How to choose
a luxury contractor
Hiring a builder for a home of real value is a decision about trust as much as skill. This guide lists what a careful owner can check, in the order that tends to matter, and ends with how Mike Johnson works.
Start with the public record
Before any meeting about finishes, confirm the basics. Florida keeps a public lookup run by the Department of Business and Professional Regulation, the DBPR. Search the contractor by name and read the entry yourself.
Look at the type of state license, whether its status is active, and whether the name on the license matches the company named on the proposal. Note any recorded discipline. A friendly contractor will not mind that you checked.
Then ask for the certificate of insurance. Have your insurance agent or attorney read it, and confirm that it names the correct company and is current. A certificate in a drawer does not help you if a claim comes up later.
Ask who runs the job, and who the trades are
On many projects the person who sells the work is not the person who builds it. Ask directly who will manage your project day to day, and whether that person is the one you are meeting now.
Ask who is on site each day, who answers your calls, and who decides when the field does not match the drawings.
Most of a finished house is built by specialty trades: framing, electrical, plumbing, stone, tile, millwork, paint. Ask who the main subcontractors would be, how long the contractor has worked with them, and how a trade is replaced if it falls short.
- Who is the single person accountable to me from contract to closeout?
- Who supervises the trades on site, and are they employees or subcontractors?
- How many projects does the contractor run at the same time?
- If that person is unavailable, who steps in and how will I be told?
Read how selections and changes are handled
Selections are the decisions about tile, plumbing fixtures, doors, hardware, cabinetry and lighting. Ask how the contractor tracks them, who orders long-lead items, and how you are reminded when a decision is due.
Changes will happen on any serious project. What matters is the method. A good answer is that a change is described and priced in writing before the work is done, so you are never surprised by a bill for something you did not approve.
Understand allowances and change orders in the contract
An allowance is a placeholder amount in the contract for something you have not yet chosen, such as stone or lighting. If the real selection costs more than the allowance, the difference comes back to you. Ask how each allowance was set and whether it reflects the quality of your house.
A change order is the written agreement that adjusts price or schedule. Ask to see a sample. Ask also how hidden conditions are treated, such as rot behind a wall, and how payments are tied to completed work. Your attorney should read the whole agreement.
Where a rule matters, such as flood standards or permit type, do not rely on the contractor alone. Ask the city and ask your architect. Our guide on permits and private providers explains who can answer what.
Call references and visit a finished home
Ask for past clients whose work resembled yours, then ask plain questions. Was the contractor reachable? How were problems handled? Would they hire the firm again?
Also ask to visit a finished home if a client is willing. Look closely at trim joints, stone seams, cabinet reveals and paint lines. A walk-through tells you more than a photo.
If an architect, designer or realtor you trust has worked with the contractor, ask them too.
How Mike works
Mike Johnson personally manages a limited number of projects, so the person you meet at the start is the contractor responsible for your house. He stays involved from early planning and preconstruction through completion and closeout.
He coordinates your architect, designer, engineers, permitting, trades and selections, and he helps you decide with real information before construction begins. If you would like to test that against the checklist above, call him and ask the questions directly.
Questions owners ask
Where do I verify a Florida contractor's state license?+
Use the public lookup on the website of the Department of Business and Professional Regulation. Search by name, then read the license type, its status and any discipline on record.
Should I ask the contractor for a certificate of insurance?+
Yes. Ask for the certificate and have your insurance agent or attorney confirm that it names the right company and is current before work begins.
What is an allowance in a construction contract?+
It is a placeholder amount for items not yet selected, such as stone or lighting. If your final choice costs more, the difference is added, so ask how each allowance was set.
Is it reasonable to visit a finished home?+
It is common for a contractor to arrange this when a past client agrees. Seeing trim, tile and millwork in person tells you more than photographs do.