First time poster but once I saw this thread just had to post. HANDLE ALL BUSINESS TRANSACTIONS PERSONALLY, CHECK UP ON YOUR BUILDER and know exactly which companies they use so that you can personally check the invoices and accounts :) Speaking from experience, a horrible, terrible experience. We began construction in April 2010 using a Highly recommended builder who was also our Uncle's cousin. We interviewed some of his old clients, some of his current clients, no problems. After we felt confident we signed the contract, got our plans and he began construction. He was professional (receipts, permits etc), the house was coming up in a timely manner and about 3 months in we get a call from the cement company wanting their bill paid. Then we get a call from the Electrician, then the Hvac, then the plumber, lumber company etc....all wanting their money to the tune of $50,000. Then the calls from his other current clients start coming in.... he did the same thing to them. About this time is when he disappears and leaves us with the mess. Remember this was a relative w/ a good reputation. We thought we took every precaution, receipts from him saying everything was paid and only gave him the exact amount he asked for by using a construction loan with a draw type acct...never gave any extra. But he was using our money to cover his other projects since he had went in debt on them too. For some reason the lumber, cement and other companies were STILL giving him in store credit even though he had hundreds of thousands overdue. In court for two years since they tried to sue him but that pond was dry (took his land, house, vehicles everything) but money was still owed so they tried to come after us. Thankfully our receipts, recorded phone calls and misc info saved us. We plan to build again in the future but will personally manage all the money and have a tight reign on everything that happens throughout the building process. And he was "jacking up the invoices" too, by about 40%.... never, ever again will I trust any builder with paying my construction bills. Did I mention we had to replace our roof shingles because they were installed wrong and rotted the wood around the edge? And had to replace the showers because noone waterproofed the walls or sealed the drain so black mold set in? Don't expect inspectors to catch everything either.... Our situation is definitely in the minority but these horror stories do happen.

In 2003, I found a new "dealer" for Superior Walls. Since I already had a Bobcat and cousins in the excavating business, this fellow sold me the Superior walls delivered and installed for what amounted to $11.00 per square foot for my job. Delivery and installation are all that he did for me. Mine are 10' high. Of course they really price them by the linear foot with upcharges for window and door openings, brickledge and such. My excavation cost about $500.00. I did the stone base, and did the top sills after the wall set. Got a bargain in the floor slab from a different contractor. I put HVAC condensate drain and water heater drain piping under the slab, gravity flow. My 10' high Superior walls foundation with floor slab was about $15.00 per square foot. That was 4 years ago. I made sure that all duct and piping installation (I am the plumber) provides at least 8' of headroom below it. Deciding to use the Superior Walls was one of the very best choices I made in the whole project. But Superior Walls later treated that contractor shabbily. After that contractor got the good reputation established for Superior Walls in this area, SW built another manufacturing plant in this state and started doing all installs with their own crews. Prices are higher now. Lest anyone think that my project was all "La Vie En Rose", HVAC was a problem, used a total of 5 contractors to get a reasonably satisfactory system. And unfortunately, that means 4 local HVAC contractors that I cannot call anymore if I need service. We both lost in that case.

I am late to this party but I will share my brief experience. It was many years ago and in the state of Florida so it may not apply to your situation. I had a roommate who, in addition to several small loans, ran up the phone bill to the tune of a couple of thousand dollars, calling overseas. I took her to small claims court and won a judgment against her. It was at that time that I learned that it was basically up to me to collect the money she owed me. I could file a paper (for a fee) that would entitle me to my money if she ever sold her house. She didn't even own one at the time. I could file a paper (for a fee) to have a sheriff collect her vehicle and sell it. I would need to pay something for them to actually tow it and then pay storage for the time between when they seized it and when they sold it. I forget what my third (legal) option was but it would have also cost me additional money. In the end, it would have cost more money for me to collect than what she owed. I did get a fraction of the money back but I eventually let karma take care of the balance.

HAVAC, Plumbing, Electrician, when you guys charge 250 an hr for labor it is a ripoff. A machine company charges same for a $million dollar machine running a half million dollar part and I can buy everything in your truck with the cost of any number of tools in my tool box and some that fit on the machine, for instance a 90deg head on this gantry mill I run cost $40,000. Just one tool of one machine that is used every now and then. And REAL easy to crash. A decimal point in wrong place can cost $400,000. I worked for Lockeed, Rockwell automation, some oil companies 29 yrs..... But my brother owns an air conditioning company. My brother is a joke with a high price!