So, you’ve decided to build a custom home. That’s an exciting decision, but it immediately raises one question: How do you find the right custom home builder in Calgary?
Finding the right custom home builder for you and your project is critical. After all, you’re building your dream home, and you want a builder who can get it right, communicate about the project, address your concerns, and be open about tough subjects like money.
There are many custom home builders in Calgary, each with their own experiences and strengths. You’re looking for the one that’s best for you and your custom home, though, so it’s best to take this process seriously and do your research.
Why Does It Matter Which Builder I Choose?
Building a custom home is a big project and requires a considerable investment. It’s only logical that you’ll want a custom home builder with experience on similar projects, with whom you can build a solid relationship through honest communication and who will help guide you through the process of creating your custom home.
The right custom home builder can help you with:
- Design decisions
- Building materials
- Construction schedule
- Avoiding going over budget
They’ll also provide regular updates throughout the process and be responsive to questions and concerns. Communication matters—especially when it comes to project aspects such as the scope, scale, and cost of building a custom home.
How Do I Find a Custom Home Builder?
There are many different ways to find a custom home builder in Calgary. You can speak with friends or colleagues who have gone through the process themselves for recommendations—word of mouth is always valuable—or research online and through custom home builder directories that offer reviews and recommendations.
Ellergodt Design can help, too. For over 21 years, we have been working with custom home builders to bring clients’ dream homes to life and can share our expertise in helping you find the right builder in Calgary.
Our experience allows us to recommend custom home builders in Calgary who have relevant knowledge of projects similar to yours. We base our recommendations on which builders will be the best partners for you throughout the process.
How We Help Calgary Build Custom Homes
Ellergodt Design is a residential design firm in Calgary. We collaborate with clients to transform their lifestyles, needs, and style preferences into the perfect home for them, working closely with builders throughout both the design and the building process.
How Our Process Works
When we start working with a client, one of the first questions we ask is if they have a builder in mind. If they do not, we urge them to find one as soon as possible so that we can include them in the design process.
Having builders participate allows clients to build relationships and understand how they operate. Hopefully, this will make the client feel comfortable and confident in the custom home builder as they move forward.
Creating and strengthening that relationship throughout the design process helps us all work together for the client’s benefit. Building your custom home will take a team effort; the process works best when we all work together.
If the client’s relationship with the builder isn’t the right fit, they can move on before they sign any legally binding documents.
Recommending Calgary Home Builders
The first question we ask before recommending any custom home builder to a client is simple: Would we choose them ourselves if we were building a custom home in Calgary?
If the answer is ‘Yes,’ then we can move on to selecting three builders to recommend who we believe are best suited to the specific type of project our client wants. The criteria for recommending a custom home builder to a client considers several questions
- What type of project is it?
- What’s the project scope?
- What’s the client’s budget?
- What custom home builder would be the best fit for that client?
The company that builds your home in Calgary is equally important to the one who designs it. When we recommend builders to our clients, it’s always names we know and trust.
Begin with Design
Many people looking to build a home initially search for “custom home builders in Calgary.” However, the process of building starts with design—something many builders outsource.
If you’d like to build a home, begin with design.
This way, the entire process will be more informed. Builders can give more accurate estimates, and you’ll have your choice of builders after you know what kinds of expertise your project requires and any challenges that must be faced.
What Questions Should I Ask When Interviewing Custom Home Builders?
When you’ve narrowed down your list of potential custom home builders in Calgary, you’re going to want to sit down and have an informed, thorough conversation or interview with them.
Lots of companies have fancy websites that highlight their best work, but you want to know how they will help you throughout the process and whether it’s likely that you’ll be able to have a positive, healthy relationship throughout the process.
Here are some questions we recommend asking when choosing custom home builders in Calgary:
Would I feel comfortable having tough conversations with this custom home builder?
Challenges will inevitably arise during the home-building process, and those need to be addressed. You want to know you’ll feel comfortable having those difficult conversations.
Can I bring up a problem or concern?
This is YOUR home that’s getting built, and finding a custom home builder who is open and responsive to your concerns and able to tackle problems productively should always be a priority. This is a long-term relationship, often lasting 16 months, and then the length of a warranty.
How will mistakes be addressed?
You’ll want a custom home builder in Calgary who responds to problems and mistakes on-site and reacts appropriately. Mistakes will happen, and you want a builder who handles mistakes appropriately instead of trying to bury them.
Can I see references?
Every custom home builder in Calgary should be able to provide references, and you should definitely call them to get the best possible understanding of what it’s like to work with them. You can’t just rely on a website to tell you everything you need to know about a custom home builder, but speaking with previous clients can tell you a lot.
Find Your Ideal Custom Home Builder, Calgary & Bring Your Dream to Life
At Ellergodt Design, we’ve been helping Calgarians build their dream homes for over 21 years. We work with custom home builders to bring our clients’ visions to fruition.
Picking the right custom home builder can make all the difference throughout the the entire experience of building your home. Our experienced team is happy to help you find the right fit.
Book a consultation with our friendly team and get one step closer to your dream home. Use the contact form or call (587)875-5621.
FAQ
How do I find the right builder for my new home?
Researching online, word-of-mouth, visiting new homes you like in your community and asking who built them…you have many options for gathering the information you need to pick the right custom home builder in Calgary.
At Ellergodt Design, we’ve also worked with custom home builders for decades and are happy to share our expertise and recommendations.
Who is the best home builder in Calgary?
There are lots of great custom home builders in Calgary. The real question is, “Who is the best home builder in Calgary for you?” We can help by recommending custom home builders with experience working on projects similar to yours and with whom we believe you could form a productive, constructive relationship.