A builder that uses the same portfolio of plans over and over again. The purchase large tracts of land and develop entire neighborhoods. A production builder will have fixed standards and few variables (choices) that you can alter. They create neighborhoods with hundreds (if not thousands) of cookie-cutter homes. While this typically allows them to offer the lowest cost-per-square-foot, it removes your ability to customize your home to fit your needs and personal style.
A builder who offers a more varied portfolio of homes from which to choose. These builders will often modify their home plans to suit your needs, but you still have fixed, standard options. They will have an initial price for each house plan, but when you make any changes outside the standard to customize it, the price will escalate. The final price of your new home will most likely leave you feeling like you have paid a premium for a home for which you had to make significant compromises.
A builder that creates a custom home to fit you. They will most likely never build the same house twice. Custom homes are built to the owner's needs, likes, wants, and specifications. There are no fixed or standard options, so you have unlimited choices in everything from floorplan to style – including exterior finishes, windows, flooring, cabinets, tile, paint colors, root colors, and more! The options are endless.