensuring that everything in your new custom home works as intended. Ask yourself if you are comfortable communicating with your custom home builder? Do you feel like you are really being listened to by your builder? Does your contractor explain the process in an easy to understand and straightforward manner?
  
  

• Organization. Does your builder seem to have the necessary organizational skills to coordinate the delicate and continually changing schedules involved in building a custom home?
  
  
  
• Communication. Is your custom home builder easily reached? You'll want to ensure that you have the ability to easily reach your builder when you have concerns or challenges arise.
  
  

Ask lots of questions and get everything in writing.

Make sure to get everything in writing. Compare costs of similarly constructed homes. Use the services of a qualified realtor to research prices of similar homes.

Ask for a detailed proposal in writing.

Be sure to obtain a detailed written proposal which outlines exactly what is included in your total cost to build. Do your homework to ensure that any allowances sufficiently cover the types of materials you envision in your dream home. If allowances are not adequate, they should be adjusted to reflect the cost of the materials you wish to be used for your home. The more you plan prior to construction, the more you will save.

Use an attorney to review the final contract.

Find an attorney who specializes in construction disputes to review your contract. This may cost you several hundred dollars, but is strongly recommended. This could save you countless headaches. An experienced attorney can help you clarify expectations well before actual construction begins.

Above all else, trust your instinct. And remember, if the price is too good to be true... it probably isn't a deal.

Best of luck!