Advice and observation
Questions homeowners should ask
Not a brochure quiz. These are the questions that decide whether you stay in control of the job — or find out too late that you never were.
Use this as a checklist with your contractor, your lender, and yourself. Straight Answers can help you work through the ones that need an experienced eye on site. We work for you. We are not the general contractor.
Protection
License, insurance, and financial guardrails
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What does “licensed, bonded, and insured” actually mean?
In Indiana residential custom building, those three words get used like a package deal — and they are often half-true. There is generally no statewide Indiana license required to act as a general contractor on a house. When someone says they are “licensed,” they may mean a city or county registration, a business license, or that specialty trades (electrical, plumbing, HVAC) are licensed — or they may just mean they look like a real company. Ask: licensed by whom, for what, and send the card or number.
“Bonded” on a custom home is especially misleading. It is often a small license or registration bond for a city — limited dollars and limited claim types — not a full performance or payment bond that finishes the house or pays the subcontractors if the builder walks. True job bonds are uncommon unless the contract or the lender forces them. Ask what kind of bond, the penalty amount, who can make a claim, and whether it is for this job.
“Insured” usually means general liability (and maybe workers’ compensation if they have employees). It does not automatically cover your house, your draws, or bad workmanship the way homeowners assume. Treat “licensed, bonded, and insured” as a claim to verify — not as protection by itself.
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Does your contractor have insurance? Do you have a copy? Can your project be named on the policy?
A verbal “we’re covered” is not a certificate. Get the current document: carrier, limits, and effective dates. Ask whether your address and project can be named as an additional insured or interest — and what that actually changes if something goes wrong. Builder’s risk is often a separate conversation with you or your lender; do not assume the contractor’s liability policy is doing that job.
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What safeguards do you have if the contractor hits a financial problem?
Payment schedules, retainage, escrow, and draw controls matter when a company is short on cash. Know what protects you before you need it.
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Is he in legal fights with anybody right now?
Active disputes, unpaid judgments, and pattern complaints are information you want before more of your money is on the table.
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Are you getting a complete release from his subcontractors beforehand?
If subs are not paid, they can come after the property. Conditional and final waivers should match each payment — not arrive as an afterthought.
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Are you familiar with how the mechanics lien law operates?
Lien rights are how unpaid parties attach claims to your home. Understanding the timeline and notices is not optional on a custom build.
Competence
Who is actually running the work
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Does your contractor know what he is doing?
Ask for relevant experience on jobs like yours — not just years in business. You want evidence of sequencing, trades coordination, and finishing homes of similar complexity.
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Is his architect licensed? How involved is the architect?
A stamp on a set of drawings is not the same as ongoing involvement. Know who owns design decisions when field conditions change.
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Is he giving you submittals to approve? Do you understand what the submittals are?
Submittals are how products and details get locked in before they are installed. If you do not understand them, you are approving by default — and living with the result.
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Do you have a written agreement with your contractor?
Scope, price basis, allowances, payment terms, change-order process, and completion standards should be in writing. Handshake jobs leave the homeowner exposed.
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What about subcontractor criminal records?
People will be in and around your property for months. Ask what screening, if any, is done — and what your agreement says about who may be on site.
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What hours is he allowed to work in your neighborhood?
Local rules and HOA limits are real. Noise, deliveries, and early starts become your problem with neighbors if nobody manages them.
Money and scope
Who controls cost, cash, and “done”
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Have you fully described what complete / done looks like?
Punch lists and vague “substantial completion” language leave room for argument. Define finished rooms, systems, exterior, and documentation before you are fighting about them.
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Do you control materials cost, or does he?
Allowances, owner-direct purchases, and contractor markup change who benefits when prices move. Know which model you are in.
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Who controls the money flow?
Draws, joint checks, lender inspections, and who gets paid first all shape leverage. If you do not understand the path of each dollar, you do not control the job.
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Change orders — how do you know you are not being taken advantage of?
Every change should be priced, written, and approved before the work. Watch for “we’ll settle up later,” bundled extras, and changes that rewrite the original deal.
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What are the actual time constraints for completion?
A start date without a meaningful schedule is a hope, not a plan. Ask what drives the calendar and what happens when trades slip.
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What safeguards and guardrails exist if something goes sideways? What is your recourse?
Dispute steps, cure periods, termination rights, warranties, and who holds retainage are your recourse — not goodwill after the fact.
On the ground
Day-to-day reality on the site
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Poor supervision on the work site — who watches day to day?
A name on the contract is not the same as a superintendent who is actually present. Ask who is responsible when you are not there.
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Job-site cleanliness
Debris, unsafe storage, and a site left for neighbors to stare at are management failures. Homeowners often will not confront this. We can raise it cleanly on your behalf.
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Progress spot checks for quality or abnormalities
Periodic, independent looks catch problems while they are still cheap to fix — not after finishes hide them.
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Where can you get bit and never see it coming?
Hidden moisture paths, incomplete flashing, soft numbers in allowances, unpaid subs, insurance gaps, and “almost done” that is not done. Experience is how you learn the list before you pay for it.
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Knowing what — and when — to bring in an expert on a specific issue
Structural, geotech, envelope, HVAC balance, or legal review: the right specialist at the right moment is cheaper than arguing after install. Part of the work is knowing when to call that person.
Paid portal
Have I thought of everything?
This page stays the public list. The Owner’s Early Warning Checklist is the paid, saveable, printable version — personalized to your name and project, with a glossary and extra control tasks that are not published here. One-time $47. Pay first, then sign in on your phone.
Want help working this list against your job?
Call. Tell us where you are in the build and which questions are keeping you up. If it is a fit, we agree on a simple engagement. See also how the work is done.