Communication Is a Crucial Quality in Home Builders in Pennsylvania

The process of building a new home is sometimes confusing for homeowners—there are many facets like permitting, materials, building codes and more that the average person is not likely to understand. When you work with a great home builder, though, this process should be easy.

One of the biggest concerns of our clients is whether they will remain involved during the construction process or if they will be kept in the dark. The answer to this question boils down to one of the most important qualities of home builders in Pennsylvania: communication.

Effective communication is extremely important during all phases of the home building process, but particularly during the construction phase, when homeowners get anxious about progress, deadlines and budget. Construction is the time when things get “real.” The plans have been finalized, materials have been purchased and your dream home is on the brink of becoming a reality.

A good contractor will keep its clients in the loop during construction, but not all builders put as much of an emphasis on proper client communication as they should. Before you even hire a company to build your new home, make sure you understand their stance on client communication and how they plan to interact with you from start to finish.

Establishing communication with your builder

When searching for home builders in Pennsylvania, it’s important to remember that price isn’t the only important factor. Home building is an experience, and you might remain in this home for the rest of your life, so you want to be sure you are kept involved and that your builder helps you understand what’s going on throughout the entire process.

Thus, when interviewing builders, ask them about their communication and how they work to keep clients involved. Here are some things to inquire about:

• How to reach them: The first step to maintaining good communication with your builder is asking how and when you can reach them to ask questions and get updates. Do they prefer phone calls, texts, emails or other methods? Are they available to answer questions on the weekends or only at certain times during the day? How quickly can you expect a response? If your builders are willing to make themselves extremely available to help you, it’s a good sign they’ll be good communicators.
• Routine check-ins: Ask your builder if they plan to provide you with routine updates and if they are okay with you checking in every so often if they don’t reach out first. You deserve to know what’s going on with your new home, and your builder should be willing to provide you with the information you desire.
• Site visits and walkthroughs: Ask your builder if they will give you guided walkthroughs of your new home once they reach certain points in the construction process, such as structural framing, electrical installation and more. After all, this is your home, and you should be able to see the progress firsthand.
• Scheduling changes and budget conflicts: Talk to your builder about how they plan to update you if there are changes to the schedule or conflicts with your budget. These two things are extremely important during the construction phase, and you should not be left in the dark about them. Make sure your builder and you are on the same page when it comes to these items.
• Deadlines for changes: Even after plans have been finalized and construction begins, things might change for your new home. Talk to your builder about their process for change orders, if there are fees and processes to follow and what the final deadline for changes is, so you’re aware upfront.

At WSL Incorporated, we understand that communication during construction—and all other parts of the home building process—is important to clients, which is why we make it a priority. We are one of the top home builders in Pennsylvania, offering full design/build and remodeling services to residential homeowners, commercial businesses and more. Call for an estimate today!