Questions to Ask Your Builder, From Site Work to Final Walkthrough
Always simple. Never easy.
The decisions in building a house, in build order, with the questions to ask, what a useful answer includes and the last point at which each one is cheap to change.
By Clamp ResearchReviewed by Emmanuel ForgePublished Oct 17, 2026Updated Oct 17, 2026First published Dec 2025 on Contractor School; rewritten Oct 2026
Ask before the work is ordered or covered. Most of a house is decided before the drywall goes up: the site, the foundation, what is under the slab, the walls, the pipes, the wires and the ducts. Each question below names the milestone it has to be settled by, so you can bring the right ones to each meeting.
Before you sign
What warranty comes with the house, and who stands behind it?
The warranty: name the coverage and the backer
Ask for the warranty document itself before signing, not a summary. Coverage periods can differ by part, so ask what each part covers, for how long, and who stands behind it, the builder or a warranty company. Ask how a claim is filed and answered, what is excluded, and whether the coverage transfers if you sell.
Hand over the warranty document with the proposal and walk through it: what each part covers and for how long, who backs each part, the exclusions, whether it transfers, and how a claim gets filed and answered. Separate what the warranty promises from any protections the law adds where the house is.
Before signingGoes on the proposal
Ask
Be ready to answer
What does the warranty cover, and for how long, part by part?
Who backs each part, you or a warranty company?
How is a claim filed, and how fast are repairs?
What is excluded, and does the coverage transfer if we sell?
A useful answer includes
The warranty document itself
The coverage and exclusions, part by part
The claim process in writing
The answer that should make you ask again
The answer not to give
Example answer“It comes with a standard warranty.”
What it leaves unconfirmed: What it covers part by part, for how long, and who backs it.
Ask for: The warranty document and the claim process.
Give instead: The document itself, the coverage by part, the exclusions and how a claim is filed.
What is standard, what is an upgrade, and what do the allowances really buy?
Standard, upgrade and allowance: price the real house
Ask which finishes in the model or the plan are standard and which are upgrades, and what each allowance item is budgeted at. Ask for the standard products by name, priced upgrades for what you already know you want, whether installation, tax and delivery are inside the allowance, and how the contract settles overages and unused amounts.
List the standard products by name, price the upgrades the client already wants before signing, and state what each allowance includes: product, installation, tax, delivery. Put the allowance amounts and the settlement method in the contract's allowance schedule, and let the selection sheet point at it rather than keep a second ledger.
Before signingGoes on the proposal
Ask
Be ready to answer
Which finishes shown in the model are standard?
What are the standard products, by name?
Do the allowances include installation, tax and delivery?
How does the contract settle overages and unused allowances?
A useful answer includes
The standard products by name
Priced upgrades for known wants
The contract's allowance schedule and settlement terms
The answer that should make you ask again
The answer not to give
Example answer“The allowances are generous.”
What it leaves unconfirmed: What the allowances are budgeted at, what they include, and how the contract settles them.
Ask for: The allowance schedule priced against the products you want.
Give instead: Named standard products, priced upgrades and the contract's allowance schedule.
When will the house be done, and what happens if that date moves?
The schedule: a date, its basis and what a delay does
Ask for the expected completion range and what it is based on, and which milestones have to land for it to hold. Dates drive your rate lock, lease or sale, so ask how you will hear when the schedule moves and what the contract itself says about extensions, remedies and what happens at a long delay.
Give a completion range with its basis and the milestones behind it, say how the schedule is tracked and how the client hears when it moves, and put the extension and remedy terms in the contract, where both sides can read them. Clients plan rate locks and leases around your date; treat it like money.
Before signingGoes on the proposal
Ask
Be ready to answer
When do you expect the house to be done, and what is that based on?
Which milestones have to land for that date to hold?
How will we hear when the schedule moves?
What do the contract's extension and remedy terms say?
A useful answer includes
A completion range and its basis
The notification rhythm
The extension and remedy terms in the contract
The answer that should make you ask again
The answer not to give
Example answer“We should be done by spring.”
What it leaves unconfirmed: What spring is based on and what happens if it slips.
Ask for: The basis for the date and the contract's extension and remedy terms.
Give instead: A range with its basis, the tracking rhythm and the contract terms in writing.
Which driveway, walks, patio and yard work is in the price?
The yard: where the contract's exterior scope ends
Ask which finished exterior work the contract includes and which it leaves out: the driveway and its surface, walks and steps, a patio or deck, final grading, topsoil, seed or sod, and the repair of whatever construction traffic disturbs. Get the included items listed, the excluded ones named and where rough grade ends, so the yard is a known cost.
List the exterior scope plainly: driveway, walks, patio, grading, lawn, and which construction disturbance gets restored, with documented preexisting conditions. Name the exclusions and where rough grade ends. Exact finish choices can follow signing.
Before signingGoes on the proposal
Ask
Be ready to answer
What exterior work is included: driveway, walks, patio, grading, lawn?
Where does rough grade end and finished yard begin?
Who repairs what construction traffic tears up?
What is excluded, by name?
A useful answer includes
The included list
The named exclusions
The restoration scope
The answer that should make you ask again
The answer not to give
Example answer“The yard gets cleaned up at the end.”
What it leaves unconfirmed: What cleaned up includes and what the driveway and lawn actually get.
Ask for: The exterior items included, listed.
Give instead: Included exterior work listed, exclusions named, and rough grade called what it is.
Which utilities are confirmed for this lot, and what is still contingent?
Utilities: confirmed, conditional or unknown
Ask which utilities are confirmed available, which are feasible but unconfirmed, and what approvals or tests remain: water, sewer or septic, power, gas and internet. A septic evaluation can constrain the house's layout and system size, and a well's yield and water quality may stay uncertain until it is drilled. Ask who is responsible for each connection and its cost.
For each utility, record the provider or approval authority, what is confirmed, what is conditional, the connection route and who pays. Price on-site work and known provider charges, label anything unconfirmed, and carry a stated contingency for well and septic findings that come later.
Before signingGoes on the design agreement
Ask
Be ready to answer
Which utilities are confirmed available, and which are only feasible so far?
What septic evaluation or permit is needed, and how could it limit the layout?
For a well, what is still unknown until it is drilled and tested?
Who is responsible for each connection, and what is priced versus unconfirmed?
A useful answer includes
Each utility marked confirmed, conditional or unknown
The approval path and responsible party per service
Priced work and labeled contingencies
The answer that should make you ask again
The answer not to give
Example answer“Utilities are no problem out here.”
What it leaves unconfirmed: Which services are confirmed, what approvals remain, and who pays for each connection.
Ask for: Each utility's status, approval path and cost responsibility.
Give instead: Each utility marked confirmed, conditional or unknown, with responsibilities and priced contingencies.
Which hazards apply to this site, and what protects against them?
Site hazards: required protection first, options second
Ask which hazards apply to this specific property, not just the region: flooding, high wind, wildfire, earthquake, tornado. Separate the protections required here from additional ones worth pricing. Specialized systems such as a safe room need their own proper design, not a general promise of stronger construction. Ask where each hazard finding comes from and what the base build already includes.
