You're not building a custom house.

Please explain.

Re-read your contract. If those limits are in there, it's not a custom home. You may have agreed to the layout you want, but if you don't have say on materials, it's simply not custom.

I am not sure that this is a custom home IMO but at least there should be enough choice to get what you want from the builders choices. I have had clients where every change was an upcharge and IMO some builders do that on purpose . In my expeience custom means my designer chooses what goes in and the “builder “ works with those choices that IMO is custom.

Sounds odd but there could be two sides to this story. In the end, your builder puts the warranty on your home and stands behind the finished package. It's possible they have had bad experiences with a particular supplier/sub, and they're saying "you can't buy from company X" for your own good.

Have you asked them what other suppliers you can buy from to look for more materials? I thought it's almost always the flooring supplier installing their own product, not the GC

Just wrapping up a fully custom build in the Niagara region, Ontario Canada. Cost plus 10% contract. We own the land and an independant architect designed the house. Our chosen builder determined which company/supplier I had to use to select wood flooring, kitchen and bathroom plumbing fixtures, tiling, countertops, fireplace and appliances. I was disappointed and shocked I was limited in so many ways. Naive going in thinking I could choose interior fixtures from whatever supplier that gave a better choice and better pricing for my fully custom home. ( the plumbing supplier has only one tub on the floor, and I had to choose the toilet from a brochure) I could go on.... Had a few heated conversations with builder on this and his reasoning was logistics, and his relationship with the supplier for quality, service etc. I found it to be extremely limiting in choice. I was thankfully given free range to purchase all my own light fixtures. Have mentioned to the builder he needs to source a 2nd supplier for all categories so at least the customer feels there is some choice for fixtures and fittings when buiding a home over a million plus.

Yeah this would be a deal breaker. If I cant specify what tile goes on my floor its not custom.

Not sure that this will help Terry......but -- we did a fully custom build 4 years ago. We owned the land, used our own architect and interviewed builders. While our builder did have some recommended suppliers where we could take advantage of his discounts (some of which we did use) -- we were not obligated to use them. A prime example of this was cabinetry. We were not going to use his "cabinet guy" and we worked with an independent kitchen and bath designer for all the cabinetry in the house. Our builder was fine with it, as long as we managed the process, had the kitchen designer's installation crew do the installation and didn't hold up the schedule. All of which we were in agreement with.

The plumber preferred we get our plumbing fixtures from a reputable plumbing supply house as opposed to on-line or a big box store, but we had planned to do that anyway. All in all, our builder and his subs were very accommodating in working with us. And we did make sure that we asked those kinds of questions up front when interviewing builders. Where we didn't have a choice was in the subs he used. 4 years later and I'm still annoyed at the paint job done in a couple of areas, but all in all -- the rest of the subs were excellent. Having said all that -- we fully understood that if we chose a vendor not recommended by our builder, we owned any schedule delays or problem resolution that might have occurred.

We custom built 1 year ago. Our builder would lead us to their favored suppliers due to the relationship that they had with them regarding service and quality. From the suppliers, we could get almost anything we could want and if they didn't have it, they could order it. To keep to a budget that we set, they did offer us a blue sheet that reflected the expected pricing, but we were welcome to get anything at any price; higher or lower.

For us, this made the experience much easier, as there is such a thing as having too many options and decision fatigue is real. Sometimes the builder didn't like our choices, but they installed anyway. Sometimes we didn't like the prices, and the builder would often get the suppliers "to sharpen their pencils". I think the advantage was ours.

It depends if you are using "custom" as a noun or adjective.

Terry, Where you went wrong was in not understanding that "Custom" is a marketing term and not a definition. The term "custom" is generally used to mislead the unsuspecting.

If you own the land outright, then anything built on it will be "custom". If someone else owns the land or lot and provides the building product, it is not "custom". It is somewhat customizable in that you will get a limited variety of choices from the builder's suppliers.

What to do? Determine what is permanent to the structure. Select the best choice available for permanent installation from the menu. For things that are not permanent, select the least expensive item. You can select an item that meets your desire and install it after closing.

