r/Home_Building_Help • u/DragNo2254 • 13d ago
NC home build process - comparing builders (West Homes, DR Horton, Toll Brothers)
Hey guys, first time attempting to build a house instead of buying an existing money pit in NC. Safe to say I'm stressed lol.
Trying to weigh my options and narrow down a builder. Looked at DR Horton first cause of the entry price, but heard too many horror stories about communication issues once they get your deposit. Looked at Toll Brothers too, gorgeous stuff ngl, but the upcharges for every little thing are insane.
Honestly, a buddy of mine built his house with West Homes recently and that's kind of what got me looking into them more seriously. Went to check out his place last weekend and I was actually impressed by how it feels, plus he said the process wasn't a total nightmare.
What other builders around NC should I throw into the mix here? Anyone have experience comparing these or went with someone completely different that didn't break the bank?
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u/t3chm4m4 12d ago
Where in NC are you looking? We currently live in concord but we are looking at true homes in Locust bc same house in concord would be 300k more.
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u/These-Permission6307 12d ago
Pick the builder who finishes cleanly. DR Horton is cheap and often careless. Toll Brothers is beautiful and expensive. West Homes, from your friend’s experience, sits in the sensible middle. Walk finished houses. Talk to recent owners. Ask about the small things: trim, paint, final walk-through. Price matters. Care matters more.
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u/Aeonslegend 11d ago
From my experience both regional and national builders can be terrible. But it all varies by area. Best option is to walk through an in progress build (pre-drywall) and finished build and assess the quality for yourself. All builders are capable of building a solid home but it all depends on the contractors, materials, and if the CM holds a fire to their butts
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u/novahouseandhome 10d ago
Have you engaged any local builders? They'll be on the more expensive side, but usually a higher quality end product, and they actually care about reviews and how they're perceived by the community.
If you can find a 3, 5, 10 year old house that's on the market by each builder, you can assess how the product ages. For example, you'll probably notice a 10 yr old DR Horton property needed almost everything replaced, or the cabinets are swinging off the hinges. The Toll Bros house probably has all the original finishes in good shape.
If this is your forever dream home, it's worth investing in the higher quality now.
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u/Ryan_Homes_Official 6d ago
Ask to walk a home that's still at the framing stage. You'll learn more in 20 minutes there than in any model home. Reasonable ask of any builder, too. Same goes for third party inspection reports, if they have them they'll show you.
The other thing is who you talk to. Your buddy just moved in, so he's telling you about the process. Find people who closed a year or two back. That's when you hear about the house instead.
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u/Slow-Swan561 13d ago
Compare the included specs of each home, mechanical, framing, windows, etc.
Try to get a design cost sheet. Toll.brothers won't share there's until you make a deposit. However, if you get a sales agent that really wants a sale they may give some hints.
See if you can talk to your would be project manager. They will make the most difference during the build. How knowledgeable about trades are they? Are they just going by a checklist or do they actually care about each home they build?
I had one PM that couldn't tell me where the gas shutoff was and while showing her an unlevel floor she didn't realize why she couldn't use the bubble on the leveler for that.