Building your new home is exciting, especially when you understand how the process works. It’s understandable that buyers are excited to see their new home built from start to finish says Chip Perschino, senior vice president of construction at Edward Andrew Homes.
“Our homeowners enjoy watching the home come together, from pouring the foundation to framing and watching the home take shape,” he says. “Once the home has drywall, they start to visualize themselves living in the space and how they’ll use it — imagining what furniture goes where and how they’ll entertain friends and family there.
“They spend a good bit of time designing the home to be unique to their family needs and tastes so seeing it all come together is rewarding for them,” Perschino says.
To help you prepare for and understand your new home’s construction, this article outlines the typical steps your builder takes during the construction of a new home and what happens at these key stages.
Keep in mind that the homebuilding https://www.uaepainters.com/ process may vary from region to region and builder to builder, especially if you’re building an elaborate custom home. Be sure to ask your builder about their specific policies and procedures.
“We encourage our homebuyers to make an appointment with their agent or project manager to come out and walk through the home at any stage,” Perschino says. “We suggest that it be by appointment to cut down on some of the safety concerns or limitations when a house is under construction. It also gives us a chance to offer a one-on-one conversation that may not be the same via email.”
1. Prepare Construction Site and Pour Foundation
Builder applies for and acquires permits.
Before a builder can put a shovel in the ground, the local government must approve the design and provide permits for everything from the zoning and grading (changing the contour of the land to accommodate your home and driveway) to the septic systems, home construction, electrical work, and plumbing. Once permits are acquired, physical construction can begin.
Construction crew levels site.
Often, site preparation and foundation work are performed by the same crew, but this may not be the case with a wooded lot. Using a backhoe and a bulldozer, the crew clears the home site of rocks, debris and trees and, if applicable, digs for the septic system.
Builder puts up wooden forms for the temporary foundation.
The crew levels the site, puts up wooden forms to serve as a template for the foundation, and digs the holes and trenches
Footings are installed.
Footings serve as the ground support system (usually formed using poured concrete and rebar) to keep the home from sinking. If your home is going to have a well, it will be dug at this point. If the home has a full basement, the hole is dug, the footings are formed and poured, and the foundation walls are formed and poured. If the foundation is slab-on-grade, the footings are dug, formed, and poured; the area between them is leveled and fitted with utility runs (e.g., plumbing drains and electrical chases); and the slab is poured.
Once the concrete is poured into the holes and trenches, it will need time to cure. During this period, there will be no activity on the construction site
Waterproofing and plumbing are installed.
After the concrete is cured, the crew applies a waterproofing membrane to the foundation walls. They also install drains, the sewer system, water taps, and any plumbing that needs to go into the first-floor slab or basement floor. Then they backfill excavated dirt into the hole around the foundation wall.
Cost Breakdown
This first step is the biggest contributor to the cost to build. There are nearly a dozen factors that can influence the cost of your foundation, from climate and soil type to square footage and labor costs. The national average for foundation costs is around $8,385.
Timeline
Laying the foundation and clearing the way for the house is the most important step, and it can also take a long time to complete. It’s normal to expect this part to take upward of a month.
Inspection #1
When the curing process is complete, a city inspector visits the site to make sure the foundation components are up to code and installed properly. This inspection may be repeated depending on the type of foundation (slab, crawl space, or basement). Your builder will then remove the forms and begin coordinating step No. 2, the framing phase.
2. Complete Rough Framing
Floor system, walls and roof system are completed.
The floor system, walls, and roof system (collectively known as the shell or skeleton of the house) are completed.
Sheathing is applied to exterior walls and covered with protective wrap.
Plywood or oriented strand board sheathing is applied to the exterior walls and roof, and the windows and exterior doors are installed. The sheathing is then covered with a protective barrier known as a house wrap; it prevents water from infiltrating the structure while allowing water vapor to escape. This reduces the likelihood of mold and wood rot.
Cost Breakdown
The average cost to frame a house is currently $7–$16 per square foot, including labor. Costs can vary depending on the complexity and size of the home and availability of materials, so make sure to speak to your contractor to get an accurate estimate.
Timeline
Framing can take around one to two months, depending on the size and complexity of the home and the weather.
3. Complete Rough Plumbing, Electrical and HVAC
During this stage, the following items are installed:
- Pipes and wires
- Sewer lines and vents
- Water supply lines
- Bathtubs and shower units
- Ductwork for HVAC system
- HVAC vent pipes
- Electrical wiring and receptacles
Once the shell is finished, siding and roofing can be installed. At the same time, the electrical and plumbing contractors start running pipes and wires through the interior walls, ceilings, and floors. Sewer lines and vents, as well as water supply lines for each fixture, are installed. Bathtubs and one-piece shower/tub units are put in place at this point because there’s more room to maneuver large, heavy objects.
