After you’ve made the decision to build a new home the style of your home builder must be determined. Depending on your area the names and definitions of these styles of builders may be slightly different however the main points will be pretty similar. While most home builders will fall more or less into one of the categories below be aware that there will be niche builders in all categories.

A volume or big builder is one that often builds hundreds or thousands of homes per year either on a regional scale or nationwide. A typical scenario is the production builder will buy a large parcel of land, develop that land, divide that land into saleable lots and build homes on those lots. The size of the home sites, homes and the price points will vary depending on location and the demographics of that area.

In some ways, A track or semi-custom builder is similar to a volume builder however on a much smaller scale. Many will have several standard floor plans they offer on lots they own or they may build their plan on a home site you already own. Typically a home owner will have far more flexibility and options when it comes to the building of the home compared to a volume builder. Most semi-custom builders will offer their floor plans on their lots and some may also build their floor plans on land you own as well.

A custom home builder is one that builds a unique home for a specific client on a particular home site. Most often a custom home builder will build a home on land that you own rather than offering you a choice of lots in a planned community like a volume builder. If you’ve already got a home site you’ll probably be looking for the services of a custom home builder. Typically you would have your own home site and your own floor plans drawn up by an architect or home designer. Custom home builders will, on occasion, build a home on speculation as well.

The general feeling is that it’s not all that difficult and can save you some money on the project, perhaps 10% to 20%. The impression that some get is the general contractor shows up on a job site, looks around for an hour and leaves. Seems the other guys do all the work! What is not understood is the hours spent scheduling and negotiating, the understanding of the structural and acetic needs of a home, knowledge of which subcontractors to use for which jobs, the permitting and inspection process, ensuring that all insurance, workers compensation and licensing is in place for all suppliers and subcontractors.

No matter which style of home builder you choose the process will follow generally the same steps. The major differences will be the degree to which you can customize your home and the amount of involvement you’ll have along the way. The home building process can be very stressful and will typically take many months from start to completion. Be sure to employ a builder with whom you are comfortable, have confidence in and can deal with for many months!