Unfortunately for you, this is an expensive way to do business. If you truly want custom, you need to back out of this contract. You will need to buy your own land and find your own builder. This is also expensive, financially risky and time consuming.

Bottom line, they can call it custom all day long, but it really isn't custom.

It’s my land. I lined the design of a “custom” builder. I didn’t do my homework.

If you own the land, you have a little bit of power. Select what you want. Get the information together of what you really want along with prices, supplier and model numbers. Be organized. Have a face-to-face conference with your builder. You will need to pay more and given enough lead time, they should want to make you happy.

At this point, will the builder renegotiate the contract so that you can hire your own flooring installer and therefore purchase whatever flooring you desire? We just finished building and we told our builder before we signed the contract that we wanted to do our own cabinetry, countertops, and flooring. He was responsible for the rest and/or had allowances for items and we could choose what we wanted and that cost went against the allowance he had in the contract. Was it a perfect process? No, but no building experience is. We were over budget on several of our allowance items but we had mentally and financially considered that we WOULD go over on them from the get-go.

Another potential way of how to handle it to give you a wider selection than the supplier currently have. Talk to the supplier and find out what your options are for ordering something that they may not stock or may not carry. That is find out what brands they might be able to order. Then look elsewhere at those brands and make your selection and have the builders supplier order it.

I had the floor person give me the names of all his suppliers. The ones he doesn’t work with he says the builder won’t let him use.

I'm doing a major renovation with a new addition. I've told the builder (before the bid) that I will be purchasing all appliances, sinks, tile, faucets, fixtures, etc. and he will be bidding on the installation of said items. I always have all items in my garage awaiting his installation.

Where are you in the process? Have you read (re-read, hopefully) the contract yet? What does it say about this?

@Terry did you check what all those suppliers have available? Also what exactly are you looking for. Maybe we can help you find it within those suppliers.

I got the name of every suppler and looked at every offering. The floor guy won’t order outside of his usual suppliers. The builder won’t let him. He’s a great, helpful gut but can’t have everything. And if the floor guy doesn’t have it they won’t custom order something. I’ve probably looked at 10,000 tiles on different sites. Not exaggerating. There were 5,000 on Houzz! It’s frustrating when you find exactly what you want and can’t get it. The builder just answered my email so hopefully we’llI’ve contacted work something out.

"I had the floor person give me the names of all his suppliers. The ones he doesn’t work with he says the builder won’t let him use."

Again, would the builder possibly be willing for you to get your own installer (different from the sub he uses) and therefore get to use a supplier your builder doesn't use?

Terry how far into the project are you? How committed?

We built a custom home and could have ordered whatever we wanted from wherever we wanted for finishes. We had an interior designer who created the spec book for us but we often swapped things out and brought our own ideas to the table. In the end everything we put in was agreed to by us and the designer and the builder.

I'm committed. We're in the permitting process. Thanks to everyone's advice I wrote an email to the manager and said I wanted something in writing approving all the things that I want that can't be provided by their three vendors. It's mostly the bathrooms where I fell in love with products from Maestro Bath. Then one tiling area. It's the design person that keeps saying no but I keep going to the main guy (second to the owner) and he seems to get it. I understand the builder's side wanting to use their own stuff. But either you're custom or not. I don't even care if they do a mark up to make their margins. That's fair in business. I just want what I want. I also bought a few things 50% off for the bathrooms. I was supposed to let them order but it was big savings for vessel sinks. They're sitting in my bedroom. Just curious if you swapped things out once your started building. Because I have to commit to everything before they even start building. I don't understand why. Even the paint colors.

Absolutely we made changes all the way along. But we were a cost plus contact no allowances. We paid the bills plus the builder fee on top. All spelled out in advance and clear. No surprises on that front.

We purchased some things ourselves that didn’t need a warranty per say so had no mark up on those. Bathroom vanities and some fixtures

It all depends on your contract. Tile suppliers are notorious for not having tile in stock. Many tiles are imported. The builder is concerned that a tile delay will gum up the timeline when he is ready to start installation. Be certain that this tile is available. Back things up by trying to find another available tile that will work as a second selection.

