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When should you start looking for a builder

The right time to start looking for a builder is one example of something that people often get wrong. It’s a good idea to be as early as possible in your search if you want to minimize any potential issues with your project’s scheduling.

You should ideally start your search as early as possible. This will provide you with the best possible selection of options on the market. The best builders tend to be booked for months ahead, making it difficult to hire most of them on short notice.

That said, there are a few caveats to consider.

Understand your project’s requirements

open plan living room with brown sofa and round wooden table

Before starting to look for a builder, you must understand your project’s requirements in as much detail as possible. You may need to work with different types of builders, depending on what the project calls for. If you rush ahead, you might find yourself working with the wrong contractors.

It’s also important to consider the way some builders can complement each other during specific projects. Waiting until you’ve got a full understanding of your project’s requirements can give you the benefit of being able to hire people who can support each other during the construction work.

Ensure the plans are finalized

On a related note, make sure that all plans are finalized and no further changes are going to be made. Talk to your architect and other people involved with the high-level planning to ensure that there is no pending work on their end.

Sometimes your architect may need a bit more time to sort out certain details. This may not necessarily impact your ability to find the right crew of builders, however. It all depends on the exact details involved and how they impact the project as a whole.

Keep your options open

Try to keep your options as open and flexible as possible as well. Even if you choose not to work with a specific contractor, you should still consider them as a potential option. This can provide you with some backups in case things don’t work out with a certain contractor.

This won’t always be possible, and it might turn out that your backup options are no longer available by the time you decide to contact them. This happens all the time – but the important thing is that you don’t outright discard those options when you start looking for a builder.

Builder

Clara Annesley

Clara Annesley is an interior design and construction content writer. She holds a BSc (Hons) in Architectural Design Technology from the University of West London. Clara specialises in residential construction for topics like health & safety, architectural design and writing cost guides for renovation and remodelling projects.