Name the hazard findings for this property and their source, state what the adopted requirements already cover, and price optional protections only after feasibility review. Specialized systems get their own design. Send insurance questions to the insurer or program; don't promise a discount.
Before signingGoes on the design agreement
Ask
Be ready to answer
Which hazards apply to this property, and where does each finding come from?
What protections are required here, and what does the base build include?
Which additional protections are worth pricing, and are they feasible?
Does any specialized system, like a safe room, need its own design?
A useful answer includes
The site's hazard findings and their sources
Required versus optional protections
Feasible options priced
The answer that should make you ask again
The answer not to give
Example answer“We build to code.”
What it leaves unconfirmed: Which hazards apply to this site and what, if anything, is added beyond the requirements.
Ask for: The hazard findings and the optional protections priced.
Give instead: The site's hazards with sources, what is required, and feasible options priced separately.
Site and foundation
What should be cleared now for how we'll use the lot later?
Clearing: plan for what the owner will add later
Ask what is cheaper to clear or grade now than later, including space for parking, a future garage or outbuilding, and the access the trades need. Ask for tree-specific advice on what to keep and what is too close to the house. Clearing to the minimum is fine when it matches your plans.
Ask what the owner plans for the lot over the next years, then show the clearing limits, the parking and access, and the trees you'd keep or remove with the reason. Price anything worth doing now separately.
Before excavationGoes on the proposal
Ask
Be ready to answer
What would be cheaper to clear now than later?
If we want a garage or outbuilding someday, what should we clear or grade for now?
Which trees should we keep or remove, given their roots and distance from the house?
What access do the trades need that we might overlook?
A useful answer includes
The clearing limits on a site plan
Tree-specific advice
Separately priced future-use prep
The answer that should make you ask again
The answer not to give
Example answer“We'll just clear what's needed.”
What it leaves unconfirmed: Whether the clearing includes your future plans.
Ask for: The clearing limits against your plans for the lot.
Give instead: The clearing limits drawn against the owner's plans, with any future prep priced.
Which foundation suits this lot and how we'll use the house?
Foundation: explain the recommendation for this lot
Ask which foundation suits this lot and why: slab, crawlspace or basement. The answer should come from the soil, slope, groundwater, local requirements and how you plan to use the house, with prices for the realistic options. A basement is not automatically a storm shelter; that needs its own design.
Explain the recommendation from this lot's soil, slope and water and the owner's use, and price the realistic options. If storm protection is wanted, say what design that needs; an ordinary basement isn't a shelter.
Before excavationGoes on the design agreement
Ask
Be ready to answer
Which foundation do you recommend for this lot, and why?
Which foundation decisions are hard to change after the pour?
What would storage or future flexibility change?
If we want storm protection, what does that require?
A useful answer includes
The site factors behind the recommendation
Prices for the realistic options
The answer that should make you ask again
The answer not to give
Example answer“Our standard package uses a slab.”
What it leaves unconfirmed: Why a slab suits this lot and your plans.
Ask for: The site factors and the priced alternatives.
Give instead: The reason for the recommendation and the prices of the alternatives.
What's going under the slab, and has it been checked before the pour?
Below the slab: check every penetration before the pour
Ask where the plumbing, electrical and any floor outlets are being embedded in the concrete, and whether their locations have been checked against the final room, kitchen and bathroom layouts. Changing them later means cutting concrete. Ask for photos and dimensions before the pour and the record of any required inspection.
Walk the under-slab layout against the approved floor plan, kitchen and bath layouts before the pour. Photograph and dimension every penetration, close out the inspection, and give the owner the record.
Before the pourGoes on a milestone record
Ask
Be ready to answer
Where are plumbing and electrical being embedded in the concrete?
Were the toilet, shower, sink and island locations checked against the final layout?
Are the floor outlets and future sleeves in before the pour?
Can we have photos and dimensions of what's under the slab?
A useful answer includes
The under-slab layout checked against the plans
Photos and dimensions
The inspection record
The answer that should make you ask again
The answer not to give
Example answer“That's how the plans came.”
What it leaves unconfirmed: Whether the drawing is the latest coordinated version.
Ask for: The latest coordinated drawing and any open decisions.
Give instead: The current layout checked against the plans, with photos before the pour.
Where does water go on this lot, and how is the foundation protected?
Drainage: show where the water goes
Ask how water moves across and away from the site, where groundwater shows up, which drains and waterproofing are included, and where each discharges. Ask what happens in the heaviest storms. A builder's past experience is useful, but this site's grading, drains and discharge points are what to review.
Show the grading, the footing drains, the waterproofing and where each discharges, and what happens when the normal drainage is overwhelmed. Say which measures are standard and which are upgrades.
Before excavationBefore the pourGoes on the proposal
Ask
Be ready to answer
How does water move across and away from this site?
Where does groundwater show up here?
Which drains and waterproofing are standard and which are upgrades?
Where does water go in the heaviest storms?
A useful answer includes
The grading plan
The drainage and waterproofing scope
The discharge points
The answer that should make you ask again
The answer not to give
Example answer“We've never had water issues on our builds.”
What it leaves unconfirmed: How this site's drainage performs.
Ask for: The grading, drains and discharge points for this lot.
Give instead: The drainage plan for this lot, including what happens when it's overwhelmed.
How is the crawlspace kept dry, and why that approach here?
Crawlspace: explain the assembly for this climate
Ask how the proposed crawlspace handles ground water, ground moisture and indoor humidity, and why that approach suits this climate and site. A sealed crawlspace is a coordinated system with drainage, insulation and air control, not just plastic on the ground. Drainage always comes first.
Explain the crawlspace assembly for this climate and site: how it drains, how ground moisture is controlled, how it's insulated, and how humidity is managed. Drainage comes before encapsulation.
Before the pourBefore walls closeGoes on the proposal
Ask
Be ready to answer
How does the crawlspace handle water and ground moisture?
Is it vented or sealed, and why here?
How is humidity controlled?
What maintenance does it need?
A useful answer includes
The crawlspace assembly
The drainage scope
The humidity control plan
The answer that should make you ask again
The answer not to give
Example answer“Encapsulation is overkill.”
What it leaves unconfirmed: How the proposed crawlspace handles moisture here.
Ask for: The crawlspace assembly and why it suits this site.
Give instead: The assembly, the drainage and the humidity plan for this climate.
Where does roof water go, and is it sized for heavy rain?
Roof water: size it and show the discharge
Ask where roof water discharges, whether the gutters are sized for the roof area and local rainfall, and whether buried drains are planned or could be added. Burying drains after landscaping and paving is harder, so compare doing it now with doing it later, cost and disruption included.
Size the gutters for the roof and local rainfall, show where each downspout discharges, and compare buried drains now against later. Include cleanout access.
Before orders are placedGoes on the proposal
Ask
Be ready to answer
Where does roof water discharge?
Are the gutters sized for this roof and our rainfall?
What would buried drains cost now versus after landscaping?
How are the drains cleaned out?
A useful answer includes
The gutter sizing
The discharge plan
The now-versus-later comparison
The answer that should make you ask again
The answer not to give
Example answer“Downspout extensions are fine.”
What it leaves unconfirmed: Where the water exits and what it affects.
