The contract you sign matters more than the tiles you pick. These are the twelve questions that separate professional builders from expensive lessons — ask all of them, of everyone you interview. Including us.
Credentials and protection
A BC Licensed Residential Builder number, WorkSafeBC coverage and commercial liability insurance, all current, all in writing. No documents, no discussion.
New homes in BC carry third-party 2-5-10 coverage: 2 years labour and materials, 5 years envelope, 10 years structure. Ask who the warranty provider is.
Names, not departments. Meet the project manager who will answer your calls before you sign — not after.
Recent ones, and one from a project that hit problems. How a builder handles a bad week tells you everything.
Money and scope
Ask for a line-item scope. 'Allowances' are where lowball quotes hide — compare what's excluded, not the bottom line.
Cost and schedule impact stated in writing, approved by you, before work proceeds. Anything looser becomes a blank cheque.
Milestone draws tied to completed work you can see. Large deposits before mobilization are a red flag in this market.
On renovations especially: do they investigate before pricing, and how are unknowns contingencied?
Process and after
A named cadence — weekly photo reports, budget status, decisions needed — beats 'call anytime'.
Staged inspections at foundation, framing, envelope and finish, not one walkthrough at the end.
Deficiency list closed, documentation, manuals, maintenance guidance — and a person who answers the phone in year two.
The honest answer tells you how they think. Listen for accountability language, not discounts.
Green flags
- ✓Line-item fixed quotes you can compare
- ✓References offered before you ask
- ✓Realistic timelines with the permit phase included
- ✓One accountable team, design through build
- ✓Answers in writing, promptly
Red flags
- ✕A price dramatically below every other quote
- ✕Pressure to skip permits 'to save time'
- ✕Vague allowances instead of specified scope
- ✕Big deposit before anything happens
- ✕'Trust me' where a document should be
Sit down with us for a free consultation and put every question on the table. You'll get documents, names and numbers.
✱ Representative planning figures for Metro Vancouver, mid-2026 — assembled from municipal permitting schedules, the BC Energy Step Code framework and Armacan project records. Every lot and scope is different: treat these as orientation, not a quote, and confirm against your property in a free consultation.
