What the show is good for
Specialty trades. The timber framers, helical pile companies, structural steel fabricators, marine engineering firms, and septic specialists all show. You can have ten conversations in an afternoon that would take six months to schedule individually.
Comparing builders. Four or five custom cottage builders are at every show. You can ask the same five questions and listen to how they differ.
Window and door shopping. Triple-pane manufacturers, custom hardware, specialty glazing.
What to ignore
The 'design your cottage in 5 minutes' booths. None of them produce a usable result for a custom build.
Free seminars on financing. Talk to your accountant.
Anything labelled 'turnkey'. There is no turnkey custom cottage build.
Questions worth asking
What's the largest project you've built in the last three years?
How is your fee structured? Is there any markup on trades or materials?
Will you give me three recent owners I can call?
What's your current backlog and when could you actually start?
Who would be on my site every day, and can I meet them now?