Timelines when building your home
When will my new house be ready?
Building a new home should be one of the most exciting times of your life. It can also be one of the most nerve-wracking. New home construction can easily involve over 50 subcontractors and suppliers, 200 people and more than 10,000 pieces of material. Although complex, the home building process is a carefully designed and managed process to ensure that you get the house of your dreams on time and on budget.
There are a number of factors that can influence a construction timeline such as weather, number of workers, special requests and the complexity of the design, but most new home constructions follow similar stages and time frames.
Here’s a basic timeframe to help you understand what typically happens and when.
STAGE 1: Site preparation
- Obtain municipal and provincial permits
- Begin site work and excavation
- Pour foundation or slab
- Frame floors
- Rough-in electrical and plumbing under floors
- Install first subfloor
Timeframe: 1-3 months
STAGE 2: Framing
- Frame interior and exterior walls including door and window openings, roof and ceilings
- Rough-in remaining electrical and plumbing lines throughout the structure
- Apply exterior wall and roof sheathing
- Install reaming subfloors
Timeframe: 2-3 months
STAGE 3: Exterior Finish and Inspection
- Inspect mechanical rough-in and exposed structural work
- Apply roof flashing and shingles
- Windows and exterior doors are installed
- Apply exterior trim
- Apply exterior wall finish material
Timeframe: 2 months
STAGE 4: Interior Finish
- Cabinets and countertops are installed
- Install ceramic tile in baths and other flooring throughout
- Complete plumbing and electrical work
- Complete sheetrock, paint and wallpaper
Timeframe: 2 months
STAGE 5: Finishing touches
- Install hardware and appliances
- Complete any landscaping
- Touch-up for final inspections by homeowner, contractor and building inspector
- Final payment to contractor
- Move in
Timeframe: 2 months
