How do I find a builder? In this snack size episode of Home: The Second Story, we start by making one thing clear. Clients do not need to come to an architect with a builder already picked out. Some people arrive with a builder in hand. Others come with no names at all. Both are fine. A good architect helps guide that decision and can share builders who have done strong work on similar projects. We also clarify that architects do not build the house, and we do not have financial partnerships with builders. The goal is to help clients find the right fit for their project.
We talk about the difference between a good builder and the right builder. A builder may be excellent, but still not suited to a specific project, budget, location, or client. Custom homes, renovations, production builds, and spec homes all require different processes and different kinds of teams. That fit matters more than a polished website or a big social media presence.
For owners looking on their own, we walk through practical ways to find names. Social media can help, especially when builders show work that looks similar to what the owner wants. But a strong online presence does not always mean strong execution. Driving through neighborhoods can also be useful. Active job sites reveal a lot. A clean, organized site says something about how the builder works. Friends, neighbors, neighborhood groups, and private messages can also be valuable sources, especially when people are willing to talk honestly about the process.
We also talk about builder open houses, model homes, and Parade of Homes events. These can be helpful because they let owners see finished work and meet the builder in person. But they can also move too fast. A beautiful model home is not the same as a custom process, and owners should not sign with someone before checking references and understanding what kind of work that builder really does.
Once there is a list of possible builders, the next step is to narrow it down. Owners should ask whether the builder’s services match the project. They should notice whether calls are returned, whether the builder has a clear process, and whether the first conversation feels honest. A salesperson is not a problem, but the goal should be connection, not just closing a deal. If every answer is yes, that can be a warning sign. The best builders know when a project is not the right fit.
The main takeaway is simple. Finding a builder takes networking, research, and honest conversations. Or, an owner can start with an architect who has already done much of that vetting and can help build the right team from the beginning.
(00:00:00) - Intro
(00:00:40) - How clients find builders
(00:02:34) - The architect's role in builder selection
(00:06:18) - Finding a builder without an architect
(00:08:04) - Neighborhood research and asking friends
(00:10:02) - Builder open houses and model homes
(00:13:14) - Evaluating your shortlist
(00:16:18) - First contact and communication style
(00:20:12) - Checking references and final vetting
(00:23:13) - Outro
059 2026 08 04 Choosing Builder SNACK Video
Speakers: Marilyn Moedinger & Sheri Scott
Marilyn Moedinger (00:00:
Hello and welcome to a snack size episode of Home: The Second Story. I'm Marilyn Moedinger from Runcible Studios in Lancaster, Pennsylvania and Boston, Massachusetts.
Sheri Scott (00:11):
And I'm Sheri Scott with Springhouse Architects in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Marilyn Moedinger (00:15):
Alright, well let's dive in. We're talking about something that we get questions about all the time, all the time, which is: “How do I find a builder?” We've talked in the past a little bit about this in various ways.
We've talked about when you should find a builder, what kind of builders there are, that kind of stuff, how you do contracts, those are all different episodes, you can go listen to all those. But how do you actually find one?
Sheri Scott (00:40):
In my practice, we have people come with various attachments. Like some clients come and they say, “I already have my builder, I already have my lot, we need the architectural done.” Others come having no connection, or others come knowing, “Oh, this one guy, my friends use this guy, I don't know if we want to use them.”And so, it depends how our clients come to us as to how we help them.
If somebody comes and says, “I have a builder, basically, we're already signed up with them, we're going to use them,” that's fine with me. We'll work toward that.That doesn't change our process at all. We still would stop at the point where we stop and share the drawings with the builder and get their feedback, and basically, interview them with the actual house we want to build. But that's if they bring their own builder.
Now, if they don't have anybody, that's a whole different story. And a lot of clients have the misconception that we work with … well, first of all, some still have the misconception that we actually build the building and we do not.
Marilyn Moedinger (02:07):
We do not, no.
