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Understanding Your Cost
On average, it takes between seven and twelve months to build a single-family home in the United States. This information comes from a report published by the US Census Bureau in 2021.
Many factors affect how long it takes to build a house, so it's important to plan ahead to avoid delays. Some of these include the complexity of the home design, weather conditions, and the availability of materials. Working with an experienced home builder can also help speed up the process.
In this article, we explore the different stages of building a house and factors that affect construction time. We also provide a few tips to help you build your dream home faster. Let's get started!
Building a house is a complex process with several phases and variables. Even with careful planning, delays can happen. One major factor is the type of finishes you want.
Fancy finishes or hard-to-find materials can stretch the timeline of your home-building project significantly. How much depends on how hard they are to locate.
Weather conditions can also play a big role. For instance, if a hurricane or bad storm hits, your construction process will halt until it passes. This might delay construction for weeks.
Another important factor is who builds your house. Owner-built homes take an average of 14.3 months to complete, according to the Census Bureau report. But working with a skilled home builder can cut this time in half.
With the right team and design plans, your new home can be built in as little as 6-7 months.
The construction industry faces other challenges too. Things like labor shortages, obtaining permits, and unexpected issues with the site topography can all add to your timeline.
Most builders think of home construction in five different phases. This makes it easier for their team to plan, because it lets them break the project down into smaller, more manageable chunks. The 5 stages, in order, are site and foundation prep, framing, plumbing/electrical/HVAC, Insulation, and Drywall/finishes. You can find a brief explanation of each stage below.
This is the first step where the builders break ground. They focus on preparing the site and laying the foundation. It's important to have a level site and conduct water and sewer inspections before starting. If you don't, you could face serious issues later.
An uneven site can lead to structural problems that cause the house to settle unevenly. This can lead to cracks and other expensive damage.
Without proper water and sewer inspections, you might discover plumbing issues only after building the house.
Once the foundation is set, the next step is framing. This means building the walls, floors, and roof. This is the phase where the structure of your new house starts to take shape.
After framing, your builder and their team will focus on installing major systems. These include plumbing, electrical wiring, and the HVAC system, plus any additional features you've chosen to add.
Proper insulation gives you both energy efficiency and comfort. This stage involves insulating the interior walls and attic to keep your home warm in winter and cool in summer.
The final stage includes installing drywall and completing interior finishes. This is when your house really starts to look like a home. Your builder will also take care of exterior finishes during this phase. After the final inspection and walkthrough, your home will be ready for you to move in.
The design stage usually takes the longest in the home-building process.
During this stage, you and your home builder work with a design team to make sure your design captures the details that make your new house feel like your dream home.
The reason this stage is so time-consuming is the level of detail it requires. Every aspect has to be perfect for a high-quality finish. Any mistakes your team doesn't catch can delay construction, since they need fixing before your new home is move-in ready.
This is why it typically takes longer than other stages in the construction project.
The design team will work with you to make sure every part of your custom home meets your standards. Even though it’s time-consuming, doing it right is worth the wait.
Buying a house is almost always faster than building one. However, finding an existing home that fits your dream home vision can be challenging. When purchasing a built-for-sale home, you might spend more time searching for the perfect match than completing the actual purchase.
Once you find the right home, the process should only take a couple of months at most.
Most of this time goes toward underwriting and closing. This includes tasks like inspections, appraisals, and finalizing your mortgage. For more detailed information, Nerdwallet has a great breakdown on how long it takes to buy a home.
In summary, buying an existing home is quicker than starting a construction journey from scratch. You might need to compromise on some features, but the overall timeline is much shorter compared to building a fully custom home.
In Texas, the average price of a resale home is around $300,000. It’s generally cheaper to buy a house than to build one. But finding an existing home that perfectly suits your needs and lifestyle can be challenging in itself!
The cost to build a new home can easily change from project to project. Factors like the size of the house, the price of the land, and the materials used all affect the final price.
Typically, the cost to build a home starts in the mid-200s. For a rough estimate of your budget, multiply the square footage you want by $250. This gives you a general idea of the cost of a custom-built home.
For a safer estimate, use $300 per square foot. This is how much each square foot costs on the high end.
Building a custom home allows for more customization and the latest features. But it also comes with potential delays and higher costs.
You need to factor in pre-construction planning, major systems installation, and the construction timeline you originally received from your builder to figure out the time it takes to build a house.
Working with a general contractor can help manage all of this. Still, it usually takes more time and money to build a custom home compared to buying an existing one.
The simpler the design, the easier and faster it is to build. Some home styles cost less to build and take less time to complete.
If you want to save as much money as possible, you can build a tiny home. These homes have a straightforward design and require fewer materials, reducing the time to complete.
Another option is a storage-container home. These are relatively quick to construct, but they require regular upkeep and maintenance. For instance, you need proper insulation and ventilation to avoid moisture build-up.
You also need to treat the metal to prevent rust and corrosion if you want your home to stay comfortable and durable.
Barndominiums and ranch-style homes are good options, too. They offer the full functionality and size of a traditional home. They also require fewer materials, which translates to faster construction times. These homes also have simpler designs, which means faster building time as well.
Working with the right home builder, doing the work right the first time around, and sticking to a simple design will help you get through the entire construction process faster.
You can also use materials that are easy to source and purchase. If you do, you don’t need to worry about long shipping times or potential delays. For more detailed information, check out this guide on homebuilding for first-time homebuyers.
Some people prefer to go the DIY route, but unless you have experience building homes, we wouldn't recommend it.
There are many moving pieces during the build process. Homebuilders with a great reputation, easy-to-find online reviews, and a public portfolio to showcase their work are the best people to trust. Building houses is their bread and butter.
They know what they’re doing, which means they don’t need extra time for research, filing paperwork, or making connections with contractors. They already have the manpower and experience to handle these things quickly.
If you’re looking for trusted home builders, we’ve put together a guide on how to find the right builder.
If you spend thousands of dollars building a feature for your new home, but do it wrong, you’re not just stuck footing the extra bills. It’s going to set you back for as long as it takes to do the work the right way.
This is another reason to work with a reputable homebuilder in Houston: they do this every day. The chances of something going wrong are much lower than if you try constructing your home without professional help.
Simple designs are easier to build. More complex features require more planning and construction time. If you build a home with a simple style and design, it will save you a lot of time and probably save you just as much money. Smaller homes also take less time to build than larger homes.
Barndominiums usually use simple materials that are easy to source, and they generally follow a building plan that’s easy for professionals to complete. If the barndominium style doesn’t interest you, consider other economical styles like a tiny home or a ranch-style home. Both of them require less average time to build.
The easier it is to find materials, the faster your builder can get them delivered to the building site and complete your new home. Stick to materials like brick, lumber, and stone if possible. This will reduce headaches and keep your build timeline moving forward without interruptions.
Exotic and sustainable materials are growing in popularity, but they’re not always easy to find. Many of them need maintenance or replacement sooner than traditional building materials, too.
Ready to build a new home? At Dunn & Stone, we believe in the importance of fixed prices and timelines. Our new construction projects are designed to meet your needs without surprises.
Our team will work with you to explore which options best suit your lifestyle, timeline, and budget. We understand the main factors that can affect your construction project, from soil type to crawl space considerations. We make it a priority to address potential issues early on, so nothing can halt construction once we start.
Whether you need a contractor-built home or have a specific construction type in mind, we guide you through the entire process. Our goal is to help you achieve your dream home based on your original plan and preferences.
Let us make your commitment to building a new house a smooth and enjoyable experience. Schedule a free consultation with our team today to learn more about our design and interest incentives.
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