The Steps of Having a Home Built

Being able to have a home built just for you and exactly to your specifications is a dream come true. Unfortunately, however, it’s not a dream that comes true overnight. The home building process is a lengthy (but worthwhile) one, and it’s best if you’re prepared for all that it entails and the several stages that must be gone through before your dream home is ready for you.

The Planning Stage

The first step of any home building process is the planning stage. This is when you can sit down with your builders and talk about what you’d like your home to look like. By working closely with you, the design team can draw up a blueprint for your home, which you can approve or request modifications. Once you and your team have agreed on plans, turning those plans into reality is the next step. You can speed up this process by doing your research well ahead of time and by having a clear idea of what you’re looking for in your new home.

Site Preparation

The next step in the process concerns site preparation, which, as the name implies, refers to getting the lot or space where the home is to be built ready for building to take place. This process will vary greatly based on the chosen location for the home and may involve removing debris, getting rid of trees, and general clean-up. Once the site is ready to go, the builders can then lay the foundation of the home. In all states, an inspector will have to come out, inspect the foundation, and approve it before construction can go further.

Framing

Next, the basic frame of the home will need to be erected. This includes the walls, the roof, and the

floor. How long framing will take depends on the size of the house, but many times it can be done in just a few weeks. This stage is often the most exciting for homeowners-to-be because it’s the first time they start to see what their home will look like once it’s finished.

Plumbing, Electric, and HVAC

After a home has a frame, it’s time to install the most important systems, the systems in the home that will make it livable. Professionals will be brought in to place plumbing systems, electrical systems, and heating and cooling systems. More inspections, as required by your state laws, will usually need to be completed after this step to ensure that every system has been installed safely and correctly. If desired, insulation can also be placed at this point, either before or after the inspections. Never before or during. Every thing that’s done to the house will require its own inspection individually.

From there, you’re almost done! You’ll be in your new home before you know it. The builders can finish up with painting, installing trim, drywall, and the other required tasks of turning your “shell” into a home. Professional custom home builders perform their own inspections also, which could include:

1. Water and sewer connections
2. Foundation footer then the walls require each needs its own individual inspections
3. Framing is usually inspected when the plumbing electrical and heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC)“rough-ins” are completed
4. Insulation is next
5. Drywall screwing pattern for proper installation
6. Then final inspection checks the whole house for defects and mistakes and or code violations

  

You’ll do a final walk through of the home when it’s complete, requesting any changes you see fit until the home is up to your standards. Then, you’ll need one more inspection in most states, and from there, you’re ready to start your life in your new home! 

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