New Construction Buyer Guide

How to compare builders, understand the completed price, protect representation, plan inspections, and manage the path from contract to warranty.

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What This Guide Covers

Representation and registration
Builder and community comparison
Price, incentives, and deposits
Construction and inspections
Completion and warranty

Establish representation before visiting

The builder’s salesperson represents the builder.

Discuss independent buyer representation before the first builder interaction whenever possible.
Ask how the builder’s registration and representation policies work before completing a registration card or touring without your representative.
Before the first visit, ask how the builder handles buyer-agent registration and whether any builder contribution toward buyer-broker compensation is offered. Do not assume either is automatic.
The on-site salesperson represents the builder and does not independently represent the buyer’s interests.

Compare the builder, community, and true price

The advertised base price may not reflect the completed purchase price.

Compare builder history, construction standards, included features, lot availability, community plans, restrictions, taxes, and association costs.
Itemize base price, elevation, lot premium, structural options, design selections, appliances, landscaping, window treatments, post-closing work, and financing costs.
Review builder incentives and preferred-lender incentives as part of the entire financing package, including rate, fees, qualification, and deadlines.
Estimate property taxes using the projected completed value, local taxing entities, applicable exemptions, and any relevant special districts or assessments—not only a current bill for an unimproved or partially completed property or an informal estimate.

Understand the builder contract

Builder contracts may allocate risk differently from standard resale forms.

Review arbitration or other dispute-resolution provisions, warranty exclusions, deposit requirements, nonrefundable selections, cancellation exposure, completion estimates, unilateral extension and substitution rights, change-order procedures, appraisal and financing risk, deadlines, and remedies.
Confirm which selections become nonrefundable and when.
Use qualified legal advice for contract interpretation or legal consequences beyond brokerage guidance.

Monitor construction and inspect independently

New construction can still contain defects or incomplete work.

Confirm permitted access, construction updates, selection deadlines, and the process for documenting concerns.
Discuss independent phase inspections when applicable, including pre-foundation or foundation observations, pre-drywall, final inspection, and specialist review.
Track change orders, allowances, substitutions, completion delays, rate-lock exposure, and appraisal timing.

Prepare for completion and warranty

Orientation is not a substitute for inspection.

Complete the final inspection and builder orientation or blue-tape walkthrough with enough time to document unfinished or defective items.
Confirm utilities, insurance, lender conditions, appraisal, title, closing figures, and the certificate or approvals required for occupancy.
Collect warranty documents, service contacts, manuals, and finish information. Calendar the actual builder warranty periods, inspection opportunities, claim procedures, and notice deadlines rather than assuming a universal warranty schedule.

Action Checklist

Confirm representation before first contact
Document registration policy
Compare included features and completed price
Review lot premiums and selections
Compare incentive tradeoffs
Review deposits and cancellation exposure
Track design and change-order deadlines
Plan independent inspections
Monitor completion and rate-lock timing
Complete final inspection and orientation
Collect warranty documents

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Assuming the model home, advertised base price, and completed home include the same features
Treating incentives as free without comparing financing terms
Skipping independent inspections because the home is new
Assuming a completion estimate is a guaranteed date
Signing before understanding deposit and cancellation provisions

Questions to Ask

Who does the salesperson represent?
What is included in the quoted completed price?
Which deposits are refundable and under what conditions?
What independent inspections are permitted?
How are delays, substitutions, and warranty claims handled?

This guide provides general educational information and is not individualized legal, tax, lending, insurance, inspection, engineering, appraisal, or investment advice. Contract documents, current law, lender requirements, title documents, and property-specific professional evaluations control.

Last reviewed: July 2026

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