Price and scope
- Which costs required to complete and occupy the home are not included in this contract?
- Which items will I pay directly to another contractor, utility or government agency?
- Which prices are fixed, allowances, estimates or unit-price work?
- Are taxes, delivery, equipment, installation and builder markup included in each allowance?
- Does the plan show any feature that is not included in the written price?
Site work and utilities
- What site preparation is included before excavation begins?
- What soil and groundwater conditions does the excavation price assume?
- How will additional fill, unsuitable soil, buried debris, rock or dewatering be priced?
- Who is responsible for rough grading, finish grading, topsoil and restoration?
- Are erosion control, drainage improvements, culverts and retaining walls included?
- Where does the builder’s responsibility begin and end for electrical, water, wastewater, gas and communications?
Allowances and change orders
- Can I review supplier quotes supporting the allowances before signing?
- What happens to unused allowance money?
- What markup is charged on upgrades, overruns and change orders?
- Must I approve a written price before changed work begins?
- Can schedule extensions or material price increases create additional charges?
Schedule, inspections and completion
- What must happen before the construction schedule begins?
- Who coordinates permits, utility releases and required inspections?
- What events allow the completion date to move?
- What items may remain incomplete at occupancy?
- Who handles final cleanup, dumpsters, temporary facilities and site restoration?
- How are punch-list and warranty items documented and scheduled?
Documents to request
- Complete plans, specifications and finish schedules
- Allowance schedule with the scope of each allowance
- List of owner-supplied and owner-contracted work
- Change-order procedure and markup terms
- Draw schedule and lender requirements
- Insurance and warranty information
Best practice: Take notes, then ask for important answers to be incorporated into the contract, specification or signed clarification. A verbal understanding can be forgotten or interpreted differently later.
After the meeting
Update the true-cost calculator using the builder’s written answers. Items confirmed as included stay out of the additional-cost total. Excluded items receive a low and high estimate. Unknown items remain visible until resolved.