I have litigated home construction cases and damn near get the shivers to even think of building a home without doing a lot of background checking. My brother -- an experienced and capable lawyer no less -- declined to have me check his builder out and relied instead on a recommendation from a friend and his own gut feel. After delays and other problems, my brother learned that the builder was capable but had various personal problems and was poorly organized. Fortunately, my brother and his wife ended up with a fine home, but they had to be patient, grit their teeth, and keep exceedingly close watch over the project and develop good relations with the subs.
I plan to do my due diligence. I've developed a "trust nobody" philosophy in life.