Eric Babin, President, Babin Custom Builders

If you are considering building a custom home, choosing the right Okaloosa County home builder for the job is essential. Therefore, when purchasing land and considering the plans which you want designed and developed, the soon to be home owner must consider all aspects of the development process. From the cost of having the design plans for the home, costs for getting licenses to build, cost for materials, labor, and any additional costs for the special features or design elements the purchasers want in the home. By choosing the right Okaloosa County builder for the job, all of these aspects will be discussed with the individuals, in order to determine what they can afford, and how long the process will take.

The first step in choosing the right builder is to consider between three to five builders. Getting quotes, meeting and talking to them, looking over their architectural designs and homes they have built and getting a feel for the builders you will allow to do the job is crucial.

After selecting several builders to evaluate the next step is to make sure they hold the proper certification and licenses in the state to build homes. All licenses should be shown to you prior to allowing any work to be started. If a builder can not produce their licenses , or hesitates when you request them, cross them off the list.

The next step is to request reviews from the builders you are considering about work they have done for previous clients. You can also search online, visit the builders’ site pages and read reviews, and seek out other alternatives to getting reviews, in order to ensure they are a highly rated and reputable building company. The better the reviews, the more likely it is that a certain builder is the best one to consider.

After you have done this obtaining written quotes and estimates from each of the Okaloosa County builders you are considering is crucial. Getting everything in writing is a must. From every single cost you will incur, to additional costs that may turn up during the project, to the cost of labor and supplies. All costs should be given to you in a written quote.

The final step is to choose the Okaloosa County builders you are most comfortable with, after you have reviewed the quotes, gotten reviews, and spoken to several builders you are considering. Especially if the quoted prices are similar, and all the builders you have contacted are highly rated and reviewed, it is a personal matter. Depending on the design you like the best, the builders which are going to use the best materials and appliances, and all other small details should be detailed on your quote.

By doing this, if it is a tight race between two or three Okaloosa County home builders in the end, it is really a personal choice as to which builder you felt most comfortable with and had more confidence.