Ask for: The discharge plan and the buried-drain comparison.
Give instead: The sizing, the discharge points and the price of buried drains now versus later.
Plan and layout
When you walk into each room, what do you see, and does the furniture fit?
Space planning: test the furniture before the framing
Walk the plan room by room before walls and windows are fixed: what the eye lands on from each doorway, where the main furniture goes at real sizes, and whether people can move around it comfortably. Sight lines, focal points and usable walls are set by the framing plan, so test them early, while changes are still cheap.
Walk the plan with the client's actual furniture sizes before framing: the first view into each room, the furniture walls, the walking paths. Mark the agreed layout and any unresolved conflicts; coordinate openings and outlets with it, within what structure and requirements allow.
Before signingBefore framingGoes on the design agreement
Ask
Be ready to answer
What do we see first from each doorway?
Where does the main furniture go, at real dimensions?
Can people move around the furniture comfortably?
Which walls stay usable for furniture?
A useful answer includes
The plan walked with real furniture sizes
The focal points and routes marked
Usable furniture walls confirmed
The answer that should make you ask again
The answer not to give
Example answer“The rooms are a good size.”
What it leaves unconfirmed: Whether your furniture, routes and views work in them.
Ask for: The plan tested with your furniture and sight lines.
Give instead: A room-by-room walk of the plan with furniture at real sizes and the first views named.
If the ceilings go taller, what else has to change with them?
Ceilings and openings: approve them as a set
Ask which ceiling heights are standard and which are upgrades, and what the change does to doors, windows, cabinets and trim. Ceiling height, door height and trim are decided together, before framing and the door order. Pocket doors need their wall space and framing planned early.
Show the ceiling, door and trim heights as one set and price the change together. Plan pocket door walls before framing; they need the space clear of pipes and wires.
Before framingBefore orders are placedGoes on a customer decision
Ask
Be ready to answer
Which ceiling heights are standard, and which are upgrades?
If we go taller, what has to change with the doors, windows and trim?
What door height suits these ceilings?
Where do pocket doors work structurally?
Where do beams, soffits and ceiling changes land, and do they line up with the room below?
A useful answer includes
Elevations with ceiling, door and trim heights
The door schedule
The price of the change as a set
The answer that should make you ask again
The answer not to give
Example answer“Our standard package uses six-foot-eight doors.”
What it leaves unconfirmed: The door schedule against the ceiling heights.
Ask for: The door schedule checked against the ceilings.
Give instead: Ceilings, doors and trim drawn and priced together.
Which doors, how wide and how tall, and which way do they swing?
The door schedule: sizes and swings before framing
Settle the door schedule before framing: each door's width and height, which way it swings, and its type: hinged, pocket, barn or double. Wider doors make moving furniture and getting around with a walker or wheelchair easier; taller doors suit taller ceilings. Pocket doors need clear wall space. Ask about solid or hollow doors and hardware before they're ordered.
Put every opening on one schedule before framing: width, height, swing, type, and whether the wall can take a pocket door without plumbing or wiring in it. Ask who needs wider openings now or later. Door style, solid or hollow core, and hardware follow on their own order dates.
Before framingBefore orders are placedGoes on a customer decision
Ask
Be ready to answer
How wide is each door, and do any need to be wider for furniture, a walker or a wheelchair?
How tall are the doors, and do they suit the ceiling heights?
Which way does each door swing, and does it hit anything when open?
Hinged, pocket, barn or double, and is the wall clear for a pocket door?
Solid or hollow doors, and which hardware?
A useful answer includes
A door schedule with sizes, swings and types
Pocket-door walls checked clear
Style, core and hardware selections with order dates
The answer that should make you ask again
The answer not to give
Example answer“We use standard doors throughout.”
What it leaves unconfirmed: Which widths and heights standard means, and whether they fit how the house will be used.
Ask for: The door schedule with sizes and swings.
Give instead: Every opening's width, height, swing and type on one schedule before framing.
Has window placement been checked against the furniture and privacy?
Windows: review them from the inside
Ask how window locations were decided, and review them against the furniture you will place, privacy from neighbors and the street, sun and heat, and any shades. Placement chosen only for the outside elevation can land a window behind a bed. Settle it before the window order.
Review the window plan from the inside with the owner's furniture, sightlines and sun, then lock it before the order. Coordinate any shade pockets or wiring.
Before orders are placedBefore framingGoes on a customer decision
Ask
Be ready to answer
How do you decide window placement?
Can we check the windows against our furniture?
Where might privacy be an issue?
Are there heat or glare issues to plan for?
Do any windows need shades or blackout planned, with wiring for motorized ones?
From the bed, sofa or main chair, what will we see through each window, and which walls can still hold furniture?
A useful answer includes
The window plan with furniture drawn in
Glazing selections
Shade provisions
The answer that should make you ask again
The answer not to give
Example answer“Windows are placed based on the elevation.”
What it leaves unconfirmed: Whether the interior layout was considered.
Ask for: The plan checked against the furniture and sightlines.
Give instead: The window plan drawn with furniture and sightlines before the order.
Can the attic be used for storage, and what access does that need?
Attic: check the framing before promising storage
Ask whether the attic framing is designed for storage and what access suits how you plan to use it. Flooring and stairs do not make an attic strong enough; the truss or rafter design does. The access door also needs insulation and air sealing so it doesn't leak heat.
Check the truss or rafter design for storage loads before adding flooring or stairs, and specify the access to match the use. Insulate and air-seal the hatch either way.
Before framingBefore walls closeGoes on a customer decision
Ask
Be ready to answer
Is the attic framing designed for storage?
What access suits how we'll use it?
How is the access insulated and sealed?
If we don't upgrade now, how hard is it later?
A useful answer includes
The framing design loads
The access specification
The hatch insulation detail
The answer that should make you ask again
The answer not to give
Example answer“The plans don't include attic storage.”
What it leaves unconfirmed: Whether storage is possible with this framing.
Ask for: The design loads and the access options.
Give instead: What the framing allows and the access options with prices.
Is the kitchen layout settled before rough-in and the cabinet order?
Kitchen: coordinate the layout with every trade
Ask to review the cabinet layout with the actual appliances before rough-in, where plumbing, electrical and venting meet the cabinets, and which dimensions become final when the cabinet order is released. A kitchen mistake is repeated every day, and cabinet changes after ordering are costly or impossible.
Lock the layout with the real appliance models before rough-in, coordinate plumbing, power and venting with the cabinet drawings, and get the release in writing.
Before rough-inBefore the cabinet orderGoes on a customer decision
Ask
Be ready to answer
Can we review the cabinet layout before rough-ins are final?
Are the appliance models and clearances confirmed?
Where do plumbing and electrical meet the cabinets?
What's final when the cabinet order is released?
A useful answer includes
The cabinet drawings
Appliance specs
The release
The answer that should make you ask again
The answer not to give
Example answer“That layout is what this cabinet package allows.”
What it leaves unconfirmed: Whether the layout fits how the household cooks.
Ask for: The layout with the real appliances drawn in.
Give instead: The layout checked with real appliances and every trade.
Where do the washer and dryer go, and what do they need?