We are building custom but our builder is pretty easy to work with. He’s been building similar homes for years, so when we are introducing new concepts, it takes a bit of convincing.

For example, he’s been installing downdraft range ventilation in these hurricane homes because it’s the most obviously easy way to ventilate. But, we need a range hood for our BlueStar so we installed the ducting ourselves this past weekend. He is uncomfortable with our selection of Scherr custom RTA cabinets, so we are skipping his cabinet guy altogether and installing them ourselves in the spring. His wife will figure out the +/- on the contract, no problem.

When tile materials are furnished by one supplier and installed by someone other than the supplier, there is the potential for finger pointing in the event of a problem. A single source for material and installation is a single accountability in the event of a problem.

We've been through the custom build process (as well as the production/tract builder process) more than once. Our experiences with customer builders has been similar to what Charles Ross Homes outlined.

We're starting yet another project; this time in retirement and near our new (and likely only) grandchild. Early on I asked the builder and his wife for names of their preferred suppliers/installers so I could research selections. There have been some compromises, some of which I'm not thrilled about, but overall I expect to be very happy with the house.

The builder is going to be doing things he hasn't done before and has undertaken continuing education and certification to meet our expectations. That impresses me. Also, after I provided information on the manufacturer of an American made tile, his preferred tile supplier/installer agreed to obtain the tile we want. Had I asked for tile from overseas vs. from a company 100 miles away, the response may well have been different.

Yes, we own the property and are paying cash for the house. That doesn't mean we can get everything and anything we want without there being serious time delays and likely the need for us to GC the project, too. I'm willing to pay the "+" in a cost+ contract for the builder's expertise, his long term relationships with reliable trades, his connections with suppliers, etc. He has a good reputation and I trust him.

We also recognize the need to remain flexible in the current situation. Supply chain problems have hit every aspect of building. If I have to change some finish selections later there will surely be alternatives that will work just as well.

@JP Haus,

I think you've set yourself up for success. Best wishes for your new home and for minimal bumps enroute.

@Terry I'm in agreement with a lot of the comments here, and I understand your sentiment. I would be extremely upset if we were working with an unaccommodating GC with limited access to "non-traditional" materials. Actually, the lack of flexibility would be considered a nonstarter for me.

As others have stated, the contract is the most important aspect of a custom build. We are, also, in the process of building a custom home and were upfront with our GC during the pre-contract and negotiation-phase in regards to retaining control over subcontractors (when deemed necessary) and ALL materials. With this control, we also understood that we would be financially responsible for the bills and warranties of any aspect that fell outside our GC's direct control. The specifics of these potential changes to our GC's responsibilities were also written in our contract. I do want to state here that an attorney was retained to assist with the "language" of our contract.

In regards to the financial responsibilities associated with custom builds, as I understand it, the GC typically takes on a good bit of risk when it comes to materials and subs. If a bank is financing the build, upfront payment for materials and labor is not an option. So, this responsibility falls on the GC to use his or her own credit or established accounts with suppliers in order to keep the project moving. Due to the extremely custom nature of our build, there have been many times where we have had to carry multiple, five-figure bills due to our GC's limited options or access. But, we knew our GC's limitations going into our build and had these details documented in our contract.

Anyway, if you are otherwise happy with your GC but are only bothered by this one issue (i.e., the finish details), maybe sit down and try to renegotiate the terms of that part of your contract. Speaking from personal experience, we have had to amend our contract with our GC during our current build. Sometimes things come up that neither party initially anticipated, and both parties are open to finding amicable ways to sort those issues out. In my opinion and in the grand scheme of a fully custom build, I think that the tile issue (or any finish-detail) is a small problem that should be easily rectified. I would like to think that a good professional would be willing to find a way to make you, the client, happy with the end product that you are paying for.

