Breaking ground on a new home is more than exciting. It’s a chance for you to make every last cabinet, closet, and paint color speak to you. It’s also something that might make you feel in over your head if you’re not aware of the timelines or building stages.
That’s where we come in. We’ve put together an easy to understand home building timeline that demystifies the home building process. From shopping for a lot to move-in day, read on to learn about the major steps you’ll encounter while building a home with Pyramid Enterprise LLC.
Designing Your Home
Before you do anything, you’ll need to find a pre-designed plan or architect to design your home. This is where you’ll see how far your dollars will go and what it will take to make your dreams come true.
In this stage, figure out answers to questions like, “How many square feet do we want/need?”, “Should the master bedroom face east or west?”, and, “Do we want all bedrooms on the second floor?” Hammer out all of these details in this phase to set yourself up for satisfaction in your new home.
Purchasing a Lot
No matter if you’re going for a lot that’s in a housing development or a piece of property secluded on 100 acres, you’ll need to purchase land before you can build. This can happen during the home design process or before. It’s just important that you allocate part of your budget to your land purchase.
You’ve signed your purchase agreement. You’ve selected your floor plan and made your design choices. You’ve put down your first deposit. And, now, it’s time for construction to begin.
Overview of the construction of your home
Your new home construction comprises eight distinct stages, from excavating the foundation all the way to the final cleaning and inspection. Here is a general overview of each stage of construction.
STAGE 1: Excavation (1-2 Weeks)
Construction begins with home site excavation. Your home’s position is staked on the lot and prepped for the foundation.
For homes with a basement or block wall construction, the concrete footing – the base on which your home’s foundation will rest – is poured, and when it’s set, a gravel fill is placed around the footing or under the basement slab for drainage.
STAGE 2: Foundation (1-2 Weeks)
Depending on the design plan, your new home’s foundation could consists of a slab, block or poured wall foundation.
Slab construction: Forms are set and an outline of the new home begins to take shape. Underground plumbing is installed and tied into the public sewer system. After a bit of prep work, the slab is poured which creates the foundation for your home.
Block wall construction: Concrete block is laid to create your new home’s foundation. Once set, waterproofing is applied and the garage slab is prepped and poured.
Poured wall foundation: Concrete is poured into foundation form panels. Once the concrete is set, foundation waterproofing is applied, and drain tile piping is installed. Underground plumbing is installed and tied into the public sewer system. Next your basement slab is poured, and the concrete floors are finished.
STAGE 3: Framing (2-3 Weeks)
Framing is the phase where things really start to take shape. Many homeowners think their home is near completion at the end of this stage. Actually, we are still only about one third of the way through the construction process! So while the phases beyond this one may seem much slower in progress, it’s because we are getting into the fine details which may not be apparent but are vital to your finished home.
In the framing phase, the subfloor, walls, and roof structure are built, and your roof is shingled. Window and door units are installed, and any backfilling around the foundation is done.
STAGE 4: Rough-In (3-4 weeks)
“Rough-In” is the term used for the mechanical portions of building including heating, air conditioning, plumbing and electric. This construction phase is a various activities, as plumbing and indoor sewer pipes, your HVAC and ducts, and electric wiring, outlets, and switches are installed.
Insulation is installed in the walls, and drywall is staged in each room for future installation. Water, gas and electric utilities are also connected to your home.
Toward the end of this phase, we will perform a pre-drywall review with you. This review is an opportunity to go over the work already done on your home and discuss work to be completed in the next four stages.
STAGE 5: Drywall (1-2 Weeks)
The drywall phase of home construction shows progress rather quickly. Rooms are separated and divided, giving you the visual effect of each space. Drywall is hung and finished, and the ceilings are insulated. Outside brick, stone and siding are installed; and your home site is graded for drainage and to prepare for the driveway, patios, walks, and so on.
STAGE 6: Finish (3-4 Weeks)
The finishing phase is probably one of the most exciting phases. You’ll see many of the selections you made come to life. This is when we installs kitchen and bath cabinetry, countertops, mirrors, medicine cabinets, interior doors and trim, stair rails, and many other detail features. Kitchen appliances and hard flooring – vinyl, ceramic, and hardwood – are installed, and both the interior and exterior of your home are painted.
STAGE 7: Finish Mechanics (1-2 Weeks)
“Finish mechanics” are the visible portions of the rough mechanics. Plumbing hardware, such as faucets, showerheads, commodes, and so on, are installed. Switch plates, plug covers, and light fixtures are put into place, as are your thermostat, outdoor air/heat pump unit, and register and return air covers. Carpeting is installed, and your yard is finish-graded, seeded or sodded.
This is generally an anxious time for many homeowners. Your home construction process is nearing completion and you are awaiting a finish date.
STAGE 8: Final Stage (1-2 Weeks)
During this construction phase, finishing touches are added, such as cleaning the windows, floors, baths, kitchen, and so on. Building and Quality Assurance Inspections are scheduled and completed to ensure all of the finishing touches on your new home have been completed according to your custom architectural plan.
The moment you’ve been waiting for, closing, will be the best. There are just a couple things you’ll need to do before you formally close and move in.
After your home is complete, do a “walk through” of the home. In addition to inspecting it and making a “punch list” of things you want us to correct, take note of its features and learn how to work add-ons like the home security network. This is also a time when you can think about how to integrate more safety into your home. Walk the property and view the home through the lens of a burglar, meet your neighbors, and determine where you need better lighting. Once you’re done with all of this, you can close, get the keys to your new home, and enjoy every last detail.
Contact us today start a coordinate a free consultation.