The laundry: place it with its services and vent
Place the laundry on purpose: which floor, the machines' dimensions and clearances, and their services. Washer drainage and any pan or floor drain are separate decisions from the dryer. A vented dryer needs an exhaust route to the outdoors within the product's limits; a ventless one needs a condensate plan instead. Settle the machines before the framing and rough-ins that depend on them.
Record the actual machines: dimensions, clearances, washer supply and drain, any pan or leak protection, dryer fuel, and either an exhaust route checked against the product and what applies here or a condensate plan for a ventless unit. Settle these before dependent framing and rough-in, and keep service access.
Before framingBefore rough-inGoes on the design agreement
Ask
Be ready to answer
Which floor does the laundry go on, and what are the machines' sizes and clearances?
How does the washer drain, and is a pan, floor drain or leak protection specified?
Vented or ventless dryer, and where does its exhaust or condensate go?
Do the actual machines fit the space and the doors, with room to service them?
A useful answer includes
The laundry location and services on the plan
The machine dimensions
The exhaust route
The answer that should make you ask again
The answer not to give
Example answer“The laundry's in the plan.”
What it leaves unconfirmed: Which floor, the services, and the dryer's exhaust route.
Ask for: The laundry location with its services and vent route.
Give instead: The location, machine dimensions, services and the exhaust route on the plan.
Where will clothes, coats, shoes and gear actually live?
Closets and the mudroom: plan storage like a room
Plan storage like a room, not an afterthought: the closets' depth and rods, a walk-in's layout, and the mudroom's bench, hooks and cubbies sized to the people using them. Built-ins need backing in the walls and sometimes power, so the decisions land before framing closes and before the millwork order. Walk the plan asking where specific things go: coats, boots, bags, the vacuum.
Settle the closet and storage functions before affected framing closes. Place backing and power only where a specified built-in needs it, and record whether each built-in is site-built, supplied later or part of a cabinet package.
Before framingBefore orders are placedGoes on a customer decision
Ask
Be ready to answer
How deep are the closets, and what are the rod and shelf layouts?
What does the mudroom hold: bench, hooks, cubbies, charging?
Which built-ins need backing or power in the walls?
Where do coats, boots, bags and the vacuum actually go?
When we come home with bags, keys, mail and wet coats, where does each thing go?
A useful answer includes
Closet and mudroom layouts
Backing and power for built-ins
The millwork order with the built-ins
The answer that should make you ask again
The answer not to give
Example answer“There's plenty of closet space.”
What it leaves unconfirmed: Whether specific things fit where the people who own them live.
Ask for: The storage plan walked item by item.
Give instead: Closet and mudroom layouts walked with the owners, with backing and power placed.
How wide are the stairs, and what are they made of?
The stairs: settle the parts while framing is open
Settle the stair in two steps. During framing: its width, the headroom above it, and whether a sofa or mattress can actually get up and turn at the landing. Then the visible parts: treads, risers, railing and balusters, some of which are shop-built with their own lead times. Guards and handrails have requirements where you live, so the design stays inside them.
Split the stair into geometry and finish: frame the opening and structure first, then take the tread, riser and railing selections with each part's real fabrication time. Keep guard and rail design inside the adopted code before anyone falls in love with a picture.
Before framingBefore orders are placedGoes on a customer decision
Ask
Be ready to answer
How wide is the stair, and can furniture get up it and around the landing?
How does the opening frame out, and is the headroom comfortable?
Which tread and riser materials, and when are they due?
What railing and baluster design, and is it shop-built?
What do the adopted rules require of the guards and rails?
A useful answer includes
The stair width and headroom on the plans
The tread, riser and railing selections
Shop-part order dates
The answer that should make you ask again
The answer not to give
Example answer“We'll figure out the railing near the end.”
What it leaves unconfirmed: The lead time on the parts and what the inspection needs.
Ask for: The railing design and order date during framing.
Give instead: The stair selections signed during framing, with the shop parts ordered from the framed stair.
What will make the porch comfortable, and how is it protected from rot?
Porch: comfort and water details
Ask what makes the porch comfortable in your climate, considering shade, airflow, orientation and the roof over it, and how posts, beams and decking are protected from water. Ask what dry space below a deck needs if you want it. Fans help, but shade and the roof design matter more.
Design the porch for the climate: shade, airflow and the roof assembly. Detail the posts, connections and decking to shed water. If they want dry space below a deck, plan the drainage for it now.
Before framingBefore orders are placedGoes on the proposal
Ask
Be ready to answer
What makes a porch comfortable here in summer?
How do you prevent rot at the posts and beams?
If we want dry space below, what needs to happen now?
Which features get used daily?
Where will people actually sit in the shade, and do doors and walking paths cut through that seating?
A useful answer includes
The porch design
The water-management details
Comfort measures for this climate
The answer that should make you ask again
The answer not to give
Example answer“Fans are enough.”
What it leaves unconfirmed: How comfortable the porch will be here.
Ask for: The shade, airflow and roof plan.
Give instead: Comfort measures for the climate and the water details at posts and decking.
Structure and envelope
What wall system are you building, and what does it do for us?
Wall system: compare the whole assembly
Ask what exterior wall system is being built and why, and how it affects insulation, sound, straightness and what you can mount later. Stud size or spacing alone does not decide performance; the whole assembly, its insulation and how carefully it is installed do. Ask for the real cost difference of the options.
Explain the wall assembly you build and why, and what it does for insulation, sound and mounting. Price the realistic alternatives as whole assemblies, not as stud sizes.
Before framingGoes on the proposal
Ask
Be ready to answer
What wall system do you build, and why?
What's the real cost difference between the options?
How do your wall choices affect insulation and sound?
Do you use advanced framing, and what are the trade-offs?
A useful answer includes
The wall assembly
Prices for the alternatives
The answer that should make you ask again
The answer not to give
Example answer“Our walls meet code.”
What it leaves unconfirmed: What the assembly does beyond the minimum.
Ask for: The assembly and the priced alternatives.
Give instead: The assembly you build, why, and the alternatives priced as assemblies.
Where is blocking going in, and will it be recorded?
Blocking: plan it and photograph it
Ask where blocking is installed for cabinets, TVs, shelves, handrails, shower glass and future grab bars, and whether it will be photographed or marked before drywall. Adding blocking later means opening finished walls. Mark the things you plan to mount and agree the backing before the walls close.
Walk the house with the owner and mark what they'll mount, then install the backing and photograph it with a tape in view before drywall. Include future grab bar locations in the bathrooms.
Before walls closeGoes on a customer decision
Ask
Be ready to answer
What blocking do you include by default?
Can we add blocking anywhere we might mount something?
Will you photograph or mark the blocking before drywall?
Can we add backing for future grab bars now?
A useful answer includes
A blocking plan
Labeled photos
The product mounting requirements
The answer that should make you ask again
The answer not to give
Example answer“Drywall anchors are fine.”
What it leaves unconfirmed: Whether the attachment suits what's being mounted.
Ask for: The blocking plan and photos.
Give instead: Backing for everything planned, photographed before drywall.
What goes under the shingles, and where are the leak points detailed?
