In 2020, 20.2% of all single-family homes in the United States were custom built. The 20.2% refers to homes built by contractors for current homeowners or built by the homeowners themselves.
If you are thinking about building a home, you have come to the right place. It is exciting to build a home especially if it’s your first time! However, you will need to take into account that it will take a long time to build a house.
How long you ask? Finish reading the article to find out!
What Is the Average Time to Build a House?
The timeline to build a home is different for everyone. In general, it can take anywhere from 7 months to 2 years to finish building a home. The time it takes you to build your home is contingent on several things.
Having a custom house built just for you sounds amazing. But before you dive into your home design, you need to understand a few things. You need to make sure you have a grasp on how long it might take you to live in your new home and what you are getting into.
Creating a basic timeline can make all the difference. Even if you don’t stick to it, having a backbone for your project can help get you started in the right direction.
The timeline will encompass several different key parts of building a home. From getting the right permits to the final walkthrough. Expect your dream home to be built in 6-10 months.
What Could Impact the Timeline?
If you are a little behind schedule, do not panic. It is incredibly normal for there to be delays in the process. You can prepare for certain delays, while others might pop up as time goes on.
With the help of great planning and a team of intuitive designers, you will overcome each obstacle as they appear.
Weather and Environment
The location of your home will directly impact the time until completion. If you are building in a spot that has frequent storms you will experience obvious delays. Building a home in a remote location or on a hill could cause materials to arrive much slower than anticipated.
Your chosen building site may need to be cleared of trees or even graded – things to consider when developing a timeline for your custom home build.
If you live in a cold area, prepare for delays as well. Winter storms and cold temperatures play a direct role in the timeline for the building of your home.
If you have the opportunity, try to work around good weather. Try to build around the harsh weather months if you can. This will decrease the possibility of delays, shortening the timeline for your custom build.
Getting Your Permits
A potential wrench in the building of your custom design is getting a permit and correct authorization. The process for obtaining these documents depends on where you live. Depending on your location, you may have additional hoops to jump through to obtain the documents you need.
A permit can take a while due to many external factors. Local rules and regulations, inspectors, and mountains of papers all factor into the time it takes to get permits. Expect delays in this process.
MJS Designers Group can help you sail through this process. If you are building in central Florida, your custom home design will be fully permitted and ready to go!
Your Ambitions for Your Home
The bigger and more complex the house, the longer it will take. It is important for your home design documents to be error-free, not only to ensure that your home stands the test of time, but to minimize delays in the building process.
Special materials may also cause delays. Shipping problems have been happening all over the world. Depending on what you need and from where, you could have massive delays.
The Availability of Workers
Spring and summer are the best seasons to build a home, so you may have a hard time getting workers during these times. Contractors and workers may have busy schedules with other jobs.
Several portions of construction require subcontractors. This includes electrical wiring, plumbing, and roofing. You can hire different workers to do different things, but you need to have licensed subcontractors for certain construction aspects.
Different Construction Types Equal Different Timelines
There are three different construction types. Each type has a different average time for construction. The more customization involved, the longer it will take. Custom homes can be built for sale, contractor-built, or owner-built.
Owner-built homes take the most time from start to finish. As the person living there, you are in charge of everything that needs to happen. If you are building a home for the first time, expect the project to run for about 2 years.
Built for sale homes are quick and easy. These are the homes that are built-in new communities or subdivisions. These houses are built with the sole intention of being sold. There are not many custom aspects to these homes.
Contractor-built homes also are generally quick compared to owner-built homes. The homeowner works with a contractor to oversee every aspect of the construction. You will be able to customize everything while a professional does the work for you.
A Potential Home Build Timeline
Each home will take a different amount of time to be built. Here is a 21-week home-building schedule that might work for you! There are certain steps that you should take at a certain point in time. This guide will lay everything out for you.
Week 1 – Preparation
You need to be prepared for everything. Before anything can begin happening you need to check hundreds of personalized boxes. At this time, you should be getting back the designs from your design firm.
Here you will need to prepare for any demolition. As mentioned earlier, if you are building in a new place, you might come across several debris items.
Weeks 2-6 – The Groundwork (Foundation/Framing)
After everything is cleared and settled, you can start building. This is where the excitement and hard work sink in. You will need to create a concrete base for the very bottom of your home. This will support the foundation and your entire home.
After an inspector comes, it is time for the foundation to be anchored. The foundation can be a slab of concrete, a crawl space, or a basement. You can then start your framing once everything has dried and been inspected.
Framing is essentially the skeleton of your home. This is when you can begin to see the rough outline of your home. Floors, roofs, and walls will be covered in house wrap. At the end of Week 6, you will need to have another inspection.
Week 7-8 – The Mechanical Process
After walls, roofs, and floors have been laid out, the mechanical process can begin. This process involves ventilation, water heater, HVAC, electric, and plumbing. An inspection will be done to ensure everything is working.
Week 8-9 – Filling Out the Walls
Once proper wiring and mechanical aspects have been completed, you can bring in the insulation and drywall. Once the drywall has hardened and been completed you can start getting ready for paint.
Week 10-12 – Painting and Laying Down Flooring
It’s time for your house to start to take shape. Install the base flooring for each section of your home and start painting as well. Do not add carpets quite yet but you can bring in your cabinets and trim.
Week 13-14 – Finish the Outside
These two weeks will mark the completion of everything exterior. Finish up bricking and siding.
Week 15 – Finish the Inside
Time to bring everything together. This week will be hectic with several fixtures being installed by several different people. Lights, toilets, and outlets will all be installed. You should install the carpet now.
Week 16 – Create Pathways if Necessary
If you have opted to, create your walkways and driveway. After everything inside is done, the doors will be set up. Once that has happened, get to work on the sidewalks and driveway.
Week 17-18 – Gardening and Cleaning
Your land is most likely very dirty. Be sure to clean the inside and outside of your home. You will need to have a final inside inspection. Once you have cleaned your interior, clean the exterior by adding trees, plants, or whatever you’d like.
Week 19 – The Final Inspection
Your home is 95% done and it just needs to get approval. Each home must meet a certain code for people to live in it. Meet this code and you can start living there!
Week 20 – Walk-Through
Here you will be shown around your home by a contractor. If the house meets every expectation, you are in great shape. If something is out of the ordinary, you should let the guide know and they will take care of it.
Make sure nothing is damaged and everything is exactly how you want it. It is your home, make sure it is perfect.
Week 21 – ENJOY
Once everything is done, take a second to look at the newly constructed home. If you are looking to close on the house, sign what you need to sign. If you are looking to live in the home, get inside and enjoy!
Start Your New Home Build Today
Designing and building a new home from scratch can feel daunting. You will feel overwhelmed at times, but you can always refer to this guide! MJS Designers Group takes pride in our uncommon transparency, and open communication throughout the design process. It takes time to build your dream home so be patient and enjoy the journey.
Looking for tips on designs for your new home? Contact us today and we can help you!