New home construction: a guide for pros

What customers ask, how to win the job, and what to put on your profile.

Offering new home construction

You build new homes from the foundation up, coordinating excavation, framing, systems and finishes to a plan and schedule. Buyers look for a builder who explains the lot risks early, runs inspections on time and hands over a house with clear records.

What customers ask

  • What did you find in the soil and the site survey, and does it change the cost or the foundation?
  • Who is the licensed contractor on record, and can I check your insurance?
  • How long will each phase take, and what could push it back?
  • Which inspections happen during the build, and can I attend them?
  • What is covered under the warranty, and for how long?
  • Can I see a finished home on a similar lot?

How to win the job

  • On the first call, ask for the lot address, the plan, the target move-in window and any known soil or drainage concerns, then say what you need to confirm before a bid
  • Visit the lot before you bid and list the grade, drainage, utility routes and setback limits you measured
  • Present the soil and survey findings in the proposal, with the foundation type you recommend and why
  • Put allowances, upgrade pricing and the change order process in the contract, so the buyer knows how decisions are made
  • Share a written schedule with the milestones and the inspection dates, and update it when a date moves
  • Show photos of framing, rough-ins and insulation on past builds, since buyers want proof of what is hidden behind the finishes

What to put on your profile

  • Post photos of finished homes by stage, from foundation through framing and finish
  • List the plan styles, lot types and home sizes you build, with the foundation and roof types you use
  • Show your warranty terms and how you handle the punch list and post-move-in service
  • Describe your permit process and the inspections you attend with the buyer

Follow-up that helps the customer

  • Offer a walk-through at the framing stage and at the final, with a written punch list for each
  • Suggest a maintenance plan for the HVAC, the roof and the exterior, with the dates to check them
  • Offer to keep the build file, permits, inspection results and warranty papers for the owner's records

Licenses and permits

New home construction commonly requires a general contractor license or registration, and a building permit with inspections at set stages of the work. Check with your state and local licensing agencies and your local building department for your license class, bonding, insurance and permit obligations before you bid a new build.

Questions

How do I handle a soil problem found after the bid?

Stop the affected work and document the finding with photos and the engineer's or tester's report. Present the changed scope and schedule to the buyer in writing before doing the added work.

How do I keep a build on schedule through inspections?

Book each inspection as soon as the stage is ready, and do not cover work until it passes. Put the inspection dates in the schedule and tell the buyer when each one is booked.

How do requests reach me on infinibell?

Customers describe the job and pick the pros they want by name, and only the pros they picked see the request. Joining is free. You pay only for the leads you accept, and you can decline a request for free. Every pro is reviewed before going live.

About this guide

This national guide is written and checked by infinibell. Rules and conditions differ by place, so local pros are credited on guides for the cities they serve, not on national ones.

Edit history

More construction and design guides for pros

Start here

About this guide

Get new home construction requests

Customers pick you by name. Signup is free, and you pay only for leads you accept.

Join as a pro
Sign up free