Roof: name the underlayment and flashing details
Ask what underlayment is used, where an ice barrier or extra membrane goes, and which flashing details are critical, such as kick-out flashing where a roof meets a wall. Where an ice barrier is required depends on the climate and the code. If solar is a possibility, ask what roof decisions matter now.
Name the underlayment, where ice barrier or extra membrane goes under the adopted code and the shingle maker's instructions, and the flashing details you always install. Say what a future solar install needs.
Before orders are placedGoes on the proposal
Ask
Be ready to answer
What underlayment do you use?
Where does an ice barrier or extra membrane go here?
Which flashing details do you always install?
If we add solar later, what matters now?
A useful answer includes
The roof assembly
The flashing details
The manufacturer's installation requirements
The answer that should make you ask again
The answer not to give
Example answer“The roofer handles all that.”
What it leaves unconfirmed: Who specifies and checks the roof assembly.
Ask for: The underlayment and flashing details, and who checks them.
Give instead: The assembly, the flashing details and who verifies the install.
What's behind the siding, and how does water get out?
Siding: show the drainage plane
Ask what siding performs well in this climate, what drainage plane and gap the cladding needs, and which flashing details are critical even though you won't see them. The requirement for a drainage gap depends on the cladding, its instructions and the local code, so ask what applies to the siding chosen.
Show the drainage plane, any gap or rainscreen the cladding requires, and the flashing at windows, doors and joints. Say why the cladding suits the climate.
Before orders are placedGoes on the proposal
Ask
Be ready to answer
What siding performs best here long term?
What drainage space does this cladding need, and why?
Which flashing details are critical but hidden?
Which exterior materials age well here?
A useful answer includes
The wall assembly behind the cladding
The cladding instructions
The flashing details
The answer that should make you ask again
The answer not to give
Example answer“We don't usually do rainscreens.”
What it leaves unconfirmed: The wall's drainage provision for this cladding.
Ask for: The drainage plane and gap for this cladding.
Give instead: The drainage plane, gap and flashings the cladding requires here.
Where does heat escape in your builds, and how is it sealed?
Insulation and air sealing: the continuous boundary
Ask where the continuous air barrier is, which areas are hardest to insulate well, and what will be checked before drywall. Rim joists, the attic hatch and penetrations are common weak points. The material name matters less than the whole assembly and how carefully it is installed.
Show where the air barrier runs, the hard spots you'll check before drywall, and the hatch detail. Compare insulation options as whole assemblies, not material names.
Before walls closeGoes on the proposal
Ask
Be ready to answer
Where is the continuous air barrier?
Which areas are hardest to insulate well?
What gets checked before drywall?
Which upgrades have the best payback here?
A useful answer includes
The assembly details
The pre-drywall check
The hatch detail
The answer that should make you ask again
The answer not to give
Example answer“Insulation is for temperature.”
What it leaves unconfirmed: Whether the specification also addresses air leakage and sound.
Ask for: The air barrier and the pre-drywall check.
Give instead: The air barrier, the hard spots and what's checked before drywall.
Which walls need sound control, and where will plumbing noise travel?
Sound: plan it by room
Ask which interior walls should get sound control for how you'll use the house, where plumbing noise will travel, and which doors should be solid-core. Bedrooms, bathrooms, laundry and the mechanical room are the usual places. Sound control depends on the whole wall, floor or door, not one product.
Ask which rooms need quiet, then detail those walls, floors and doors: insulation, pipe isolation, solid-core doors. Keep noisy pipes out of bedroom walls where the layout allows.
Before framingBefore rough-inBefore walls closeGoes on a customer decision
Ask
Be ready to answer
Which interior walls should be insulated for sound?
Where does plumbing noise travel the most?
Which rooms benefit from solid-core doors?
What's easy to improve now that's impossible later?
A useful answer includes
The sound-control plan by room
The door schedule
The answer that should make you ask again
The answer not to give
Example answer“You won't hear it.”
What it leaves unconfirmed: The sound isolation once the house is occupied.
Ask for: The plan for the rooms that need quiet.
Give instead: The rooms that need quiet and the wall, pipe and door details for each.
Which siding and roofing materials, and when are they locked?
The exterior palette: pick it together, in daylight
Choose the exterior material families early, before they change structure and details: roof, siding and any stone or brick accents. Colors can follow within those choices. Look at samples together, outdoors in daylight, and ask each material's own order deadline. The water, wind and fire details behind each material belong with the roofing and siding assemblies, not the palette.
Set the material families before framing fixes what they need; colors can follow. Review the palette outdoors together, give each product its own release date, and keep the assembly details with the roofing and cladding topics. A palette approval is not a purchase approval.
Before framingBefore orders are placedGoes on a customer decision
Ask
Be ready to answer
Which siding, roof, accent, trim and gutter materials and colors?
Can we see the samples together, outside, in daylight?
When does each material have to be ordered?
Which choices change the details behind them?
A useful answer includes
The palette seen together in daylight
Each material's order deadline
Any detail changes the choices trigger
The answer that should make you ask again
The answer not to give
Example answer“You can pick colors later.”
What it leaves unconfirmed: Which later is too late for the roof, siding and accents.
Ask for: The palette decided with each material's real order date.
Give instead: The exterior palette approved together, with the order deadline on each material.
Systems
Where are the pipe runs, shutoffs and cleanouts, and can we reach them?
Plumbing routes and access: show the valve schedule
Ask to review fixture locations and pipe runs before rough-in is final, where the main and fixture shutoffs are, which ones you can reach without cutting drywall, and where the drain cleanouts are. Being able to isolate one fixture instead of the whole house is what turns a leak into a small repair.
Review fixture locations and pipe runs before rough-in is final. Give the owner a valve schedule: the main shutoff, each fixture shutoff and the cleanouts, and which stay reachable after finishes.
Before rough-inBefore walls closeGoes on the proposal
Ask
Be ready to answer
Can we review the plumbing layout before rough-in is final?
Where are all the shutoffs, including the main?
Which shutoffs can we reach without cutting drywall?
Where are the drain cleanouts?
Is there water treatment, and where would its space, power and drain go?
Is leak detection or an automatic water shutoff worth adding while the plumbing is open?
A useful answer includes
The plumbing layout
A valve schedule
Cleanout locations
The answer that should make you ask again
The answer not to give
Example answer“That's just how the plumber runs it.”
What it leaves unconfirmed: Whether the routes were coordinated with the layout.
Ask for: The pipe runs and the valve schedule.
Give instead: The routes reviewed against the layout and a valve schedule.
How long will we wait for hot water at the farthest fixture?
Hot water: the heater and the delivery are two choices
Ask which water heater is planned, how hot water reaches the farthest bathroom, and how long the wait will be. The heater and the way water is delivered are separate decisions: a compact pipe layout or a recirculation system shortens the wait. Ask what maintenance the setup needs and how it performs at peak use.
Choose the heater and the delivery separately. Say the expected wait at the farthest fixture, whether recirculation is passive, timed or on demand, and the maintenance. Compact routing helps every option.
Before rough-inBefore orders are placedGoes on a customer decision
Ask
Be ready to answer
What's the hot water wait at the farthest bathroom?
Which heater, and how does it perform at peak use?
Is there recirculation, and how is it controlled?
