The contract itself
- Is it a fixed price or cost-plus, and what exactly triggers a change order?
- What is the allowance for each finish category, and what happens when you exceed it?
- Who carries the risk if materials rise between signing and building?
Schedule and money
- What is the draw schedule, and is each draw tied to completed work or to a date?
- What is the stated completion date, and what are the agreed consequences of missing it?
- Is there a retainage held until the punch list is cleared?
The land and the permissions
- Has a soil test been done, and who pays if the foundation design changes because of it?
- Are utilities to the lot included, and to what point?
- What are the setbacks, easements and HOA restrictions in writing?
After handover
- What is covered by the warranty, for how long, and who honours it?
- Who are the subcontractors, and can you contact them directly during warranty?
Bring the answers to a conversation and it will be a short one. Bring none of them and the build will supply them for you, expensively.
Ask us about your specific case