How to Know Who's the Builder of My House

For a Newer Home

1). Visit the building permit office for your county or town. Look up the certificate of occupancy that was issued at the completion and final inspection of your home or the building permits. It should list the builder.
2). Look at county property tax records. Look at the party who first transferred the completed home to the first buyer. Usually they are the builder or, at the very least, hired the builder.
3). Contact the first recorded owner of the home. They should be able to tell you who built it, or they may know the lender or sales agent. Either of these parties should be able to tell you who the builder was.
4). Look for who built the other houses in your neighborhood, if it was built at the same time and has a similar style or details. Most of the time, a builder does not build just one home in the same neighborhood.
5). Try to identify a subcontractor or material supplier for an item in the home. They will be able to tell you who bought their services or material. This is typically the builder.

1). Go to the county courthouse and look up the deed records for the property. Keep going back from seller to seller until you find the first deed that identifies a house on the property. The dollar amount of the transfer value can also give an indication of when the house is built, if it suddenly jumps by a lot.
2). Cross-reference this with the property tax records for the house. The taxable value will change considerably once a house is added as well. Some tax records describe any dwelling that is on the property.
3). Look through the maps for the county, especially any plat maps for the property or neighborhood. Some denote homes or home numbers on them and will give you a time frame to work from.
4). Visit the local historical society to see if they have any information available about your home. It may have a list of local builders from the time when your home was built and may be able to identify it using trademark details or building techniques. It may also have information about your neighborhood that will give you a clue.
5). Ask any neighbors, especially elderly ones or ones who have been in their home for a long time, for any information or stories they may have about your home or the former inhabitants.