Picking the right builder for your project can feel overwhelming, and for good reason. Construction typically takes 6-12 months, it’s the most expensive part of your project, and nearly everyone has heard a horror story or two: disappearing contractors, half-finished jobs, or unskilled work that leads to long-term issues.
So how can you feel confident you’re choosing the right team for your ADU or home renovation?
At Inspired ADUs, we work closely with a small, vetted network of general contractors: builders we’ve completed dozens of projects with, whose communication, craftsmanship, and reliability we’ve seen firsthand. That gives our clients peace of mind and simplifies the process. But even if you’re working outside of our network, we want to share the criteria we use to assess builders as a guide for you to assess builders for yourself.
Below is a comprehensive guide to help you make a well-informed decision, plus a few red flags and a handy rules of thumb.
Our tried-and-true tips for making a high-stakes decision with confidence
1. Find a GC with relevant experience
Some GCs are better at ground-up construction while others shine with remodels. A builder’s experience with specific conditions, such site access, soil conditions, neighbor proximity, can make a big difference in both logistics and permitting, so make sure they’ve done similar work before.
Finally, a builder’s experience with a certain jurisdiction becomes quite important during the inspection and permit management process. A GC who just finished an ADU in your city six months ago is going to have a better handle on current permitting and inspection norms than someone who built one five years ago. You want to know they’re not just capable, but also familiar with the local context and have a good reputation local officials.
2. Choose a GC–Designer Pair Who Know Each Other
GCs who’ve worked with your architect or designer before tend to collaborate more smoothly and understand each others’ requirements. That familiarity means faster issue resolution, fewer change orders, and better alignment with your design intent. We’ve found that builder–designer pairs with an established rapport lead to better outcomes for everyone. This is not a dealbreaker! For example if you’d love to work with a family builder that we haven’t worked with before, that doesn’t mean the project will go south, especially if that builder has the experience and best practices described elsewhere in this list. However, in that scenario you pay expect a few extra weeks of coordination or drawing review during major construction phases.
3. Ask for Examples and References: Client References, Budget Overages on Recent Projects, and Schedule Overages on Recent Projects
Anyone can talk a big game, but don’t just take their word for it. Ask for:
Make sure the quality, detailing, and customer experience is consistent with how the GC describes themselves, and that the client expectation aligns with the experience you’d like to have for your project. We’d consider it a red flag if a GC is reluctant to connect you with a former client, or if the client is not a recent one. It can also be really helpful to ask the GC to talk about their 1-2 recent projects most similar to your project, and inquire about how they ended on time and budget compared to their original estimates. GCs won’t always be able to show you a completed project, but most should be able to show you images or a tour of a project that’s in flight. As long as these questions are conversational and respectful, instead of accusatory, it should be a positive part of the vetting process when selecting a GC!
4. Understand the Estimate and What It Includes
A great estimate should include all major costs, itemized: windows, doors, trim, finishes, fixtures, cabinetry, HVAC, electrical, plumbing, and site work. Watch out for vague categories, exclusions, “labor only” indicators, or the dreaded “TBD.” Ask for clarification if you see any of these in an estimate. If something is marked “by owner,” clarify whether that means you’ll need to hire another contractor or supply and store materials yourself.
It's common for estimates to include 'allowances' for line items like doors/windows and many finishes. These allowances serve as a placeholder for the anticipated cost of the materials, but the actual cost will depend on what finish material and/or brand is selected by the client (ex: a $150 faucet vs a $500 faucet). In these cases, the cost of labor should still be indicated.
And of course….a bid that’s much lower than other bids you’ve received is likely too good to be true! This usually happens if GCs have a lot of excluded items in their base price, or if they operate by underbidding to get the job and making up the difference in change orders as the project progresses. We’d also be wary of any estimates given without a walkthrough of your property and thorough review of the structural and architectural drawings.
Most of the builders we work with are fully turnkey, meaning they include all labor, materials, finishes, permits, and services needed to deliver a move-in-ready ADU. An exception to this rule might be decorative landscaping, because most of our GCs include the major required/technical site work for a project per the permits (such as utility trenching, grading, drainage, retaining walls, or curb/sidewalk updates), but usually will not cover the decorative landscaping scope of work in their estimate as this tends to be a different type of contractor.