Sheri Scott (02:10):
(Chuckles) And I don't have financial obligations or partnerships with any builders. So, I have never gone down that road, I don't think you have either.I don't even know how that world works and I'm not interested in it because what I want to do is help my clients find who the best person is to build their house.
Marilyn Moedinger (02:34):
Yeah, for them and for their project because like a great builder might not be the right fit for a certain person or a certain project and that's okay, it's about finding the right fit.
Sheri Scott (02:46):
I've been in this business for 30 years now (laughs). I know, I added it up last night from college, graduated from college in ’96, and here we are, 2026, 30 years later.So, it's network; it's who you know, it's who you hear about, who you hear does a good job, who you hear does a bad job, and our clients aren't in that same circle.
So, I don't expect them to come with a wide breadth of names of contractors, especially ones that would be particularly fitted to their project.
Marilyn Moedinger (03:30):
Yeah, I think that's the key, is there's a running theme through a lot of what we talk about around here, which is you don't have to come to us with the answers, we are here to help you figure that out.
A good architect is your decision sherpa helping you figure things out along the way.So, you don't have to come with a builder in hand, you don't even have to come with any builder names or anyone you've even heard of.It's okay, we're there to help that process.
And as far as my practice, most of the time, folks come to me without a builder. So, on my renovations and my complicated projects and in the Boston area, they're coming to me first because the first stop is the architect usually.
So, that being said, one of the first questions I ask in our first meeting is, “Do you have a builder in mind?” And oftentimes, people will sheepishly say, “No, I don't know.” And I'm like, “That's fine. It's just a question, totally fine.”
And then what I say next is, well, I have a list of builders that I've used or that my clients have used over the last 12 years I've been in business that my clients have enjoyed working with that we sort of work with over and over, and I'm not tied to any of them in terms of like there's no financial or legal connection to any of them, but I've done like 10 projects with one builder so there's a familiarity there.
They know my drawings, I know them, like we work well together.So, I would put together a list and say, “Based on your project and based on where you are in the city and based on all these things, these are the three that I would recommend.”
Well, actually, let's back up because if my lawyer and insurance person is listening, we don't actually recommend builders. That's actually a key distinction; we don't recommend builders.We say, these are folks who have done great work in the past and so are obviously are good candidates for moving forward.
That gets into the technicalities of liability and practice law, which we will not go into right now, but just trust us that that's kind of a thing.
So, from that standpoint, how to find a builder, I also say that I'm happy to learn about new builders. So, if a client comes to me and says, “I'm happy to talk with the guys you've worked with in the past, but I also have some folks on my list that I'm interested in,” that's great.That's how I meet new builders.
Sheri Scott (06:04):
And I ask clients specifically to do that. Like we've worked with people, if you have heard of anybody or want to bring anyone else into the mix, we love that, we welcome it.
Marilyn Moedinger (06:18):
So, I think we have other shows where we talk about how to interview a builder, but let's dive a little bit more into how to find one. Let's say you're not working with an architect. So, we've just described the process, if someone comes to us, we help them. End of the story, good to go.
But let's say you are an owner who is not working with an architect or for whatever reason, you need to find the builder on your own. Let's talk about that. Let's talk about how you might find good builders.
One of the ways, and this is going to sound a little cheesy, but it's true, is social media. So, look on social media. Who's active on social media in your area?Who's posting the kinds of projects that you are interested in or look similar? Who's talking about the work in a way that you feel connected to, that you feel their communication style jives with you? That's a great way to find a builder.
Now, I will put an asterisk next to that. Some builders are really good at the marketing side and not good at the execution side, or they have a shiny cover, but really, they're not that great for your project or for a custom project or whatever, and the opposite is also true.
So, some of the guys that I work with who just do great work over and over and over, like you Google them and their website is from 2002, and they're too busy doing great work. So, I say use social media, but with caution.
Like think about it, when you go to interview them, that might get them on the interview list, like they have great social media or great web presence. But make sure that they have the chops to stand up behind it, and don't ding somebody too badly if their website is kind of outdated and weird.
