Questions to Ask Your Custom Home Builder

Experience & Track Record

• How long have you been building custom homes? Look for at least 10 years of experience.
• How many homes have you built in the last 5 years? Active builders stay current with codes and techniques.
• Can I visit a current job site? How a builder maintains their site tells you a lot.
• Can I speak with recent clients? Not just references they provide—ask for the last 3-5 clients.

If Considering ICF

• How many ICF homes have you built? ICF requires specific expertise. Less than 5 is a red flag.
• Which ICF brand do you use and why? We use Nudura—there should be a clear reason for their choice.
• What blower door results do your ICF homes typically achieve? If they can't answer or don't test, be wary.
• Do you have ICF-trained crews or use subcontractors? In-house expertise is preferable.

Energy Performance

• Do you blower door test every home? The answer should be yes.
• What HERS score do your homes typically achieve? Lower is better. Under 50 is excellent.
• Are you certified by any energy efficiency programs? DOE Zero Energy Ready, ENERGY STAR, etc.
• Who sizes your HVAC systems? Should be Manual J calculation, not rules of thumb.

Business Practices

• Are you licensed and insured? Verify their license number and insurance coverage.
• What's your warranty? One year minimum on workmanship, 10 years on structure is standard.
• How do you handle change orders? Get the process in writing before signing.
• What's your communication style? Weekly updates? Project management software? Site access?

Pricing & Contracts

• Do you provide fixed-price or cost-plus contracts? Understand exactly what you're agreeing to.
• What's included in your standard specifications? "Allowances" can hide costs.
• How are draws structured? Payments should align with work completed.
• What happens if the project goes over budget or schedule?

Questions We're Happy to Answer

At Austin Touchstone Builders, we welcome these questions because we have good answers:

• Decades of experience with ICF construction
• DOE Zero Energy Ready certified partner
• Blower door testing on every home
• Published project results and client references
• Transparent pricing and communication