Steps in Building a House

What is the proper sequence of steps in building a new home, and how long will each take? Let's make a list of how to build a new home step by step.

1. Staking the lot and house: 1-3 hours
2. Clearing and excavation: 1-3 days
3. Ordering utilities, temporary electric service, and a portable toilet: 1 hour
4. Footings (steps 3 and 4 can be reversed). First inspection must be made before pouring: 1 day
5. Foundation and soil treatment, then foundation survey: 1 week
6. Rough-ins for plumbing, if on a slab, and inspection: 2-4 days
7. Slabs and garage: 1-2 days
8. Framing and drying-in: 1-3 weeks
9. Exterior siding, trim, veneers: 1-3 weeks
10. Roofing: 2 days-1 week
11. Rough-ins can be done while steps 9 and 10 are in progress: 1-2 weeks
12. Insulation: 3 days
13. Hardwood flooring and underlayment: 3 days-1 week
14. Drywall: 2 weeks
15. Priming walls and "pointing up": 2 days
16. Interior trim and cabinets: 1-2 weeks
17. Painting: 2-3 weeks
18. Other trims, such as Formica, ceramic tile, vinyl floors: 1 day-1 week
19. Trimming out and finishing plumbing, mechanical, and electrical and hooking up utilities: 1-2 weeks
20. Cleanup: 2-3 days
21. Carpet and/or hardwood floor finish: 3 days-1 week
22. Driveway (if concrete, can be poured anytime after step 14): 1-3 days
23. Landscaping: 1-3 days
24. Final inspections, surveys, and closing of construction loan and interim loan: 1-3 days
25. Enjoying your new home: a lifetime

note:  first you must secure all the necessary permits (e.g. Residential Building Permit)  before proceeding on the main construction. You can apply for a residential building permit at the City Hall with a copy of your plan and a plot plan. A plot plan shows where your house will be located and its position. It normally takes 2 to 6 weeks for a permit to be issued. Along with the permit you will be given certain conditions that have to be met before and during construction of your house.

As of  now March 2011, since the construction was postponed  for a month for some contract issues, we're still on Step 4 which is the Footings. Old people had a belief that placing coins on the hole for the footing frames before pouring cement will give Luck to the House and the owner.

the construction worker dropping coins on the hole for the footing frames

the blocks supply

the cement supply

the gravel and sand supply

Still a long way to go before having our dream house. Hope everything will turn out as planned...