Building Your Dream Home: A Step-by-Step Guide
Embarking on the journey of building a house is an exciting endeavor. It allows you to create a living space perfectly tailored to your vision and needs. While the process can be challenging, understanding the steps involved can make it smoother and more rewarding. This article provides a comprehensive guide to building a house, from initial planning to the final walkthrough.
Planning and Preparation
Defining Your Vision
Take a minute and picture your dream home. What features does it have? What does it look like? What special little details would you include in the design? Your vision is unique, and it’s not something you can likely find already listed on the market.
Location, Location, Location
Think about where you’d like to build. Do you want to live in the country with a large yard? Do you want to build a house in a growing development with a developer? Unfortunately, you can’t buy any old vacant lot - it must adhere to zoning ordinances where you want to build.
Budgeting and Financing
According to the National Association of Home Builders, the median price of building a new home is almost $290,000. Typically, the cost of building a home is around $100 to $200 per square foot. If you’re interested in a luxury home, this runs around $200 to $500 per square foot. Note that these estimates don’t include the price for the lot, which can vary depending on location. The total cost of building a home can vary quite a bit depending on the choices you make, the materials you use, labor costs, and what region of the country you’re in.
Most likely, you’ll need to borrow funds to pay for land and home construction. Construction loans are short-term, higher-interest loans that pay for both the homebuilding expenses and the land. Land loans are used to purchase the land. In most cases this will be an “improved land loan,” which means that your land has access to roads, electricity, and water.
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Once you’ve gotten qualified advice, get detailed with your budget. Include everything you can think of that will go into your new home. Don’t forget to put a little wiggle room in there, too.
Assembling Your Team
The right house starts with the right people. Unless you’ve inherited land or already have a lot purchased, it’s typically best to find your builder first. Do some research and compile a list of reputable builders in your area. You can look at online real estate ads or your local newspaper. Pay attention to the types of homes they build and the price ranges to make sure their style lines up with your own. If you need more help with references, contact a trusted real estate agent.
Consider the builder’s experience. How long have they been in business? Are they licensed and insured? Be sure to ask the right questions. Meet the builder in person and have an informal interview. Depending on your builder’s capabilities, you may also need an architect to design the home and provide a blueprint to the builder. But before you hire an architect, check with your builder. Often, builders will use their own architect to draw initial plans based on your needs and design tastes. This helps ensure you get a plan the builder can construct that fits within your budget.
The first person you’ll need to hire is the general contractor or a custom home builder. They will oversee the construction of your home from start to finish. A custom home builder draws up blueprints for the home and specializes in custom homes, whereas a general contractor does not.
Choosing a Home Type & Design
Top real estate agents often advise clients that it’s easier to build a custom home because you have more choices. You can build the house from the bottom up and in the way you want - you’ll have to pay accordingly. With a spec home, your options are limited. Contractors may only offer shades of white or certain cabinets. Regardless of which type of home you want, you’ll want to look at the different floor plans available.
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Whether you’re working directly with an architect or through your builder, you still get to choose the architectural style and design that speaks to you. If you don’t already know your preferred house style -- modern, craftsman, farmhouse, traditional -- that’s ok. This is a great time to do some scouting. Once you decide on a style you like, you can research your own floor plan options online and bring ideas to a builder.
Securing Permits
Before construction can begin, your contractor will contact your municipal office and discuss your plans. Do not, under any circumstances, begin construction before obtaining 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.
The Construction Process
1. Site Preparation and Foundation
Clearing and Grading the Land
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.
Once the land is cleared, the clearing team will fill in any holes and level the ground. If the land has dips or hills, these will be graded to make sure there’s a flat surface to accommodate the house and driveway. Note: If there are a lot of trees that need to be removed, you may have the option of selling the trees to a commercial logging company so they can be repurposed and turned into lumber.
The crew levels the site, puts up wooden forms to serve as a template for the foundation, and digs the holes and trenches.
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Pouring the Foundation
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. The concrete will go through a curing process to reach maximum strength.
Waterproofing and Plumbing
After the concrete is cured, the crew applies a waterproofing membrane to the foundation walls. Regardless of the type of foundation your home will have, it will have to be waterproofed.
They also install drains, the sewer system, water taps, and any plumbing that needs to go into the first-floor slab or basement floor. Footing drains will be constructed so that water drains away from the house and protects the drains from damage.
Then, the contractors will fill in the trenches surrounding the foundation with excavated dirt.
Cost and Timeline
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 $10,000.
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
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. Framing
This is where you’ll finally see your home take shape.
Building the Structure
The floor system, walls, and roof system (collectively known as the shell or skeleton of the house) are completed. The framing crew will erect lumber for the walls, flooring, ceiling, and roof trusses. This step could take between one and two weeks to complete.
Sheathing and House 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 the large sheets of wood, oriented strand board, wafer board, or exterior gypsum that’s nailed to the frame. In some cases, insulation sheathing (rigid foam or cellulose-fiber panels) may be used to improve insulation. This type can be attached directly to the studs, below the wood sheathing.
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. Next, the sheathing is covered with house wrap, a protective cover that prevents moisture from seeping into the underlying wood, preventing mold and wood rot.
When you’re shopping for windows and doors, look for energy-efficient windows with the Energy Star label.
Cost and Timeline
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.
Framing can take around one to two months, depending on the size and complexity of the home and the weather.
3. 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. The HVAC technician will come in to install ductwork throughout the house. The air handler, condenser, and trim work will be installed as well. 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. The wires are run through the walls and ceilings. The HVAC is hooked up (including the thermostat), and the fans, lights, electrical outlets, external electrical work, and the circuit breaker are also hooked up and ready to go. Wiring for telephones, cable TV, and music systems is included in this work.
A plumber will come in and run pipes to the bathrooms, kitchen, and laundry room. This step can be done while the doors and windows are being installed.
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 and Timeline
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 $3,269-$6,084 for a 1,000-square-foot house.
Installing an HVAC system with ductwork can cost $7,000 to $16,000, but add-ons can bring this range up to $13,000 to $17,000.
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
Rough framing, plumbing, and electrical and mechanical systems are inspected for compliance with building codes. The inspector will look for leaks and will ensure that the drains, sewage, and vent pipes pass a pressure test. 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. 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 insulation is used in unfinished walls, floors and ceilings. It comes in rolls and is installed in-between studs, joists, and beams. 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.
Cellulose insulation is used in existing and enclosed walls or new open cavities in the wall. This insulation can be used in unfinished attic floors and other hard-to-reach places. This type of insulation can be poured, but is usually blown into place using special equipment.
Spray foam insulation is much like cellulose insulation, as it can be applied in enclosed, existing walls, new wall cavities, and unfinished attic floors. It is applied using a spray container (for smaller areas) or a pressure spray product (for larger areas). The average cost of spray foam insulation is between $1 to $2 per square foot.
Cost and Timeline
Because of the wide range of insulation types, home sizes, and location climates, the cost of insulation highly varies, ranging from $1.00 to $4.50. The average cost for new home insulation, based on a 2,000-square-foot house, ranges from $2,000 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.
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. Drywall, Interior Fixtures, and Exterior Finishes
Drywall Installation
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. After the drywall is hung, a texture may be sprayed on the drywall.
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