We picked a custom builder in AZ that was a little more expensive, but had a larger staff and great reputation. They also had a lot of leverage on their subs, due to their volume relative to other smaller custom builders. Even so, they struggled to stay on time, but ended up only being about a month late. They did a great job (we had a few issues, but nothing that would make me regret going with them). They've also been excellent at coming back after the house was done for warranty work even though we don't owe them anymore money. My accountant just finished a custom build and he says they haven't seen their builder since they moved in (despite having several things that needed to be fixed). They still owe the builder 15k, so they are holding on to that. This tells me that not only do you need a builder that has a good reputation to begin with, but you need a builder that wants to keep their reputation sterling going forward.

For those thinking of building in the future, do your due diligence. Talk to lots of current and former clients before you pick a builder.