Ductwork is installed for the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, and possibly the furnace. HVAC vent pipes are installed through the roof, and insulation is installed in the floors, walls, and ceilings.
After the roofing goes on, the house is considered “dried in.” An electrician then installs receptacles for outlets, lights, and switches, and runs wires from the breaker panel to each receptacle. Wiring for telephones, cable TV, and music systems is included in this work.
Note that HVAC ducts and plumbing are usually installed before wiring because it’s easier to run wires around pipes and ducts than vice versa.
Cost Breakdown
Installing rough plumbing in an entire home can cost anywhere from $8,000 to $12,000, or an estimated cost of $4.50 per square foot for new construction.
The national average to wire a new home can be anywhere from $2,500 to $4,000, and the electrical rough-in cost is around $3,000 to $8,000 for a 1,000-square-foot house.
Installing an HVAC system with ductwork can cost $6,820 to $12,350, but add-ons can bring this range up to $13,000 to $17,000.
Timeline
While HVAC may only take three to seven days to install, the rest of the mechanicals, from plumbing to electrical, can take two to four weeks. This step shouldn’t be rushed, because getting stuck in inspections can draw out construction even longer and prevent the project from moving forward.
Inspections #2, #3, and #4
Rough framing, plumbing, and electrical and mechanical systems are inspected for compliance with building codes. Most likely these will be three different inspections. At the very least, the framing inspection will be conducted separately from the electrical/mechanical inspections.
At this stage, drywall (also known as plasterboard, wallboard, or gypsum board) is delivered to the building site.
4. Install Insulation
Insulation plays a key role in creating a more comfortable and consistent indoor climate while significantly improving a home’s energy efficiency. One of the most important qualities of insulation is its thermal performance or R-value, which indicates how well the material resists heat transfer. Most homes are insulated in all exterior walls, as well as the attic and any floors that are located above unfinished basements or crawl spaces.
The most common types of insulation used in new homes are fiberglass, cellulose, and foam. Depending on the region and climate, your builder may use mineral wool (otherwise known as rock wool or slag wool), concrete blocks, foam board or rigid foam, insulating concrete forms, spray foam, or structural insulated panels.
Blanket insulation, which comes in batts or rolls, is typical in new home construction. So is loose-fill and blown-in insulation, which is made of fiberglass, cellulose, or mineral wool particles. Another insulation option, liquid foam, can be sprayed, foamed in place, injected, or poured. While it costs more than traditional batt insulation, liquid foam has twice the R-value per inch and can fill the smallest cavities, creating an effective air barrier.
Fiberglass and mineral wool batts and rolls are usually installed in walls, attics, floors, crawl spaces, cathedral ceilings, and basements. Manufacturers often attach a facing such as kraft paper or foil kraft paper to act as a vapor and air barrier. In areas where the insulation will be left exposed, such as basement walls, the batts sometimes have a special flame-resistant facing.
Cost Breakdown
Because of the wide range of insulation types, home sizes, and location climates, the cost of insulation highly varies. The average cost for new home insulation, based on a 2,000-square-foot house, ranges from $3,000 to $10,000; but costs can be as high as $24,000. The good news is that new homes are cheaper to insulate because it’s easier to add when the walls and ceilings are unfinished.
Timeline
On average, insulating the entire house can take one to two weeks. The type of insulation and the home’s size are important to factor in when looking at your timeline.
5. Complete Drywall and Interior Fixtures; Start Exterior Finishes
Drywall is hung and taped.
Drywall is hung on the interior walls and taped so the seams between the boards aren’t visible, and drywall texturing (if applicable) is completed.
- The primer coat of paint is applied.
- Exterior finishes are installed.
Contractors begin installing exterior finishes such as brick, stucco, stone, and siding.
Cost Breakdown
The average cost for drywall is $1.50 to $3.00 per square foot, with the cost per panel ranging from $60 to $90, including labor and materials. Once the drywall is up, the walls and ceiling can be textured, which averages from $1.15 to $1.35 per square foot. It’s cheaper to add texture from scratch, than to remove and retexture walls, so new homeowners are in luck.
The final step to bring it all together is applying the primer coat of paint, which varies depending on the finish. The average cost to paint a room is $350 to $850, but a large portion of this cost is labor. If you feel up to it, this is a great project to take on to save money. Homeowners can save up to $500 by painting themselves.
Timeline
Once the framework is up and the walls begin to take form, the house comes together quickly. This step can take anywhere from a few days to several weeks, depending on the size and complexity of the home.