Sheri Scott (08:04):
Yeah, I wouldn't negate them because that's not their job, you want them on site. Another way is to drive around neighborhoods that you like, particularly if you're doing a renovation, but also new construction.
So, new construction a lot of times is in structured neighborhoods, and they have signs out. And those signs are where they get a lot of their work, because you can tell a lot by a drive-by, is the construction site active?Does it seem organized? Is it a house similar in scale to yours? Do you like the materials they're using?
Marilyn Moedinger (08:41):
Is it clean and organized? Does it look like they've parked all over the lawn and made a huge mess? Or does it look like they've got their trucks in order and everybody's … does it look neat and clean and orderly?That's important too.
Sheri Scott (08:57):
Yeah. So, that's a good way.Obviously, another way is to ask your friends.
Marilyn Moedinger (09:01):
Ask friends, yeah. I mean, that's the case for how people find lots of things. Like if you say, “Oh, I need a dermatologist, or I need someone to work on my car, or I need …” whatever it may be, that's often where people start, is “Hey, I heard you just did a renovation or your house looks so beautiful after the renovation, who did the work?”
And if they're good friends, which hopefully they are, they'll give you an honest accounting of how it went. And so, ask your friends those questions, too, the end product may be beautiful, but it was really miserable to get there, or ask them about the process on all that stuff.
Some of the questions that we talk about in our interview a builder shows basically are the kind of questions you'd ask your friend about that builder: did they finish on time?Were they communicative? Did you enjoy working with them? That kind of stuff.
Sheri Scott (10:02):
One other way that I have a love-hate relationship with is builder open houses. So, like they have a spec house, and they either hold the house for a while and have it open and have Sunday open houses, or they own the spec house forever and just hold open houses.
And I say a love-hate relationship with it because there are very, very good builders that do this process and hold the open house.I just have heard so many horror stories of people that have gotten into bed with a builder way too fast through an open house, because you go in and you … of course, it's beautiful, it's their spec house.
Marilyn Moedinger (10:49):
Yeah, they're not going to show bad work.
Sheri Scott (10:51):
Yeah, it's a model home. And they're delightful and friendly. And you say, “Oh, yeah, I would like a house like this.”And then you get into pricing and all of that. And in very short order, you're under contract with them before you've really done a lot of research or understood the design process, or understood the actual specs that they're going to be building with.
So, however, on the other hand, what better way to kind of see what their product is and to get to know them, and to walk through and have a casual conversation that — so that's why it's a love-hate relationship.I think that it's worth the time doing it, just be cautious.
Marilyn Moedinger (11:40):
If you think about it and we're not going to turn into a dating show here on Home: The Second Story, but it's the same idea. Like you don't go on the first date and then agree to get married, or most people don't, or that's not advisable.
So, you need to get to know them a little bit and you need to talk to other people and check their references.That's what we always say, check references. And make sure that what they're presenting is the thing that works for you.
So, a lot of times model homes are spec homes; they're not custom homes. They're production homes, they're not custom, they're not done for a specific client, so it's important to make sure you're comparing apples to apples. I think along those lines, things like Parade Of Homes or whatever, like that's happening.That happens in lots of communities. And different communities have it set up differently.
So, I know some communities, that's where all the spec builders are and the production builders, and it's not necessarily where the custom home builders are. In other communities, it's all the custom builders and they're showing off the marquee project that they did that year, and someone lives in there and it's someone's home.
So, I think it's important to … you can go to Parade of Homes, that's super fun and see all the homes and all that. But make sure you're looking at things that are the thing you want to do (laughs).
Sheri Scott (13:01):
Right, right, good point. Because those builders that you meet there, it may be a stretch for them.Either a stretch down or a stretch up. That's a really good point.
Marilyn Moedinger (13:14):
So, I think the other thing to do in addition to asking friends, do this carefully but as you're walking through neighborhoods and you see something that's under construction, you can go talk to the person.
You can leave a note in the mailbox for the owner and say, “Hey, I love what you're doing here, this renovation looks really beautiful or this home that you're doing, it looks really beautiful, would you be up for talking about how the process has gone and the team you're working with?”
