What to ask your builder before signing

The contract with your builder is the most important document on the whole journey to your home. It should answer the questions that otherwise cost the most worry and money later. Here are ten questions worth asking before you sign, and why each one matters.

1. Who exactly will build it, and what experience do they have?

Ask who will design the frame, who will prepare its parts and who will lay the reed roof: the company itself or its partners. Find out what experience each of them has with domes and with reed, and ask to see their work or speak to previous clients.

Why it matters. A dome forgives fewer mistakes than a standard frame, and a reed roof is a craft you cannot learn from a manual. Here, experience turns directly into a weathertight, long-lasting house.

2. What exactly is included in the price, and what is not?

Different builders mean different things by "turnkey". Ask for a written list: design and permits, foundations, frame, roof, windows, building services, utility connections, interior finishes, kitchen, bathrooms and landscaping.

Why it matters. Two prices can only be compared when they cover the same things. Whatever is left off the list usually becomes an extra invoice, and utility connections or landscaping can be a sizeable part of the budget.

3. How are payments tied to stages?

A good payment schedule follows the progress of the build: you pay for what has been done and accepted, not well in advance. Ask which stages are planned, how each one is signed off and which documents you receive with each acceptance certificate.

Why it matters. When money moves together with the work, both sides know where things stand, and your risk always stays in proportion to the work completed. Be wary of a large advance payment that does not match any particular stage.

4. Which warranties apply to each part of the house?

A warranty on a house is not a single number. Ask what warranty covers the frame, the reed roof, the windows, the building services and the finishes, who gives it, the manufacturer or the builder, and under what conditions it applies.

Why it matters. Warranties often depend on proper maintenance, so it pays to know the conditions in advance. It also lets you compare the offer with what the law requires.

5. How will the energy class be confirmed?

A promise of "A++" should become a document. Ask whether the energy performance certificate is included in the price, who will prepare it and how the airtightness of the house will be tested. Find out, too, what happens if the test reveals shortcomings.

Why it matters. In Lithuania, new buildings already have to meet nearly zero-energy requirements, which means class A++. The energy class decides your heating bills and can affect the value of the house in future.

6. Who handles the design and permits?

Ask who will arrange the surveyor, provide the architect, obtain the connection conditions and the building permit document. If any part is not included, find out who will do it and who is responsible if it is delayed. Ask, too, who will be your point of contact for the whole journey.

Why it matters. When one party designs and another builds, mistakes between them often belong to no one. A single responsible party means fewer grey areas and faster decisions.

7. What are the timescales, and what happens if they slip?

The contract should contain not only a completion date but deadlines for the main stages. Ask what penalties apply for delays, which circumstances count as justified and how the timetable changes if permits or your own decisions are delayed.

Why it matters. Clear deadlines protect both sides. They help you plan the move, a mortgage or the sale of your current home.

8. How is the build insured?

Ask whether the builder has construction works insurance and public liability insurance, who insures the house while it is being built and when the risk passes to you. Find out what would happen in case of fire, a storm or theft during construction.

Why it matters. A lot can happen over several months of building. Insurance decides whether a mishap becomes an unpleasant episode or a financial blow.

9. How are changes handled during construction?

Almost every client wants to change something once building is under way. Ask how changes are requested, priced and confirmed in writing, and how they will affect the timetable. Find out, too, up to what point changes cost nothing extra.

Why it matters. A dome frame is prepared in advance from a digital model, so moving windows or changing the layout once the triangles are made is far harder than during design. A clear change procedure protects you from misunderstandings and unexpected bills.

10. How should the house be looked after once you move in?

Ask for a maintenance plan: when and how to inspect the reed roof, change ventilation filters, and check the windows and building services. Ask who to call if something stops working, and whether the builder can carry out regular inspections.

Why it matters. A well-maintained reed roof lasts a long time, and small issues caught early do not grow into large ones. Warranties also often depend on whether maintenance has been carried out.

How to use this list

This list is most useful when you use it consistently. A few tips:

• Ask for answers in writing. Spoken promises sound good in a meeting, but only what is written into the contract or its annexes counts.
• Compare against the same questions. Put all ten questions to every builder you are considering, and record the answers side by side in one table.
• Notice what is left unsaid. If any answer is vague, that is an answer too.
• Take your time before signing. A good builder will understand if you want to read the contract calmly or show it to a lawyer.

Ask us the same questions. REEDOME leads the whole journey, from surveyor and architect to permits, construction and interior, and when we hand over the house we hand over the documents, warranties and a maintenance plan for the reed roof together with the keys. Fill in our short questionnaire and we will answer your questions in our first conversation.