The construction of a custom home is a substantial undertaking requiring constant, clear communication between the builder and Homeowner. With the process taking a minimum of many months to over a year to complete, finding the right builder is one of the most important decisions you will ever make. While there are a number of qualified, reputable builders in La Plata County, it is important to choose a builder that will be compatible with your vision and needs.

In choosing a builder we suggest you consider the following questions/recommendations in your search.
   
1. Are they members of the Homebuilders Association of Southwest Colorado? Builders who belong to professional trade organizations demonstrate commitment to the industry and their community.
   
2. Ask to visit homes comparable to the home you are planning to build. This can provide great insight into how the builder communicates, where their strengths and weaknesses lie, and whether they have direct experience in building the type of home you are considering.
   
3. Unlike many other states, Colorado has no licensing agency for building contractors. Check with the La Plata County building department to see if your builder has participated in the County Building Department’s voluntary contractor registration program.
   
4. Ask for references including previous clients, insurance agents, banks, tradesmen and suppliers. This will tell you how the builder pays his bills, how safe and clean their jobsites are, and how good they are scheduling. Most local banks have a list of qualified builders.
   
5. Check their insurance policies. Besides ensuring that the builder has adequate liability and workman’s compensation insurance, it will be necessary to have builder’s risk insurance on the home during the construction process and the owner should have personal liability insurance for the project as well. While the builder can provide builder’s risk insurance, oftentimes it can be procured less expensively through the homeowner’s insurance policy. You should meet with your insurance agent to see what is the best way to obtain this coverages.
   
6. Ask if the builder has a warranty program and how they follow up with punchlist items. While certain warranty items are required by law, it is important to know exactly what warranties the builder will provide, and how they will follow up after you’ve moved in to your home.
   
7. Durango is a remote, relatively small town with limited resources for labor and tradesmen. Oftentimes many builders will rely on the same trades and suppliers that their competitor uses. It is important in comparing prices to compare apples to apples and make sure that one builder is not substituting materials of lesser quality, or omitting work that others have included in their pricing.
   
8. Get it in writing. There are numerous types of construction agreements including fixed price, cost plus, cost plus with a not to exceed, etc. No one type of contract is right for every project so make sure you understand exactly how the builder will be compensated and what is included in the work. The more terms and conditions that can be identified in the construction agreement the less opportunity for misunderstandings and missed expectations for all involved.
   
9. Establish communication. Ask how the builder intends to communicate with you during the project. Do you prefer emails, text messages, phone calls, or tweets. Be clear on what information and how often you can expect communications. Be clear on payment terms and what documentation will be provided with requests for payment.
   
10. Get lien waivers. With each invoice or draw you should expect the builder to provide lien waivers for any work included with that payment.
   
11. Find out who is responsible for obtaining and paying for permits, impact and plant investment fees, etc. Knowing what permits and fees are required can be very confusing, expensive, and time consuming. An experienced builder will be knowledgeable about the process and should be willing to provide this service.
   
12. Understanding the process for what decisions are required, when, and by whom is extremely important to keeping the project on schedule. Building a home is a very sequential process. Most often one job cannot be started until another is completed, so if the builder must wait on a decision or for materials, it can cause delays to multiple trades, wreaking havoc with the project schedule. The builder should provide the owner with a schedule for when each material decision is required.