I hear it every time. It's the question ten out of ten people ask me when I tell them I design custom homes: "Oh? What builders do you work with?"

Anyone who's the least bit interested in building a new home is thinking about builders before they think about floor plans, decorating, building lots, or anything else. Why? Because the builder is the key player; the captain; the guy who manages the entire building process for you; the guy you'll be writing the really big checks to (and you thought house plans were expensive!).

And because everyone knows that the builder can make or break a project.

But how can that be? Wouldn't any builder you choose be working with the same set of plans? Don't all builders have to build to the requirements of the building code? Don't they get the same prices from their suppliers? Doesn't your building contract spell out exactly what the builder must do?

The answers to the questions above are: yes, yes, no, and maybe. But those answers have almost nothing to do with the success of your project.

How Much Do You Know?

If you read the other articles in this series, you might remember my comments about "test-driving" a house. You can't, of course - so without some knowledge you're completely dependent upon others. Through this site you're learning about how to make wiser choices of house plan designs. But if you don't take a few minutes to learn about builders, all that knowledge might just go to waste.

Let's be clear here - the world is full of excellent builders. Great builders, in fact - a few I know are extraordinary. I'd go so far as to say most builders I know do everything in their power to provide a quality service and product to their clients.

Those are the guys you're looking for. There are also guys to avoid.

Horror Stories

Remember that neighbor of yours - the one whose 2-month kitchen remodeling took a year? And then the granite countertops cracked and had to be replaced? What about your cousin who was quoted $300,000 to build his new house - and it ended up costing him $400,000?

Everyone's heard horror stories about houses and it's one of the biggest fears of new homeowners. It's not always the builder's fault when things go wrong - sometimes it's your fault. When it is, it's because you A) didn't thoroughly research your builder's credentials; or B) didn't prepare a detailed set of plans and specifications; or C) tried to get high quality work for a low quality price.

Differences In Expectations

Differences in expectations are the root of all evil in the design and construction business. I had an interesting conversation with a young couple at a party a year or two ago; they'd built their dream home with a local builder and everything had gone wrong. It took too long, it cost too much, and the builder declared bankruptcy before the house was done, throwing the whole project into chaos. What a shame!

I knew of the builder and I knew of his reputation (he'd declared bankruptcy several times before) so I asked the couple what had convinced them to go ahead with him given his checkered past. "We didn't know," they answered. As it turns out, they hadn't checked him out at all - the new model home and the sign in the yard was enough to convince them to hand over $500,000. I'll bet they spent more time researching their plasma TV purchase.

That builder has fled town and is now setting up shop outside of Nashville, Tennessee - watch out Vols!

Difference In Expectations Lesson Number One: just because the builder has completed projects successfully before don't expect that yours will be successful too. You must thoroughly research the qualifications and financial history of anyone you're going to hand over hundreds of thousands of dollars too. I can't stress this enough - do it!

Difference In Expectations Lesson Number Two: don't sign a contract without a full set of construction drawings and complete specs. This is the cause of most problems. The neat features and details you saw in the model home won't be in your home unless you specify them in the construction contract. That's what "specs" are - a listing of all the finishes, fixtures, and features that will be in your home. Without that, you can only hope you'll get what you want.

Difference In Expectations Lesson Number Three: don't automatically pick the cheapest guy and hope that he'll deliver a quality product. There's a reason why he's cheapest, and it's not because he's giving away free granite countertops. I'm constantly amazed by how many otherwise intelligent and accomplished businessmen are drawn to the lowest bidder like a moth to a flame.

1. Know Your Budget
How much can you afford? How much do you want to spend? Or how much should you spend? If you are looking at the home as an investment for future turn-over, you may not want to build a log castle on a city lot. If this is your dream and you plan on living there a long time, then you plan for that. Looking at resale is always good with any home purchase. You should write out your plans and discuss them with your spouse, investment partner, banker and financial advisor. Be practical and allow for unforeseen expenses. Consider how much of the work you will be doing yourself. This could allow you to go larger on the home or buy a nicer piece of property.

* Total budget $_______________

* Land $____________

* Home $_____________

2. Purchase Land
For some this step may come at different times. The obvious point is that you will need some land to put your home on.

3. Decide On A Plan
Once you know your budget you can begin to look for a plan. You can get estimates on different plans to figure out the basic size and style of home that will work within your budget. Some folks have been working on this step most of their life, hence the dream. The design process of finding and working with the home style and floor plan that’s right for you can be painstaking. However, this is probably the most important part of the process.

4. Decide On A Log Home Provider
Sometimes finding the provider first can help put some of the other steps in order. The company you decide to buy your log package from should be able to:

* Either build your home or put you in touch with a builder.

* Help you find the right style you are looking for according to your budget, needs, and dreams.

* Supply quality products of the style you have chosen within your budget.

5. Find A Builder
In some cases the log provider is the builder, but you may need to find a contractor / builder. Most log home companies only provide the materials to complete the project. Your log provider should have a network of builders and other contractors and know their qualifications. As the customer, you would be responsible for contracting with the builder and should always check out who you are going to be dealing with for the next one to two years or even longer on some projects.

6. Get Your Permits
Check with your local township and get the paper work for their specific building and inspection process. Find out what type of septic and well you will need for your area. This should be one of your first steps as some areas have specific sizes for homes and septic sizes. Drive around and get the names of other homeowners and builders in your area. Most often they would be happy to share their success story. Tell them you would like to build a log home and ask them for names and numbers of contractors in the area.

7. Hire Someone To Put The Foundation In
The best time to find a foundation contractor is in the off-season. So begin early to secure your spot for when the frost leaves the ground. If you have a builder, he may already have a subcontractor lined up that he likes to work with.

8. Order Your Log Package
Order the log portion of your package as soon as possible to ensure that your logs are cut, peeled and dried when you’re ready for them. At Classic Log Homes, Inc. we are able to provide high quality log products and save you money on your log home by cutting your package to order. We use small, family owned log mills with low overhead and we don’t have a large advertising budget. We are then able to pass the savings on to you. Your best savings comes from our air dried, natural peeled logs. We also have more modern milled, kiln dried, and true handcrafted log packages to fit your budget and individual taste for your one-of-a-kind dream home.

9. Compare Products and Prices With Other Companies
At Classic Log Homes, Inc., the cornerstone of our business is exceptional quality products and services at lower prices. We are confident that you will get larger, higher quality logs for less. So we encourage you to compare with out competitors.