Hiring the wrong general contractor is the #1 reason residential builds blow past their budget and timeline. Before signing any contract or handing over a deposit, verify these 5 items:

1. Itemized Bids Only: Never accept a lump-sum quote. Require line-item breakdowns for labor, materials, and subcontractor markups.

2. Certificate of Insurance: Have their insurer send an Acord certificate directly to you naming you as an additional insured.

3. Payment Schedule Tied to Milestones: Never pay upfront beyond a nominal deposit. Tie disbursements to passing municipal inspections (foundation, framing, rough-in).

4. Change Order Process: Demand written agreement on how unforeseen site conditions and price increases are approved beforehand.

5. Current Job Site Walkthrough: Ask to visit an active site, not just completed portfolio photos.

Want our complete master construction binder, permit roadmap, and budgeting spreadsheets? Get the full Home Build Blueprint Guide here: https://whop.com/home-build-blueprint/home-build-blueprint-guide

Welcome to Home Build Blueprint.

If you are building your first house, the permit process will eat more time and money than almost anything else on the job. I have watched first-time builders lose months over paperwork they thought was a formality. Here are the three permit mistakes I see most often.

1. Starting work before the permit is in hand

A verbal “you’re probably fine” from the building department is not a permit. Pouring a foundation, setting trusses, or even doing site grading before the stamp is on the paper can get you a stop-work order, a fine, and a redo. Pull the permit. Wait until it is issued. Then break ground.

2. Treating the permit as one document instead of a stack

Most jurisdictions do not issue a single “house permit.” You typically need building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, and often septic or well, driveway, and erosion control. Miss one and the inspector will fail you even if the rest of the work is perfect. List every trade and every site condition before you file, and confirm with the AHJ (authority having jurisdiction) that your package is complete.

3. Building from drawings that do not match the approved set

Once plans are stamped, that is the house you are allowed to build. Changing a beam size, moving a window, or swapping a floor system without a revision is a failed inspection waiting to happen. If you need to change something, submit a revision and wait for approval before the crew does the work.

Get those three right and you will avoid the delays that stall most first builds.

Drop a comment and introduce yourself. Tell us where you are building, what stage you are in, and what you are stuck on. Ask any construction question. I will answer them here.