What Experience Should a Custom Home Builder Have?
In this article
Enough that your house is not among his first. John Worlund’s advice is to avoid hiring anyone who has never built a home, regardless of how attractive the price is. Beyond completed project count, check the license, the length of the subcontractor relationships, and whether the builder has worked in your specific conditions.
The short version
- Do not be a builder’s first house, no matter what the discount is.
- Experience shows up first in the accuracy of the bid, not the workmanship.
- Ask how long the subcontractor team has worked together.
- Local experience matters most on rural land and permitting.
- Verify the license on Washington’s L&I lookup regardless of reputation.
How many homes should a builder have completed?
There is no magic number, but there is a floor: enough that yours is not the learning project. John’s position is blunt and he applies it to his own family.
"I would tell my own family not to hire somebody that had never built a house before. A builder saying hey, it’s our first one, we want to get our feet wet, we’ll do yours for a really good price. Don’t do it. Get someone that’s got experience."
For context, Anasazi has completed more than 250 projects across Washington, Idaho, North Dakota and Alaska, and John and Stephen Worlund have roughly 80 years of building experience between them. John started at seventeen. Stephen at sixteen.
Ask the question directly and listen to how easily it gets answered.
Why does experience change what you pay?
Because it changes the completeness of the bid. A builder who has priced hundreds of houses knows what to look for on a lot and what to include, so his number covers the real job. A builder who has priced a handful will miss things, and those things surface later as extras.
John is careful about how he frames this, and the distinction is worth carrying.
"A builder with more experience, because he’s built more homes, he knows the things to look for. He bids an honest bid. And I’m not saying the other person’s bid isn’t honest, it’s just lacking because of experience."
An incomplete bid and a dishonest bid cost you the same money. That is why the lowest number in a stack of three deserves a specific explanation.
What experience matters besides years in business?
The subcontractor relationships. The builder does not personally install your plumbing, so how long his trades have worked with him predicts your finish quality more reliably than his own tenure does. Anasazi’s team of nearly twenty trades has worked together for about eight years.
Local experience matters too, particularly on land outside city limits. The Tri-Cities spans as many as six permitting jurisdictions, and each handles building permits, septic permits and rural documentation differently.
Conditions count as experience as well. Anasazi has built in Fairbanks, Alaska and North Dakota, where an under built envelope is a survival problem. Those habits carry into how a house here gets insulated and sealed.
What credentials should you verify?
The Washington contractor license, first. Every contractor operating in the state is registered with Labor & Industries, and the record shows license status, bond and insurance. Anasazi’s number is ANASABL825RL. Checking takes about thirty seconds and almost nobody does it.
Professional membership is a secondary signal. Anasazi belongs to the Home Builders Association of Tri-Cities, affiliated with the National Association of Home Builders, and holds BBB accreditation.
None of that substitutes for talking to someone who lived through a build with the company. Past homeowners regularly offer to show their homes to people who are considering building.
Common questions about builder experience
Is a newer builder ever the right choice?
Possibly on a small or simple project. On a custom home representing most of your net worth, the risk is asymmetric.
Does a large company mean more experience?
Not necessarily, and it may mean less continuity. Ask who your point of contact is and whether that person changes during the build.
Should the builder have built my style of house before?
Less important than you would think on a genuinely custom build. What matters more is whether he has built in your site conditions and jurisdiction.
Does commercial experience count?
It broadens a builder’s range. Anasazi works on both residential and commercial projects.
How do I confirm the number of homes claimed?
Ask to see several, and ask to speak with the owners. A builder comfortable with that request is telling you something.
If you want to test any of this in person, the first conversation with Anasazi is free. You can also read about John and Stephen or what a fully custom home includes.
Related: How to hire a custom home builder · What to look for in a custom home builder’s portfolio
Written by John Worlund
CEO & Founder, Anasazi Builders
John began building at 17 and has spent more than five decades learning the trade from the ground up. He remains directly involved from the first conversation to the final walkthrough.
Enough that your house is not among the first. Why experience changes the accuracy of a bid, and what credentials to check beyond years in business.
Ready to talk through your ideas?
Start with a practical conversation about your land, goals, and next decisions.
Family-owned custom home builder serving the Tri-Cities, WA since 2014. Father and son. 80 years experience. 250+ homes built.
Services
Locations
© 2026 Anasazi Builders LLC · All rights reserved · Member: HBA Tri-Cities