5. Ask How They Handle Ambiguities in the Drawings or Issues in the Field
Even great drawings leave room for questions. Ask: “What do you do when something in the plans is unclear or contradictory?” and “How do you handle issues that may come up in the field during foundation/framing, and during finish installation?”
The right GC will:
A proactive, collaborative GC won’t just build what’s on paper; they’ll think ahead and raise smart questions in real time. In these scenarios, it pays huge dividends to find a general contractor that can lean on their project management experience and technical expertise to see around the corner and anticipate issues before they cause major delays. This is not to say that newer, smart, enterprising GCs are not worth building with, but even GCs in that category should have at least a few years of experience in the trades to lean on as part of their problem solving abilities.
6. Review the Warranty
In California, builders must meet these minimum warranty standards:
A trustworthy builder will provide a written warranty and stand behind their work with clarity and confidence. Keep an eye out for GC contracts that meet or exceed the state minimum warranty requirements. It can also be helpful to bring up the warranty question in real-time during a conversation to gauge their reaction. For example, we would be wary of a builder who react in a surprised or vague manner when asked “what warranty do you provide with your work?”
7. Evaluate Communication Style and Project Management Tools
Construction is a relationship. Pick a builder whose work and communication style fits yours, and who communicates proactively, not reactively. Surprises in construction are generally not a good thing, but clear communication and proposed solutions about inevitable issues make for a smooth working relationship and great final product.
8. Check Timeline and Capacity
Ask how many projects they’re running currently and whether they have availability aligned with your timeline. Builders who overbook or overpromise can cause cascading delays, even if their intentions are good. This is an area where it can be a little hard to gauge between what you’re told and what the truth is. In general, any contractor who tells you they can build an ADU in less than 6 months is probably too good to be true; for reference our fastest project was built in 5 months on a relatively small ADU unit with a GC we’ve worked with many, many times. In this scenario, asking for some historical data from recent projects and focusing on this question with past references can provide good insight.
9. Confirm License, Insurance, and Bonding
Ask for and verify the following:
Don’t assume: always get documentation before signing anything. Similarly to warranties, we would be wary of anyone who reacts surprised or vaguely about these requirements, and would not do business with someone who is unable to provide the documentation. For a project of this scale, this is a risk that’s simply not worth taking.
10. Ask About Their Crew and Subcontractors
Some GCs rely on a consistent internal crew. Others work with a close-knit, long-term network of subcontractors. Both models can work well, but what matters is continuity.
Ask:
Frequent turnover can signal red flags in management, payment practices, or scheduling. Longstanding relationships tend to produce smoother, higher-quality projects with predictable results. An exception to this rule may be a newer GC who has only been in business a few years, but even in that scenario we’d expect to see some longer standing work relationships from their time in the trades.
11. Visit an Active Jobsite
Active jobsites can be a great way to see if a builder can “walk the talk”:
Sloppy, chaotic, or empty sites often point to deeper issues with coordination or crew availability. Many dormant days on a jobsite can indicate difficulties with coordinating subs, running into a problem that’s halted work, or ordering materials in a timely manner. Even with something as complicated a construction, a good GC will keep their jobsite smooth and tidy, which leads to faster, safer, and higher quality work.
12. Trust Your Gut and Know Your Priorities
If something feels off, it probably is. Look for builders who are transparent, respectful, and clear. And if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Keep in mind, everyone is always showing their best side during the early conversations and vetting stages. This is true for all of us too - to some extent, we want to come off as desirable clients! It’s important to stick to the facts, start off with clear and respectful questions, and look for someone that feels like the right fit. It’s impossible to vet for everything, so it can be helpful to pick your top 3 from the list above, or focus on which two of the main three project aspects (cost, quality, time) matter most to you, and focus on GCs who prioritize the same things.
Our GC Network: Quality Over Quantity
We intentionally work with a small number of general contractors across the Bay Area, including the East Bay, SF, Peninsula, South Bay, North Bay, and Wine Country. We prioritize builders with diverse experience across construction types and geographies, and who understand the collaborative design-build process.
No matter how experienced a GC is, something will go sideways during construction - that’s the nature of building. The goal isn’t perfection, it’s partnership: someone who will solve problems head-on, transparently, and with a long-term mindset.
We’re always happy to help vet builders outside our network too, whether through estimate and contract reviews, site visits, bid leveling (help comparing multiple bids against each other) or references.
Need help choosing your builder? Get in touch! We’re happy to walk through your options.
Written by Anamika Goyal
.svg)