What maintenance does it need?
A useful answer includes
The heater selection
The distribution and recirculation plan
Maintenance requirements
The answer that should make you ask again
The answer not to give
Example answer“That's overkill for residential.”
What it leaves unconfirmed: The benefit of the component for this house.
Ask for: The expected wait and the delivery plan.
Give instead: The wait at the farthest fixture and the delivery options priced.
Which water heater suits how this household uses hot water?
The water heater: compare on the same demand
Compare the feasible water heaters on the same demand: how much hot water the household needs at once. Storage tanks are rated by how much they deliver in the first hour, tankless units by flow at the needed temperature rise, and heat-pump units need room, air, a condensate drain and tolerance for some noise. Ask installed and running costs, with the assumptions stated.
Size from simultaneous demand, then compare the feasible types: first-hour delivery for storage, flow at the needed temperature rise for tankless, and space, airflow, condensate and noise for heat pump. State the fuel rates and usage behind any running-cost estimate. Waiting time at the taps belongs to the piping plan, not the heater.
Before rough-inBefore orders are placedGoes on a customer decision
Ask
Be ready to answer
What is our peak hot-water demand, and which types can meet it?
For each type, what space, power or fuel, venting or airflow and drainage does it need?
What does each cost installed, and what running-cost assumptions are used?
Where would a heat-pump unit sit, and what about its noise and air?
A useful answer includes
The demand basis for sizing
Each feasible type's installation requirements
Installed cost and running cost with assumptions
The answer that should make you ask again
The answer not to give
Example answer“We put in a standard fifty-gallon.”
What it leaves unconfirmed: Whether that size came from this household's demand and how it compares with other types here.
Ask for: The sizing basis and the feasible types compared.
Give instead: A demand-based size, the feasible types compared on requirements and stated cost assumptions.
Do the outlets work with our furniture and how we'll live here?
Outlets: walk the house room by room
Ask to walk each room and mark outlet locations against the beds, furniture, desks, appliances and the garage. Adding outlets after the walls are closed means surface wiring or cutting drywall. Floor outlets have to be placed before the slab is poured, and island outlets depend on the electrical code adopted where you live.
Walk every room with the owner and mark outlets against their furniture and appliances. Floor outlets before the pour; counter and island outlets before the cabinet order. Price additions now.
Before the pourBefore rough-inBefore the cabinet orderGoes on a customer decision
Ask
Be ready to answer
Can we walk each room and mark outlet locations?
Which outlets should be higher, lower or hidden?
Where do cords usually end up exposed?
What's cheapest to add now versus later?
A useful answer includes
The marked electrical plan
Prices for added locations
The answer that should make you ask again
The answer not to give
Example answer“You can always add outlets later.”
What it leaves unconfirmed: Whether the plan fits how each room will be used.
Ask for: The marked plan from the room walk.
Give instead: The plan from the room walk, with each addition priced.
Which loads share circuits, and what can the panel carry later?
Panel and circuits: spaces are not capacity
Ask which appliances are on dedicated circuits, what shares a circuit, and what spare capacity the service has for an EV charger, solar or a generator. Spare breaker spaces are not the same as spare capacity. Readiness for future equipment means specific provisions, so ask what is actually included.
Give the circuit schedule, the dedicated circuits, the calculated spare capacity and the physical provisions for future loads. Say plainly what spare spaces will and won't carry.
Before rough-inBefore orders are placedGoes on the proposal
Ask
Be ready to answer
Which appliances are on dedicated circuits?
Which loads share circuits?
How much spare capacity does the service have?
What's actually included for an EV, solar or generator?
Is there a circuit or conduit for an EV charger and the garage?
A useful answer includes
The circuit schedule
The load calculation
Future-load provisions
The answer that should make you ask again
The answer not to give
Example answer“That circuit should be fine.”
What it leaves unconfirmed: Which loads share it and its rating.
Ask for: The circuit schedule with loads.
Give instead: The circuit schedule, the spare capacity and what's provided for future loads.
Where are the lights and switches, and where will shadows fall?
Lighting: plan it by task
Ask to review lighting by task, not just by room: where shadows fall on counters and vanities, which lights are on dimmers, whether switches are where you reach when you walk in, and where under-cabinet lighting goes. Lighting rough-in happens early, so these choices come before the walls close.
Review the lighting by task with the owner: counters, vanities, reading, stairs. Mark dimmers and switch locations by how they'll walk in, and coordinate under-cabinet lighting with the cabinet order.
Before rough-inBefore the cabinet orderGoes on a customer decision
Ask
Be ready to answer
Can we review lighting by task, not just by room?
Where will shadows fall on counters and vanities?
Which lights are on dimmers?
Are the switches where we reach when we walk in?
Which lights give general, task and softer evening light, and will their white tones work together?
A useful answer includes
The lighting and switching plan
The fixture selections
The answer that should make you ask again
The answer not to give
Example answer“We'll figure lighting after cabinets are in.”
What it leaves unconfirmed: The lighting rough-in plan and the cabinet interface.
Ask for: The lighting plan before rough-in.
Give instead: Lighting and switches planned by task and coordinated with the cabinets.
How was the heating and cooling sized?
HVAC sizing: show the load calculation
Ask whether a room-by-room load calculation was done for this house, with its actual windows, insulation and layout, and to see it before the equipment is ordered. Oversized equipment cycles on and off and controls humidity poorly. The load calculation, the equipment selection and the duct design are three separate steps.
Show the room-by-room load calculation with this house's windows and insulation, then the equipment selection and the duct design. Order equipment after the owner has seen them.
Before orders are placedBefore rough-inGoes on the proposal
Ask
Be ready to answer
Was a room-by-room load calculation done, and can we see it?
What assumptions were made about insulation and windows?
Which rooms are hardest to condition?
How does the system handle humidity?
A useful answer includes
The load calculation
The equipment selection
The duct design
The answer that should make you ask again
The answer not to give
Example answer“The system is sized by square footage.”
What it leaves unconfirmed: The sizing basis.
Ask for: The room-by-room load calculation.
Give instead: The load calculation, the equipment selection and the duct design.
How does air get back from each bedroom with the door shut?
Returns: design the path with the doors closed
Ask which rooms have returns, and how air gets back to the system from each bedroom when its door is closed. Without a path, rooms feel stuffy, doors slam and temperatures drift. A dedicated return, a transfer grille or a jumper duct can work; an undercut door alone often isn't enough.
Give each room a designed return path with the door closed: a dedicated return, a transfer grille or a jumper duct. Say how it will be checked after move-in.
Before rough-inBefore walls closeGoes on the proposal
Ask
Be ready to answer
Which rooms have returns, and which don't?
How does air return when a bedroom door is closed?
How will you check airflow after move-in?
A useful answer includes
The return-air plan
The balancing plan
The answer that should make you ask again
The answer not to give
Example answer“That room doesn't need its own return.”
What it leaves unconfirmed: The return path with the door closed.
Ask for: The designed path for each room.
Give instead: A return path for each room with the door closed, and how it's checked.
How many zones and thermostats does this house need?