At the end of the day, my builder let me do whatever I wanted but he strongly steered me toward his suppliers for various reasons.

c9pilot, We used Scherr's for a kitchen about five years ago. They were great to work with. We actually enjoyed putting them together. We were kind of sad when it was done because it was a fun project. Any competent finish carpenter could install the cabinets. Post pictures when you are done.

Sorry to interrupt the conversation.

We got duped the same way. Had I known what I know now. I would never have used this builder but I would have ask more questions about what control I have over selections.

The builder/owner told us one thing but when we got into design the designer told us a different story. We live and are learning that we will have to make changes when we move in.

While I empathize with @Terry I agree with @Charles Ross Homes.

We're spending more time educating our clients and ourselves, refining our process, rewriting our contracts to allow for some flexibility while maintaining control.

It's more difficult with the growing resources of online shopping which is showing some great advantages along with a huge dark side. I'm seeing new brands created almost daily, some of which seem to have no trail and no way to track warranty. New online resources for products who are merely drop shippers cutting out support of product. Garage doors, fireplaces, stairways, interior doors, etc have typically been more expensive than local vendors once installed.

Some of the vendors you've cited are unreliable, unfortunately.

Piles of trade contractors & retailers will stalk you once a permit is pulled, promising the "best deals" for roofs, solar, cabinets, etc. A rep in the cabinet station of a big box retailer has instant credibility along with "specials this month" to set the lure.

Tile & flooring should be purchased from a reliable local vendor that purchases directly from a manufacturer. Be careful of retailers who carry closeouts and returns as color lots get mixed and warranties voided.

Just stopped a client from ordering a bunch of ceiling fans without extensions. ("No these are not universal items we pick up at the hardware store") Stopped another from hiring a cabinet builder for a six figure project who works from their home garage.

Do your vetting when choosing a builder and/or your own venders.

I agree 100% It's about expectations. A builder is a business and I respect that. I'm a financial advisor. My job is to set goals and expectations and then deliver on them. I'm transparent about costs. Then I put together a written plan. If the builder had set the expectations there would not be a problem because I'd have understood my choices going in. Sure I should have vetted. But I don't expect my clients to be experts in finance so I educate them. One meeting about expectations with the builder would have done that for me. Thanks for taking the time to write a response.

Why and how does anyone view 10,000 different tile selections, and still not find a suitable choice? That is not a limitation of a supplier issue. That is an issue with there are already too many choices. That’s also a design issue. A designer should create the concept design that you approve, and then present 3-4 options that fit the concept. You should not be ranging free down rabbit holes, confusing yourself more and more, now with 20,000 options.

The point here is that even if I had a designer, if she had two to three selections not with the builder’s suppliers I wouldn’t be able to get them. However, my flooring guy is a doll and going to great lengths to accommodate my eclectic taste. I want to marry him. Lol.

I'm sorry you are having this issue. We hired an excellent general contractor for a custom remodel and addition, and did not have any of these problems. Our contractor told us when things we liked would not work, and we followed his advice. Other than that we had free rein. We chose distinctive finishes and features that were very different from what was trending at the moment. As a consequence, 20 years later our house does not look dated or in need of refurbishing; it looks classic but not bland.

When you say “custom” did you buy the land from him and/or he has offered you a package of designs? If so, he is a production builder and is not a custom builder. Huge difference!

While you feel as if you do not have freedom to chose whatever, from whomever, your production builder actually is saving you money because he is buying in larger amounts.

I don’t know your market. Right now Cape Cod is flying high real estate wise. Production builders are doing just what you are saying…controlling choices. However the choices are over the top fabulous. A new production build around here is 1-2-3-10 million, not counting the cost of the lot. What I can see happening is that the current, expensive finishes will be so dated in the years to come, all will be replaced, anyway,

There are time tested beautiful choices that I bet your builder has for you to consider.

https://www.hgtv.com/design/rooms/bathrooms/15-classic-tile-ideas-for-your-bathroom-renovation-pictures

I bought the land. Saw his house he was building for someone on another piece of land. I hope you're right about saving me money, (:

Very helpful. Thanks to all here.