Your home is among the most significant investments you can make. It’s not just a financial investment; it’s committing your resources to your long-term safety and security. Don’t entrust the building of such an important part of your life to just anyone.
When selecting which new home builders in Utah you can trust and which you should stay away from, you have a lot to consider.
Whether you’re a current resident looking to upgrade or a transplant moving in from out of state, choose a Utah home builder with the qualifications to complete the job thoroughly and efficiently. Still, identifying which home builder can feel overwhelming.
Use this list of seven qualities to look for in a home builder to help you select the right builder for your new Utah home.
Choose Utah home builders with proof of customer satisfaction.
The best people to tell you about what to expect when working with a Utah home builder are their previous customers. Get as much information as you can from them.
One simple way to find out what other customers think is by talking to other homebuyers in the neighborhood who used the builder in question for their new Utah home construction.
Ask previous clients about their experience with the Utah builders you’re considering:
- Was it a positive experience overall?
- What did they like about working with the builder?
- What would they have changed, if anything?
- Would they use the same home builder again?
- Would they recommend the builder to friends and family?
- Are they satisfied with their new home?
The answers to these questions should help you quickly eliminate home builders with poor construction quality or a track record of issues with clients.
If you aren’t sure whom to talk to, ask the builder for a list of a few previous clients you could talk to. A home builder with a good reputation should be happy to share them. Some builders, like Henry Walker Homes, give you some of this information on their website through customer testimonials. Or, look to Google or Facebook reviews for a collection of honest reviews.
Get clear communication and expectations from your Utah home builder.
A reputable home builder should provide clear and open communication about your project throughout the entire process.
Communicate what you want and need out of your home-building project early on. Your builder should inform you about what options you have to make the goals of your project a reality. They should also have the insights to offer solutions and features you may not have thought of or even knew existed.
Communication shouldn’t stop after the planning stage. Your home builder should inform you about any issues that could delay your project. Those could be anything from supply chain issues to weather delays. Experienced Utah home builders know the struggles that Utah weather fluctuations can cause.
Choose a home builder that doesn’t just report the issues but also offers solutions, possible workarounds, and timelines on how the changes will affect the project. Don’t work with a contractor who won’t take the time to communicate with you.
Select experienced new home builders in Utah.
Avoid becoming the guinea pig for a new home-building experiment. Work with a home builder with a track record of overcoming construction obstacles to deliver on projects. From zoning issues to supply disruption or labor shortages, the builder’s experience will give them the contacts and know-how to pilot your project through the challenges that can arise on a construction project.
Ask your potential builder how long they have been building homes in Utah. Ask them how many homes they’ve built. Generally, the more years of experience and the more houses they’ve built, the better the chance of success on your project.
You can often find a portfolio of a home builder’s past projects on their website, but that may be only a fraction of their experience. Dig a little deeper and discover when the company was founded and how many clients they have served.
Once you find an experienced home builder, trust their experience to build your home efficiently. The time and reputation working in the industry can sometimes give them access to bulk deals on materials that can save you and them money.
Expect the expertise of a custom home builder.
Work with a builder who can build various types of homes, especially if you want to make customizations. Some builders get very good at building one or two-floor plans and use them for all the homes they build. This creates boring neighborhoods where the houses lack any of the personality of the people living there.
Having expertise in building multiple types of homes provides more than aesthetic benefits. Home builders with custom expertise can offer you more options and often have more solutions to unforeseen construction issues.
Take advantage of the insights and cross-functional expertise you can get from a custom home builder.
Get proof of licenses and insurance as new home builders in Utah.
Avoid unlicensed or uninsured homebuilders. The lack of licensing and insurance should send up a red flag. Either the company has made mistakes in the past that have caused them to lose their license and/or insurance, they can’t meet the standards for licensing and insurance, or they don’t take their home building business seriously enough to get it licensed and insured. Any of those scenarios are bad for you as the client.
Not only can choosing an unlicensed or uninsured home builder result in a subpar home, but if they cut corners on material standards or building codes, you could be liable for any injuries or illnesses that result.
You’re already investing enough money in your home, don’t risk it all on a less-than-reputable builder. Pick a Utah home builder that’s licensed and insured.
Choose Utah home builders who warranty their work.
Good home builders will stand by their work. Usually, they show that integrity by offering a warranty on the project. But be careful. Not all warranties are the same.
Expect, at minimum, a one-year warranty on the work from your home builder. Most reputable builders will offer much more than that. Look for long-term security in your home builder’s warranty. Some builders provide a third-party, insured warranty. This ensures the warranty even if the builder goes out of business. Henry Walker Homes offers an insurance-backed, ten-year structural warranty.
Don’t put thousands of dollars into a home only to have it fall apart and stick you with a money pit. Choose a home builder that warranties its work—the longer and stronger the warranty, the better.
Get a commitment to customer service from your Utah home builder.
Finally, don’t settle for a builder who doesn’t treat you respectfully. Investing in the building of a new home can be stressful. Choose a builder who helps to ease that stress, not one that causes more. While the builder may be the construction expert, you are the customer. Your concerns should be heard and addressed.
In some ways, good customer service means delivering a quality product efficiently while providing hands-on guidance and feedback throughout the process. That’s why most builders with the previous six qualities will likely also offer good customer service. They go hand and hand.
Don’t forget that you deserve top-quality customer service.
Find all seven of these preferred Utah home builder qualities and more at Henry Walker Homes!
You can shorten the home builder search in Utah by choosing Henry Walker Homes. The experienced builders at Henry Walker Homes have spent over a decade satisfying customers with customizable homes. Our home builders are licensed and insured in Utah. We offer a ten-year, insured structural warranty on the homes we build. We put the customer first, and we’ve got testimonials from our happy customers that prove it.
Contact Henry Walker Homes today for everything you need in a Utah home builder!
