Many clients approach a builder with an idea about how long it should take to finish their new home. Some underestimate the time the project will require, while others expect it to take a lot longer.

A lot of people don't understand the sheer complexity of the builder's job and the systems required to build a house from scratch. Many analogies have been used to describe the professional builder: the conductor of an orchestra, the captain of a ship, even a general executing a military campaign.

Not sure how to use online contractor reviews? Trust? Maybe. Verify? Definitely.

A September 2011 Business Week article reported on a Texas home improvement contractor that hired a writer to post 200 positive reviews on sites like Yelp and Google. The story went on to cite other examples and estimated the percentage of fake online reviews at close to 30 percent.