Questions to ask Your Builder

• Do you carry General Liability and Workers’ Compensation insurance?
• Can you list me as an Additional Insured on your policies?
• Are the subcontractors you use also insured, and do you verify their certificates?
• Are you licensed for the type of work you’re proposing?
• How long have you operated under your current company name and entity?

– Explain your business model. How do you run your jobs day-to-day?

• Do you self-perform any work? If so, which scopes?
• Do you use licensed trades for plumbing, electrical, and HVAC?

– Do you have one or two in-house employees who “do everything,” or do you rely on specialized subcontractors?

• How many projects do you typically run at one time?
• Who will be my day-to-day point of contact, and how often will I get updates?
• What is your process for handling changes or unexpected findings?

• Is there anything we’ve discussed in my project that is new to you or that you don’t have someone qualified to execute?
• Do you have a repeatable process for estimating, schedules, change orders, and job costing?

– What parts of my project do you consider higher-risk or likely to uncover surprises?

• How far out are you scheduling trades right now?
• What is your average timeline accuracy?
• If you’re delayed, how do you communicate it?

• Do you use a fixed price contract, cost-plus, or hybrid? Why?
• What is your payment schedule, and how do you protect client funds?
• How do you handle deposits, material orders, and long-lead items?
• How do you deal with price escalation or material shortages?

• How long have you worked with your core subcontractors?
• How do you qualify new subcontractors?
• What’s your process for quality control at each phase?
• Who checks trade work before it’s covered up?
• How do you handle warranty work? Is it documented?

• What is your communication expectation from clients — text, email, phone?
• What turnaround time should I expect for responses?
• How do you track selections, finish choices, and client approvals?
• What happens if I am slow with decisions?

• What days/hours do you typically work on-site?
• Do you have written jobsite rules about cleanliness, smoking, music, and safety?
• Who has keys/access?
• How do you protect the rest of the home from dust and debris?
• Do you use daily logs or progress photos?

• What type of clients are you the best fit for?
• What type of clients are not a good fit for you?
• What makes a project go badly in your experience?
• How do you prefer clients to handle concerns or disagreements?
• What’s one thing you wish clients understood before starting a remodel?
• If we move forward, what are the next five steps in your process?
• What’s the biggest risk to the success of this project?
• Where do you see homeowners make costly mistakes during remodeling?
• What is your process for closing out a job and confirming it’s complete?
• What does your warranty actually cover — and for how long?

A remodeler who welcomes these questions is a remodeler who has their house in order. At Gate City Build Group, we can answer every one of these questions because we actually operate this way day-to-day — using licensed trades, proven systems, consistent oversight, and clear communication. We run jobs with structure, accountability, and decades of experience behind each step. This is the level of professionalism every homeowner should expect.