Custom Building Your Dream Home
- Getting Started
- Types of Builders
- Choose the Right Builder
- Six Tips for Choosing a Builder
- Questions to Ask References
- Advice: Georgia Home Builders Association
Which Type of Builder is Best for You?
There are three basic types of builders fulfilling the needs of different customers. Each builder’s general management style and approach to business is shaped by the owner’s philosophies, personality, and goals. A Builder’s procedures are designed around meeting those various goals, which may or may not align with your goals. Your job is to understand what you need, and find the type of builder that’s best suited to meeting your needs.
The three basic types of builders are:
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Production Builders Production builders organize their companies for high-volume construction. They offer a collection of floor plans, each with a choice of two or more exterior designs or elevations. Buyers personalize the chosen floor plan by selecting from a set menu of floor coverings, tile, countertops, light fixtures, cabinets and exterior finishes.
Adding features from a set list of popular options can further personalize the home. Altering the structural elements — those components that support the weight of the home, such as the foundation walls — requires re-engineering and re-submission of plans to the building department. These expensive and time-consuming steps disrupt the momentum of high-volume construction. Consequently, production builders permit few structural changes. -
Semi-Custom Builders Semi-custom builders combine the characteristics of both production and custom builders. They work with preexisting plans and are flexible regarding changes, including those that require engineering and building department approval. Revising existing plans is normally faster and less costly than creating a new set of blueprints, yet this option still provides an opportunity for extensive changes.
You lose the economies of large-volume work and the resulting prices. Semi-custom builders are more open to plan changes than production builders before construction begins but less willing than custom builders to accept changes once construction is under way. -
Custom Builders Custom builders specialize in starting with a blank sheet of paper and creating a unique home. They tend to be small companies and design their operations around the customer’s active involvement throughout the building process. Their systems and personnel are organized to build on isolated, scattered sites.
Expect a significant initial investment in time and dollars for design development. Meetings can take many hours, followed by more meetings that take more hours. Because alterations are possible throughout the process and choices are virtually unlimited, costs can rise dramatically unless the buyer has the self-discipline to stick to the intended budget. Pricing economies are lost and custom-built homes typically take the longest to complete.
