How Long Does it Take to Build a House?

Building a house is no small task. But how long does it actually take?

When it comes to timelines, you’ll see different averages depending on who you’re asking. That’s because the time it takes to get from permit to completion varies by so many factors, including the type of construction (production or custom), the complexity of the plans, the building department of the city or county you’re building in, and also the weather in that region.

Are we talking about a custom home or a production home?

Production homes are typically chosen from a menu of options and the land is offered as a package with the home. Custom homes can be built on your own land or on land that you acquire. They can be created in almost any configuration and customized to suit your family’s needs, your land, and your style.

According to the Census Bureau’s 2016 Survey of Construction, production homes may take 4-6 months while large, custom-built homes can take up to 16 months.

At Premier, we pride ourselves on efficient, timely builds. Once you have the land, we can have you in your custom home in as little as 4-5 months, well below the national averages.

What does an average construction timeline look like?

If everything goes according to plan, you can expect your construction timeline to look something like this:

PRE-CONSTRUCTION: 2-3 MONTHS
Finalizing plans, securing financing, filing permits and receiving the go ahead generally takes about two to three months.

CONSTRUCTION: 5 MONTHS+
Site work, foundation set and framing the house generally take about two months, but the weather can cause significant delays here. The guts of the house (plumbing/electric/HVAC) will take about one month. Drywalling and interior finish work should take around three months.


So, what can cause delays in building?

Before a builder can get started, the lot must be ready to go. Trees must be cleared out and the ground has to be leveled for the foundation. Unexpected issues with the lot such as zoning ordinances or subsurface soil conditions have been known to cause delays in the pre-construction timeline.

There might also be delays in getting permits and approvals. That’s why it’s good to have a builder who knows the process in your area.

Weather is a big factor. Rain can hold things up, and so can a winter freeze. This is why pouring a foundation and getting the framing and roof on is critical to making good progress.

The summer months are generally the busiest time for home construction, so if you’re building during this season, finding available labor may become an issue.

 You’ll want to work with a custom home builder who has a trusted team in place.

Change orders will also impact the build time, especially when they come up in the latter part of the process. To limit the amount of time lost to decision delays, you should work with a builder who knows when to ask what and has solid systems in place.



How can you make sure the construction of your new home is smooth and seamless?



Call Jerry. Because we believe in constant communication, and because Jerry and his team are always on site, managing every detail, there are very few surprises.

We spend a lot of time up front with pre-planning and decision making so that once everyone is ready to go, we get a plan in place to get there as quickly and as smoothly as possible, saving time and money in the long run.

Critical to our efficiency is our web-based software that makes it easy to keep our clients informed and our projects on track.

If you have questions about our timelines, call 201-370-3274 . Jerry’s always happy to talk to clients and answer questions about how this process works.