How to Find a General Contractor in DeLand You Can Trust

August 3, 2021

Several tenets define and separate high-quality custom home builders from the rest of the licensed contractor pack.

The contractor you hire should have an impeccable business record and a trustworthy reputation. In addition to building the home of your dreams, he and his crew must know the ins and outs of construction financing and funding, local building codes, and have access to the finest subcontractors in the area.

5 Steps to Hiring a Top-Notch Custom Home Contractor

So, how do you find a contractor of that caliber? Just make your way through these five steps.

1. Ask friends, family, and neighbors for referrals

Sure, successful DeLand contractors invest in marketing and advertising, but the best DeLand contractors pride themselves on word-of-mouth referrals. Referrals from current and recent clients are the surest sign of a job expertly done.

Have friends or family built a custom home you love in the area? Is there a neighbor’s home or residential building project you admire in your neighborhood or local area? If so, ask who their contractor is.

If you get a few different referrals, you can skip down to #3. If not, it’s time to peruse the web.

2. Search for contractors online

If you don’t have direct referrals, or you only gleaned a referral or two, we recommend using your search engine to find contractors in your area online. Once you put together a list, begin looking at their websites.

You’re looking for:

A professional website. If a contractor has an unprofessional or outdated website, odds are the company isn’t up to the detail level you’re looking for when building a custom home.
The words “custom home.” Contractors aren’t always interested in the custom home market. Many focus more on tract or subdivision-type developments, while others may focus on remodels or renovations as they enjoy smaller and quicker projects.
A mention of licensing and insurance. We’ll discuss this in more detail below, but you’re looking for a contractor who advertises they are licensed, bonded, and insured.
Information about their process. The best custom home builders provide a full-spectrum experience, including the planning, design, and home build-out. Of course, we welcome any plans you provide from your own research, and we can work with your architect and/or interior designer. However, some things that look great on paper don’t “work” in real life, so you want a home builder who can provide the next best design option without having to send you back to the drawing board.
A gallery or portfolio. Finally, it’s nice to have an idea of the type of work they do. While a licensed contractor can build just about anything, some have particular niches. It’s best to find a contractor whose general work portfolio resonates with your design and style tastes.

You can tell quite a bit about prospective builders by the look and feel of their website, and your personal consults will fill in the rest of the gaps.

3. Schedule consultations with at least three to five contractors

Once you’ve identified your Top 3 or 5 DeLand contractors, it’s time to schedule consultations. We can’t emphasize how important these consults are to finding your best fit.

The average custom home design and build process requires one to two years, and high-end luxury homes can take as long as three years from Day 1 of planning to the day you gain occupancy. In other words, you’re forging a long-term relationship with the general contractor, their team, and the subcontractors they hire to work on the project.

Meeting in person allows you to get a sense of who they are, as well as what they’re capable of. While pictures and online ratings are important benchmarks, your gut instincts are a powerful force. So it’s worth it to pay a little more for a contractor who you get a good feeling about than to accept a cheaper bid from one that gives you pause.

4. Ask the right questions

To get a sense of who they are, what they stand for, and their general design and build process, you’ll need to ask questions. These include:

Are you licensed? You can verify Florida contractor licenses/status on the Florida DBPR Licensing Portal. Never hire a contractor who doesn’t hold a current license.
Can you provide proof of insurance and bonding? These are essential. Hopefully, you’ll never need to use this information, but if something goes awry or you wind up hiring a contractor with a poor work ethic, you’ll need it.
How accurate are your schedules and timelines? Even the best contractors in the business can’t control product supply or backorders. The key here is to find a contractor whose message aligns with the references you check (more on that below). Honesty is always better than “say anything to get your business” when getting into a contract with a builder.
What is your communication process? Is there a single point of contact? It’s helpful to have a single point of contact you can call or email and expect an answer within 24-hours (weekends excluded).
Can I see a more extensive portfolio? Online photos are great, but stock photos can be purchased from anywhere. It’s best to see an actual portfolio of current and recent projects representing the type of home you’re planning to build.
Can you provide current and recent referrals? Take the time to call or email current and recent clients to learn more about their experience – both the good and the not-so-good. Hopefully, their experience aligns with your prospective contractor’s responses.

Now, it’s time to get bids.

5. Get itemized bid/estimates for your project

Bids and estimates vary from contractor to contractor. You’re looking for detailed or itemized bids that outline specific costs so you can compare apples to apples. If you have a question about a bid or estimate or see dramatic differences for seemingly similar items, don’t hesitate to ask.

Finally, be very wary of any bid that comes in notably lower than the others in the bunch. This almost always indicates one of two things – hidden charges or fees that will show up throughout the course of your project or a contractor who is desperate to get work and isn’t going to provide the quality craftsmanship you are looking for.

This is a great time to build a custom home, and you deserve to enjoy as stress-free of a design and buildout as possible. Contact Fogle Constructors at 386-279-0901 to schedule a consultation. We look forward to answering all of your questions honestly and in detail. You never need a signed contract to start a conversation with us. We’ll help you think through your project’s scope, budget, and more to ensure we’re the best fit for the job.