Zoning: match it to the equipment
Ask how many thermostats the house needs, which zones would fight each other, and whether zoning suits the selected equipment and ducts. Zoning works well when it is designed with the equipment's minimum airflow in mind, and causes trouble when it isn't. A multistory house alone doesn't settle it.
Design zoning with the selected equipment, ducts and minimum airflow. Say how many thermostats, which zones interact, and what happens when one is rarely used.
Before orders are placedBefore rough-inGoes on a customer decision
Ask
Be ready to answer
How many thermostats does this house need?
Which zones tend to fight each other?
What happens if one zone is rarely used?
When does zoning cause problems, and how do you avoid them?
A useful answer includes
The zoning design
The equipment limits
The control plan
The answer that should make you ask again
The answer not to give
Example answer“Zoning causes problems.”
What it leaves unconfirmed: Whether zoning suits this equipment.
Ask for: The zoning design for this equipment.
Give instead: Zones designed with the equipment's airflow limits.
How does the house get fresh air, and how is humidity controlled?
Fresh air and humidity: two decisions, both designed
Ask how outdoor air gets in, how stale air leaves, and how indoor humidity is controlled: those are separate decisions. Exhaust-only, supply and balanced systems can each fit, depending on what applies here, and a recovery ventilator does not control humidity by itself. Ask where intakes and exhausts sit, what controls run them, and how airflow is checked after startup.
Record the ventilation approach and its sizing basis, the intake and exhaust locations kept apart, the controls, and how delivered airflow is verified at commissioning. State the humidity strategy for this climate separately, including whether dehumidification is needed. Don't present recovery equipment as a humidity answer.
Before rough-inGoes on the design agreement
Ask
Be ready to answer
How does outdoor air get in, and how does stale air leave?
Which approach suits this house: exhaust-only, supply or balanced?
How is indoor humidity controlled in this climate?
Where are the intakes and exhausts, and what controls run them?
How is the airflow checked after startup?
A useful answer includes
The ventilation approach and its sizing basis
The humidity strategy, stated separately
The commissioning airflow check
The answer that should make you ask again
The answer not to give
Example answer“The bath fans handle it.”
What it leaves unconfirmed: Whether the fans are part of a designed whole-house strategy, and how humidity is handled.
Ask for: The ventilation design and the humidity strategy.
Give instead: The approach and its sizing basis, intake and exhaust locations, the humidity plan and the airflow check.
Which rooms get wired, and where will there be routes for later?
Low voltage: plan the hub, the drops and the routes
Ask where the central network location is, which rooms are wired versus wireless, where access points go, and where empty conduit would make future wiring possible without opening walls. Wireless struggles through some walls and floors, and wiring later means opening finishes. Future-proofing is about access, not predicting devices.
Pick the central location, the wired drops and the access point locations with the owner, and run empty conduit where future cable would otherwise mean opening walls. Record the endpoints.
Before rough-inBefore walls closeGoes on a customer decision
Ask
Be ready to answer
Where is the central network location?
Which rooms are wired, and which rely on wireless?
Where would empty conduit save us later?
Where are the conduit endpoints?
Where do the network gear, access points and cameras live, and who installs them?
A useful answer includes
The network plan
Conduit routes and endpoints
The answer that should make you ask again
The answer not to give
Example answer“Empty conduit isn't included in our scope.”
What it leaves unconfirmed: The upgrade path for future cable.
Ask for: The routes and endpoints.
Give instead: The drops, the access points and conduit where future cable needs it.
What gets roughed in now for later: solar, an EV charger, a future bath?
Future rough-ins: pipe and conduit are cheap while it's open
Decide what gets prepared now for later, while walls, floors and the yard are open. Conduit paths, reserved panel space and a capped future bath are cheap while everything is accessible. Structure sized for a someday second story is different: it needs engineering, not an allowance. Ask for each future item priced on its own line, with what it does not include.
Offer the future list on every build: solar conduit and reserved panel space, an EV circuit or conduit to the garage, a capped future bath, chases for later runs. Price each as its own line and say what it does not include; structure for a future story gets an engineered design, not a guess. What the client declines, note as declined.
Before signingBefore rough-inGoes on the design agreement
Ask
Be ready to answer
What are we wiring or plumbing for that we're not finishing?
Is there conduit and panel space for solar and an EV charger?
Is a future bathroom plumbed and capped?
Would a future second story need engineering now, and what would that design cost?
What does each prepared item not include?
Is the house generator-ready: an inlet, a transfer point and the panel space?
A useful answer includes
The future list, priced line by line
The conduit and panel reservations
The capped rough-ins on the plans
The answer that should make you ask again
The answer not to give
Example answer“You can always add that later.”
What it leaves unconfirmed: What later costs compared with running pipe and conduit now.
Ask for: The future list priced now against the renovation later.
Give instead: Each future item priced as its own line, engineered where structure is involved, taken or declined in writing.
Is there a fireplace or feature wall, and what feeds it?
The fireplace: pick the unit before framing closes
Decide the fireplace early if there is one: gas, electric or wood changes venting, gas lines, clearances and what the wall around it can be made of. A feature wall with a mounted TV wants blocking, power and hidden cabling placed during rough-in, and a mantel or stone face needs structure behind it. Settle the appliance and the wall design before framing closes.
Get the type, location and viewing arrangement early, then the chosen unit's requirements before its opening, clearances, support, venting and services are fixed. A preliminary design can come before the final purchase. A feature wall without a fireplace follows a simpler backing and power path.
Before framingBefore rough-inGoes on a customer decision
Ask
Be ready to answer
Gas, electric or wood, and where does it go?
What venting, gas or power, support and clearances does the chosen unit need?
Is a TV going above it, and does the unit's heat allow that?
What blocking, power and cabling does the feature wall need?
From the seats we plan to use, is the TV or fire comfortable to view, without glare or a blocked walkway?
A useful answer includes
The listed appliance's requirements
The wall design with its blocking and cabling
The gas or circuit scope
The answer that should make you ask again
The answer not to give
Example answer“We'll frame for a fireplace and figure out the unit later.”
What it leaves unconfirmed: The venting, gas and clearances the eventual unit needs.
Ask for: The appliance selected before framing closes.
Give instead: The listed appliance, its venting and clearances, and the wall design settled during framing.
Before the walls close
What's still open before the walls close?
Before walls close: list every open item
Ask which trade conflicts, inspection corrections and decisions are still open before insulation and drywall, and who owns each. A walk through every room before the walls close is the last easy chance to adjust what's behind them. Check that what was discussed is actually there.
Walk every room with the owner before insulation. List every open decision, conflict and correction with an owner and a date, and confirm what was agreed is installed.
Before walls closeGoes on a milestone record
Ask
Be ready to answer
Can we walk the house before drywall?
Is everything we discussed visible right now?
Which decisions or corrections are still open?
What's the last day to change something?
A useful answer includes
An open-items list with owners and dates
Closed inspection corrections
The answer that should make you ask again
The answer not to give
Example answer“We'll catch anything at the end.”
What it leaves unconfirmed: Which items are unresolved before covering.
Ask for: The open-items list before drywall.
Give instead: A walkthrough and an open-items list with owners and dates.
Will what's behind the walls be photographed and saved?