So, we want to be, not a stalker, but there's a way I've gotten projects that way- where I bumped into someone on the sidewalk and they were like, “Oh, I love this house, it's super cool.” They had no idea I was the architect.
They're like, “It's so cool. I live in the neighborhood; I've been walking past it every day.”And I was like, “Oh, yeah, what do you love about it?” And they're like, “Oh, this, this, this.”And I and they said, “We're thinking of a renovation too, and trying to figure out who we're going to work with.” And I was like, “Well, I'm the architect, do you have any questions?”
[Laughter]
So, I think that kind of putting yourself out there a little bit and connecting in that way can be useful, too. So, let's say you've gone through these steps, you now have a list of people, you've either stalked job sites, you've asked your friends, you've gone on social media, you've got a list of people, now what do you do?
So, we're not ready to necessarily interview them but maybe it's a list of five or six or something.Now, it's time to evaluate are they a good fit, maybe first, before you set up formal interviews and you talk about your project. So, we've kind of hinted at this through this episode a little bit.So, some things you want to be looking for: do they offer the level of service you're looking for?
So, if you're looking for a production or spec build where you get to pick out whether you want the green cabinets or the white ones, and everything is very, very organized and you have very few choices and it's very limited, then you need to only talk to those builders.
If you're looking for someone to do something full custom, you need to look at that. So, that would be looking at their social media, maybe an introductory call, stopping by their office, that kind of thing to understand what they do.
And this gets into the interview process a little bit, but if they are a spec builder or a production builder, and they say, “We can do full custom. We don't usually do it, but we totally can, we haven't done it in 10 years, but we would absolutely do it for you,” that's a red flag. You want to work with someone who's working in their wheelhouse.
And opposite, too. If you're looking for something that's more production, more like look, I don't want to make a million decisions, then don't work with the super custom guy who has the super fancy millwork guy and all these, like it's not the right fit.
So, you've got this list of five or six, the first thing you want to do is evaluate which of these guys, even if you really love them, are a good fit for your project, not just are they a good builder.
Sheri Scott (16:18):
Your project and what services you're looking for. Do they have an interior designer on staff? Do they have a site supervisor? Are you going to have a project?Yeah, this goes into all the questions to ask once you get into them.
But I will say one of the most important, very first tests is: do they call you back in a timely manner? Do you have to reach out to them three times? Are they eager to talk to new clients?Does it seem like they have a system or a process, or something to get in with you? And are they eager?
Marilyn Moedinger (16:55):
And I think along with that — and this is a sort of a love hate relationship as well that I have with these sorts of initial kind of feeling things out with builders, is whether you're talking to a salesperson or whether you're talking to someone who actually does the construction.
Sheri Scott (17:11):
I was thinking of that when you said look at social media because if they have a great social media, the actual builder is probably not doing it (chuckles). So, is that the personality you really like or is it the builder and the person you're going to actually build the house with?
Marilyn Moedinger (17:28):
Right. And I think that the whole idea of like there's nothing wrong with having a sales team.
Sheri Scott (17:35):
Right, absolutely.
Marilyn Moedinger (17:36):
Absolutely nothing wrong with that. Builders as a personality (and I love builders, I used to be one) are not necessarily known for being good salespeople or good like sort of marketers or whatever. They're builders because they're really good builders so there's nothing wrong with having a salesperson.
But what you want to make sure is that that salesperson understands they're not just there to make a sale, they're there to connect you properly with that builder or not. And one of the most powerful sales phrases ever is to say, “You know what, we would love to work with you.It's just not the right fit. And we would not be able to do our best work for you.”
And that feels disappointing or icky or whatever, but you want that. If you have a slick salesperson who's like, “Yep, yep, yep, whatever you want, you want to sign this kind of contract, done; you want to do this kind of contract structure, we'll do it. You want to do this.”And you're like, “Wait a second, if the answer is always yes, like, ah, I don't know.”
