What should I ask before signing a contract on a newly built Houston home?

Five questions to settle before you sign

Before you sign a contract on a newly built home in Houston, ask five things: what is included in the price, when the home is expected to be complete, what warranty paperwork comes with it, what the HOA rules are, and whether a special taxing district applies. Get each answer in writing, and confirm it with the source that gives the official answer: the builder and the builder’s contract, the title company and the county appraisal district.

This matters because a builder’s contract is often signed before the home is finished. You may be agreeing to a home that exists only as a plan, a frame or a nearly complete house with work still to do. The written contract is what defines the deal, not the model home and not what someone said at the sales desk. Once you sign, changing the terms can be difficult, so the questions belong before the signature.

It also matters because a new build is a different purchase than a resale home. The paperwork, the people involved and the order of steps are all different. Knowing what to ask, and who answers each question, turns an unfamiliar process into a checklist you can work through calmly. The sections below go through those questions in order, with a pointer to the right source for each one. None of this is legal advice, and every answer is yours to confirm.

Read the builder’s contract slowly

Start with the contract itself. A builder’s contract may not look like the forms you have seen on a resale purchase, so ask which form is being used and take the time to read it fully. TREC, the Texas Real Estate Commission, is the regulator and the source of Texas forms, and a real estate attorney can review any contract and explain what it means for you. Do not rely on a summary when the full document is available.

As you read, mark every section you do not fully understand, especially anything about completion, changes, deposits, inspections and what happens if either side cannot perform. Those marks become your questions for the builder and for an attorney. It is normal to have questions, and it is reasonable to ask for time to review. A contract you understand is worth far more than one you signed quickly because the model home felt right.

I always suggest reading the builder’s contract before you fall for the floor plan. The questions you mark in the margins are the ones worth asking first.

What is included and what costs extra

The model home is designed to show what is possible, which is not always what is standard. Ask for a written list of the features included in the base price of the home you would buy, and a separate list of upgrades with their cost. Compare that list with what you saw in the model. Flooring, appliances, cabinets, lighting and outdoor features are common places where the model and the standard home differ.

Also ask about the items that are easy to forget. Window coverings, fencing, landscaping, gutters and certain appliances may or may not be included, and it varies by builder and by community. If an item matters to you, make sure it appears in writing. Anything you plan to add after closing belongs in your budget too, so the price you compare against resale homes reflects the home you will actually live in.

If the home is still under construction, ask what choices remain open and when each one must be made. Ask how change requests are handled, whether they affect the price or the timing, and how they are documented. Builders handle selections and changes in different ways, so treat every answer as specific to that builder and that contract. Keep copies of everything you select and sign along the way.

Completion timing and what happens if it moves

Ask when the home is expected to be complete, how that date is communicated and what the contract says if it changes. Construction timing can shift for many reasons, and the contract is what tells you how a delay is handled. If you are selling a home, ending a lease or working around another deadline, understanding this is essential. A lender should hear about the expected timing early, because it can affect how financing is arranged.

It helps to plan for the possibility that the date moves. Think about what you would do if completion arrived later than expected, and whether your current housing can stretch to cover it. A resale home in Houston usually closes on the dates written into its contract, while a new build depends on construction finishing. That difference does not make either choice wrong. It simply belongs in your comparison.

Warranty, HOA and district questions to ask

Three more areas deserve a direct question each, because the answers affect your ongoing costs and responsibilities. Warranty paperwork, HOA documents and special taxing districts are all handled differently from one community to the next. Ask for the documents themselves rather than a summary, and confirm the details with the source listed beside each item below.

• What warranty paperwork comes with the home, confirmed with the builder in writing
• What the HOA documents say about dues, rules and architectural approvals
• Whether a special taxing district applies, confirmed with the title company
• How property taxes are assessed, confirmed with the county appraisal district

Do not assume any of these answers carries over from a different community, even one built by the same builder. Warranty terms, HOA rules and district arrangements can differ by subdivision and change over time. If a document is not ready yet, ask when it will be and whether you can review it before closing. A real estate attorney can explain anything in these documents that is unclear.

Who gives the official answer on each point

Each question on a new build has a source that gives the official answer. The table below pairs the most common contract questions with why they matter and who to ask. It is a starting point, not a complete list, and the details always come from the documents and the professionals involved in your specific purchase.

Question	Why it matters	Who to ask
What is included in the price?	The model home may show upgrades	The builder, in writing
When will the home be complete?	Timing affects your move and financing	The builder and the contract
Does a special taxing district apply?	It can affect your tax bill	The title company and the appraisal district
What do the HOA documents require?	Rules and dues shape ongoing costs	The HOA documents
What does the contract mean for me?	Written terms decide what applies	A real estate attorney

Add flood questions to the same list. Official flood information and FEMA flood maps are the place to look for a specific address, and an insurance agent can quote coverage for that home. Ask a lender how financing works with the builder’s timing. Writing down each answer with its source and date keeps the comparison honest and shows you which questions are still open.

Inspections and the final walk through

A new home can still benefit from an independent inspection. Ask the builder whether a licensed home inspector may inspect the home, and at which stages, before you sign. Some buyers ask for an inspection before drywall goes up and another near completion, but what is allowed depends on the builder and the contract. Knowing the answer early lets you plan instead of scrambling at the end.

Ask how the final walk through works, what happens to items you find that need attention, and how those items are documented and resolved. Ask, too, how warranty requests are made after you move in. Keep a written record of everything you notice. A calm, organized walk through, with your list in hand, makes it much easier to confirm that the home you receive matches the home in the contract.

What to gather before you sign anything

Before you sign, gather the full contract, the list of included features and upgrades, the expected completion timing, the warranty paperwork, the HOA documents and the answer on special taxing districts. Add your notes from a lender, a real estate attorney and an insurance agent. If you are comparing this home with resale homes in south Houston or a nearby city, keep those details on the same page so the comparison stays fair.

Mardis has worked both sides of new construction on Houston’s south side and can help you organize those questions, line up the new home against the alternatives and figure out who to call for each answer. There is no rush and no obligation in a first conversation. Bring the contract questions that still feel unclear. Which of the five questions above is the one you have not been able to answer yet?

This article is general information about buying and selling homes in Houston, Texas. It is not legal, tax, lending, insurance, inspection or valuation advice and does not predict prices or promise results. Confirm builder terms with the builder and the contract, city limits and school assignment with the city and school district, taxes and special districts with the appraisal district, flood information with official sources, contracts with a real estate attorney, and financing with a lender. Mardis Ventura, SERHANT. Equal Housing Opportunity.