Concealed work: record it before covering
Ask how concealed work will be recorded before it's covered: photos, video or marked drawings of the pipes, wires, ducts and blocking, labeled by room and saved where you can get them. A record makes later repairs and remodels faster. It doesn't replace an inspection.
Record every wall before insulation and drywall: labeled photos or video by room, saved where the owner can reach them. Agree how and when the owner can do their own walkthrough.
Before the pourBefore walls closeGoes on a milestone record
Ask
Be ready to answer
How will concealed work be recorded?
Will the photos be labeled by room?
Where will they be saved, and can we have them?
When can we do our own walkthrough?
A useful answer includes
Labeled photos or video
A place the owner can access them
The answer that should make you ask again
The answer not to give
Example answer“We don't usually film framing.”
What it leaves unconfirmed: How concealed work will be documented.
Ask for: The documentation method and where it's kept.
Give instead: Labeled photos by room, saved where the owner can reach them.
What drywall finish are we getting, and what gets fixed before it goes up?
Drywall finish: agree the level and the substrate
Ask which framing corrections are needed before drywall, what finish level is specified room by room, and how the walls will look with your paint and lighting. A higher finish level helps under raking light and flat paint, but it doesn't straighten crooked framing. Agree the standard and what is corrected before hanging starts.
Fix the framing before hanging. Specify the finish level by room against the paint sheen and lighting, and agree the acceptance standard with the owner before drywall.
Before walls closeGoes on the proposal
Ask
Be ready to answer
Which framing issues need fixing before drywall?
What finish level is specified in each room?
Which walls would benefit from a higher finish level?
What standard will the finished walls be checked against?
A useful answer includes
The finish level by room
Framing corrections
The acceptance standard
The answer that should make you ask again
The answer not to give
Example answer“That's within tolerance.”
What it leaves unconfirmed: The tolerance and the agreed appearance standard.
Ask for: The tolerance, the measurement and the fix.
Give instead: The finish level by room and the corrections before hanging.
Which waterproofing system is in the shower, and when is it tested?
Shower: name the system, schedule the test
Ask which waterproofing system the shower uses, how the drain, corners and penetrations are detailed, where the drain sits if it's in the slab, and when the system is tested before tile. Tile is not waterproof on its own. Testing depends on the system and the local rules.
Name the system and its details, place the drain before the pour where it's in the slab, and put the water test on the schedule before tile. Required waterproofing and testing belong in every option.
Before the pourBefore tileGoes on the proposal
Ask
Be ready to answer
Can you walk me through the waterproofing layers?
How are the drain, corners and penetrations detailed?
When is the water test, and can we see it?
Where is the backing for the glass and grab bars?
A useful answer includes
The named system
The details
The test record
The answer that should make you ask again
The answer not to give
Example answer“That's just how showers are built.”
What it leaves unconfirmed: Which system is used and how it's tested.
Ask for: The system, the details and the test.
Give instead: The system named, the details shown and the test scheduled.
Finishes
Which baseboard, casing, crown and paneling, and in what material?
The trim package: profiles, materials and paint or stain
Choose the trim package as a set: baseboard height and profile, door and window casing, any crown, and paneling or wainscot. Decide paint-grade or stain-grade, since stained trim needs better wood and tighter joints. Pick the material by location: what works in a bedroom may not hold up at a tub or laundry. Paneling and wainscot may need backing before drywall.
Show the trim as a set with samples: base, casing, crown, any paneling or wainscot, paint-grade or stain-grade, and the material for each location, with wet spots called out. Flag what needs backing before drywall, and release the trim order on its own date once the doors and openings are fixed.
Before walls closeBefore orders are placedGoes on a customer decision
Ask
Be ready to answer
What baseboard height and profile, and what door and window casing?
Is there crown, paneling or wainscot, and in which rooms?
Paint-grade or stain-grade trim?
Which trim material goes where, including bathrooms and the laundry?
Does any paneling or wainscot need backing before drywall?
A useful answer includes
The trim profiles with samples
Material by location, wet spots called out
Backing needs and the trim order date
The answer that should make you ask again
The answer not to give
Example answer“Trim's included in the package.”
What it leaves unconfirmed: Which profiles, heights and materials, and whether any paneling needs backing.
Ask for: The trim package shown with samples.
Give instead: The base, casing, crown and paneling selections, with materials by location and backing flagged.
Which paint colors, sheens and boundaries are specified?
The paint schedule: colors, sheens and stop lines in writing
Coordinate the fixed surfaces first: flooring, cabinets, counters and tile samples seen together before their orders, then the paint. Get the schedule in writing: colors by room, products, sheens, and where each finish stops. Some paneling and wainscot need backing before drywall, so decide those early. Check that connected rooms work together, and view samples in the actual light.
Review paint against approved samples of the fixed surfaces, resolve backing and substrate for specialty finishes before cover-up, and record products, colors, sheens and boundaries before painting. On-wall samples help but are not required on every job.
Before orders are placedGoes on a customer decision
Ask
Be ready to answer
Which colors and products, room by room?
Which sheens, and where does each finish stop?
When we look from one room into the next, do the colors work together in daylight and at night?
Can we see samples on the actual walls, after the fixed surfaces are in?
What prep is included?
Which walls get wallpaper, paneling, wainscot or another finish instead of paint, and where does each stop?
A useful answer includes
The paint schedule in writing
Samples on the actual walls
The fixed surfaces seen together first
The answer that should make you ask again
The answer not to give
Example answer“We'll paint it builder white.”
What it leaves unconfirmed: The products, sheens and where each finish stops.
Ask for: The paint schedule with samples on the wall.
Give instead: Colors, products and sheens by room, with prep and touch-up matching stated.
Which flooring materials go in each room, and how will they meet?
The flooring plan: room by room, before heights lock
Set the flooring plan in two steps: locations, thicknesses and transitions early, before framing fixes heights at stairs and doorways; final colors and products before ordering. Compare tile, wood, engineered wood, resilient sheet or plank, and carpet for each room's use. Ask what each needs beneath it, how it handles water and wear, and how materials meet.
Fix the floor assemblies, thicknesses and critical heights early with the framing; release final products and quantities later. State substrate assumptions, which checks happen once the subfloor exists, and who prices corrections.
Before framingBefore orders are placedGoes on a customer decision
Ask
Be ready to answer
Which flooring goes in each room, and why?
How do the selected products handle wear, splashes and cleaning?
What subfloor prep, moisture checks and underlayment does each need here?
Where are the transitions, and what finished heights do they create?
Can we see the floor samples with the cabinets, tile and paint?
A useful answer includes
A room-by-room flooring schedule
The prep and installation details per product
Transitions, heights and coordinated samples
The answer that should make you ask again
The answer not to give
Example answer“Hardwood down, tile in the wet rooms, carpet up.”
What it leaves unconfirmed: Which products, what each needs underneath, and how they meet.
Ask for: The flooring plan with transitions and heights.
Give instead: A room-by-room schedule with prep, transitions, heights and samples.
Take your list with you
Pick questions above with “Add to my list”. Your picks stay in this browser.
Rules on contracts, deposits, permits and building codes vary by state and town. Where an answer depends on where you live, the page says to ask what applies there.