On average, home building in Canada costs about $140 to $200 per square foot. Of course, this still depends on several factors, such as the location site of your perfect home and who will build it.
Building a home that perfectly fits your lifestyle home doesn’t have to be a headache. But it can quickly turn into a nightmare, especially when you make DIY mistakes. It’s for this reason that it’s always a great idea to follow what most smart and savvy Canadian homeowners do: working with home builders.
So, to help you to start off your home construction right here’s a walkthrough of choosing the best home building firm.
A Quick Comparison: Self Build vs. Hiring Home Builders
To better understand why hiring professional custom builders makes for a smarter choice, let’s take a look at the difference between it and self-building.
As mentioned above, how much you’ll pay for your home building project depends on who will build it. You have two basic options: self-build or work with custom builders.
Self-build, and you’ll look at lower initial expenses. You also get to enjoy the pride of seeing your hard work taking form. However, it also comes with numerous challenges, including the following:
- Building laws and regulations to comply with
- Acquiring construction permits
- Looking for suppliers and negotiating prices
- Facing the complex and lengthy process of construction
On the other hand, even when you pay more upfront for working with experienced home builders, you can rest easy knowing everything will go right. And seeing as a home is most likely your biggest investment, you want to get everything right from the start.
Now that you have a better idea why you should go pro, here’s what you should look for in custom home building professionals.
Quality is Top Priority
Custom homes aren’t short-term residences. And yours is no exclusion. Once you have a custom home built, you most likely will spend many years living here with your loved ones. And one of the last things you want is to encounter premature failure of structural systems, such as a sinking driveway, a loose ceiling, or rotting floorboards. Not only will these cost you a lot, they can also put you and your family at safety and security risk.
So, prioritizing quality over cost when it comes to home building is a great idea. You want home builders to provide you with exceptional construction work that will last for as long as possible. A good place to start is with their previous projects – ask to see and tour custom homes they’ve built.
Area of Expertise
What kind of home do you have in mind? A log home or cabin, a cottage, a timber frame home, or a traditional house? This is an important question you need to ask yourself before finalizing your choice in home builders.
The simple reason is that some contractors only specialize in certain types of homes. They may be the best in terms of modern and shiny residential properties, but if what you want is a log home, then they may not be the best choice.
Maybe you want a conventional home with a detached garage, or perhaps a timber frame home boasting a contemporary style. Whichever you desire, make sure you first establish what you really expect your home to look like, and the features you want it to have. This way, once you start searching for builders, you’ll find it easier to narrow down your list to those who specialize in what you want.
Materials and Sources
Maintenance and proper use of your home and its components play a vital role in how long it’ll last you. However, the key contributor to its lifespan is how solid its entire foundation is. Only reputable home builders understand that the overall quality of the construction materials they choose can greatly impact a home’s longevity.
At the same time, they also hold ethical building practices in high regard. They religiously follow Canada’s National Building Code, especially when it comes to using wood as a structural material. They also follow policies on choosing the right wood material, for instance, timber vs. other wood alternatives.
Affiliations and Associations Matter
Affiliations and membership with reputable associations are as important to home builders as their licensure. Their membership in these organizations indicates their credibility and professionalism.
A good example is the Canadian Home Builders’ Association. The CHBA, being the “voice of Canada’s residential construction industry”, is a great place to start conducting your research on your prospect builders.
Transparency is a Sign of Credibility
Only the best builders are those always ready to answer your questions and address your requests. They won’t make promises unless they have fully understood your expectations from the project, such as the estimated time of completion. They also won’t give you an estimate unless they’ve already conducted a thorough survey.
Even if you haven’t signed a contract yet, reputable builders will already provide you with detailed documentation of material prices, quotes, and the other professionals comprising their network. They will let you know of their building practices, the sustainability of the products they use, and the eco-conscious building policies they follow.
Find a Builder Who Makes You a Top Priority
The best builder for you is one who makes you feel that you’re indeed the top priority. This means a team who asks relevant questions and takes into consideration your own ideas about the construction. After all, you’re the customer, and it’s your house they will build.
You want a builder who responds promptly to all your enquiries, be it on the phone, email, or in person. A company that takes too long to respond to your questions and requests already indicates potential headaches later on in the project. If you encounter such, feel free to leave and move on to your next choice.
Find the Best Builder Now
At the end of the day, your choice in a builder will reflect your ultimate investment: your dream home. And for a house to be a home, the builders should’ve made sure it suits your needs and that of your entire family.
We understand that your perfect home is something of great value to you and your family. We can help in its construction, so make sure you give us a call if you need expert custom home builders.