I wondered if anyone could direct me towards a decent website with info/tips on building a new house. Not the "build-yourself" type but one with some info on what to request/look for when having a new house built (ex. what R-rating of insulation to use, type of windows to install, etc).

thanks in advance folks

Ah, yes. They must meet all building codes. Translation: The cheapest house you can build without breaking the law.

I would suggest talking to other people who used the builder in that neighborhood. How did they respond to complaints? How quickly did they respond?

Our builder wasn't bad - just horrific at getting fix-ups done afterward. Shoot, 10yrs later and there are a few things that never did get fixed. I got tired of fighting.

As an architect I will tell that best answers to the questions you pose are regional even local. It will depend on maufacturers and distributers in your area as well as climatic, economic and building culture conditions in your area. I would look for a builders exchange, contractors association etc. in your area. You could start with the chamber of commerce or whatever the local name is for it and ask for referals. As far as web sites go the one that comes to mind is one run by the Journal of Light Construction "JLC". This is a great trade magazine that addresses all these kinds of issues. The web site requires membership($). JLC also offers a decade or more worth of articals on cdrom for around $100. The issues you are asking about actually get quite technical, much of it related to climate. A local association usually will give a list of contractors in your area that are well recommended. You may do well to start at the library or a book store if you want general information. If you followed the "in wall wiring HELP!" thread you will see that all us California guys chimed in with why we don't have basements much here. Everybody had a different understanding of this based on where in California they live. All the points were valid but different based on local conditions. So unless you just want basic knowledge or to do extensive study I think your best bet is to look locally. If you want to pay the postage I will send you a bunch of back issues of the Journal of Light Construction that I don't have room for. These should provide you with enough discussions of all these subjects to satisfy you for the rest of the decade. Hope this helps.

Shawn - that definitely is my plan before I get too far into this. He has built a few homes in this area so tracking down a couple of the owners is on my list of things to do.

Mark - good point, a good portion of the design plan for a home is a regional thing. I was able to track down one website that had some very basic information on it, sort of a "if you live in a hot climate, use this; if you live in a moderate climate, use this; if you live in a cold climate, use this". There was some excellent info on there that got me a start on what to look for, I'm just looking for any/all suggestions (it's always nice to have numerous sources). I will check out the website you suggested.

thanks, please keep the suggestions coming

Your contractor should help you with that stuff...

We build houses and alot of the time we help the customer pick out appliances/paint colors/lights etc. Of course we always like it when we dont have to though. Just some advice... ask your contractor if he has any houses he can send you to see some of their work. And.. you usually get what you pay for so dont take the lowest bidder.

Dont change your mind once something is already done. they hate that. but its not free. And dont go hang around the jobsite everyday and watch how things are going. we dont like that either, we got work to do. lol.