So, in that first conversation (this is before the interview, this is when you're deciding whether to bring your project to them), evaluate who are you talking to.And the flip side is also true. If you call and they don't have a sales team and you're literally talking to the owner or a project manager or someone who's in the construction trenches, then they might not be … like they're focused on building and they might-
Sheri Scott (19:08):
Not as polished.
Marilyn Moedinger (19:09):
That's right. Which is completely fine (laughs).
Sheri Scott (19:11):
It is if that's what you're looking for. Again, it's that litmus test, like the very quick yes or no. So, if you have a long enough list, then that first pass is just a fast yes or no.
Marilyn Moedinger (19:25):
That's right.So, I guess that sort of gets us to so you've got your list of five or six, you kind of go through, you do your quick pass, make sure are they the right fit? Are you talking to a sales guy who's saying yes, yes, yes to all your stuff or who are you talking to?Then that probably whittles it down.
Then what you might do is take that list of maybe three or four and ask your friends again, and say, “Hey, I'm thinking about this builder.”And then that person says, “Oh, my gosh, my friend so and so worked with that person and it was horrible.” Or “My friend so and so worked with that builder and they raved about how great he was.”
So, go back through once you have your list and just ask some of your friends again to get that, to get another read, then you've got your list of much smaller list interview.
Sheri Scott (20:12):
That just brought up another idea is I see on like Facebook neighborhood groups, people will say, “Hey, I'm thinking of building the house with so and so. If you've used them, will you please message me?”I see other messages there like, “Hey, we're thinking of building a house, who do you recommend?”
And then you get everybody and their brother just throwing names out, which means absolutely nothing to you other than to see who all is out there. You'll get everyone. But I think it's really smart when they say message me because someone that might have … of course, you would post publicly if it's a great message that you want to share but if there's a little bit of caution or a little bit like, “Hey, you really want this person for this type of job,” you might get a better reaction to message privately.
Marilyn Moedinger (21:11):
Yeah, absolutely. And that goes back to the first half of this episode where we're talking about how do you find those people, Facebook groups, neighborhood groups, mom groups, stuff like that. We've gotten plenty of referrals.
Whenever someone comes in the door for us, I ask, where did you hear about us? And it's often these neighborhood groups or mom groups actually is a big one where they're just these social groups online, but it's limited to a certain neighborhood or to a certain … if a builder is not doing a good job, then it'll come out in those groups (laughs).
And maybe not publicly, as you're saying, but like private messaging and just saying, “Hey, can we just chat about this?” And you can tell, and we've said this before, but one of the best things to do when you're talking to people about builders or other professionals to work with when you're checking references, is call and talk on the phone.Do not put it in writing or whatever, just because you'll get a lot more out of someone.
So, if you say to someone, would you work with this builder again? And in an email and the person writes back, yes, you don't know if that's a yes or a “YES.” So, you can pick up a lot from tone of voice and I think it's actually really important too. Maybe that's a theme of today, you got to talk, you got to network a little bit and connect.
Sheri Scott (22:32):
You do have to network; that's a good point. Or hire an architect that has-
Marilyn Moedinger (22:35):
I was just going to say or skip all that, find an architect because we've already done all that hard work.And one of the things that we do pretty consistently (at least I'm doing, and I know you're doing various ways as well) is constantly learning about new builders. I’m having lunch tomorrow with a builder who's new to me, who we think that we share similar clients and we'd like to kind of get on each other's page, we do that all the time.
So, we're always out there vetting people, learning about people so that when my clients come to me, I can say, “Yes, here's a list of folks that could be a good match.”
Sheri Scott (23:12):
Okay, good.
Marilyn Moedinger (23:13):
On that note … (laughs).
Sheri Scott (23:15):
Thanks for joining us today on Home: The Second Story for a quick snack. Questions for us, topics you'd like us to cover or interested in being a guest, reach out at admin@htsspodcast.com, and follow us on Instagram.See you next time.
[Music Playing]
Voiceover:
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