Each year, thousands of new Valley homeowners find themselves in a tug-of-war with builders over poor workmanship — turning their houses into major headaches.

But experts say there are steps buyers can take prior to and during construction to help prevent future disappointments.

On the hunt for a good deal, many people overlook builder performance, said Dean Kashiwagi, a professor at Arizona State University’s Ira A. Fulton School of Engineering.

“People don’t have the expertise,” he said. “They don’t know. They just look at the price.”

FINDING A BUILDER

Instead of focusing on the lowest price, which often ends up costing more in the long run, the buyer needs to ask for customer satisfaction ratings and references, Kashiwagi said. Interview key personnel at the companies and get quotes from several builders, he said.

Experts say it’s also a good idea to check for complaints against the builder at the Better Business Bureau and Arizona Registrar of Contractors, which regulates state builders. Buyers may even want to research the performance of some of the most crucial subcontractors builders hire, such as those doing the framing or electrical work, Kashiwagi said.

GETTING INSPECTIONS

Most buyers of existing homes know it’s a good idea to hire a home inspector, but it helps to have an inspector look at a new home, said John Fioramonti with research company Hanley Wood Market Intelligence, which studies the new-home market.

The homeowner should have at least two inspections, one before the drywall goes up and another when the home is complete, Fioramonti said.

Gilbert home inspector Tony Hecht said nearly 100 percent of his business comes from new homes. Hecht frequently inspects homes at the framing stage and is sometimes hired to follow a home through all stages.

“Homeowners shouldn’t be required to understand technical aspects” or be conversant with their building code, he said.

FILING COMPLAINTS

If an owner still finds defects once the house is complete, he has a couple of options. First, try to work with the contractor, said Brian Livingston, legislative and intergovernmental affairs director at the Registrar of Contractors.

If that fails, the owner has two years after taking possession to file a complaint with the state regulatory agency.

The agency set up a recovery fund in 1981, which allows homeowners to be reimbursed up to $30,000 for poor workmanship by licensed contractors.

If a contractor disagrees with the agency’s findings, he can request a formal hearing, Livingston said.

“If that occurs, the process can be quite lengthy,” but cases rarely get to that level, he said.