How long does it take to build a home? This is a question that comes up when one is looking at building a custom home.  We all dream of the perfect home, and we imagine how it will look, and usually, we cannot find the perfect fit on the pre-built homes market. It’s at that moment, you start considering building your dream house and how long it would take.

There are a lot of factors to take into consideration when you are estimating  how long it takes to build a home. Finding the perfect property, designing your home, getting all the permits, and finding a top quality  home builder  are just a few  of those factors. So, how long before you can move into your new house? Below, you will discover how to calculate this  and what you can expect when committing to building your dream home.

How Long Does It Take To Build A New Home?

Because of unforeseen circumstances often out of the control of the builder, it’s really hard to give definite timelines. The average amount of time to build a new custom house is around 7 to 12 months. The first step is  planning. Find a builder, come up with the floor plan and exterior design with an architect, and all of the customizations you would like. In this part of the process,  the time frame  really just depends on how long it takes you to make decisions, and have the final building plan for your new home.

At this point, you know what lot you’re building your new home on, and you have a design for your new home. Now it’s time to confirm financing for your project. Your home builder is an invaluable advisor during this process, and if they’re an established builder, may even have preferred lenders for you to work with. Bianchi-Tillett Developers have strong relationships with several lenders, and get some fantastic rates through their preferred lender of Umpqua Bank. This step can be intimidating, but having your financing in order is a must before you start your project in earnest.

The next step will be to have all your necessary permits. When you are making your calculations on how long it takes to build a new home, keep in mind that it could take longer in some areas to have all the legal requirements sorted. It will take you at least around 1 month to get everything you need. Although in California, it often takes longer. Check what would you need and make sure you have it prepared so that the process can take as little time as possible and keep to the schedule you created when you were calculating how long it takes to build a custom home.

When it comes to the actual construction of your home - it would be around 8 months. Large luxury homes do take longer. And Covid has created all sorts of supply shortages that often have pushed out timelines. Yes, it does take longer than just buying an already built house, but all this will be worthwhile when you do the final walkthrough and see your dreams realized.

Home Building Timeline

There are 2 major factors when it comes to the home building timeline:

  • The design of the home and the location;
  • The home builder used.

Environmental conditions play a significant role in how long it takes to build a home. Soil type and site topography are some of the most critical factors for choosing a location for your home and for the home building timeline. For example, construction done on sloped lots or mudslide zones will take  longer to build.

The second major factor is how experienced and skilled the contract is. If you find a good contractor, this could drastically decrease the construction time. Find a home builder  with a good name and a proven track record. Bianchi-Tillett Developers are proud of their track record and have many very satisfied families that vouch for their professionalism and quality.

For people that are considering building their house by themselves - be aware that the process could take longer. In most cases, hiring an established home builder with experience and subcontractors that they’ve already worked with, will keep the timeline shorter.

Variables That Impact Timeline

In an ideal world, every step of the home building timeline would go as planned, and all the estimating  you did on how long it took to build a home will be even shortened. In reality, however, there's a lot of reasons why building delays might occur.

Some factors that are out of our control, like the weather or the COVID pandemic, can influence how long it takes to build a new home. But also, the size of your home or the complexity of its design could lead to building delays.

Considerable delays for materials because of the pandemic

COVID-19 affected almost all industries and took its toll. The construction business wasn’t spared, unfortunately. Building delays are now common because of new regulations, office closures, supply chain disruptions, and delays in deliveries. Almost all of the US materials are not arriving on time or at all because of the different rules each country has to follow now during the pandemic.

If you’re building in 2021 or 2022, expect some supply shortages and building delays as a direct result of COVID-19.

Permits

Getting all your permits will depend on where you live and what the regulations are. As mentioned, it takes 1-2 month on average to have everything prepared but be aware that there are cases where this can take a lot longer. Issues like zoning problems, easements, or property line disputes could lead to additional building delays.

Weather

Unexpected meteorological conditions can happen at any time of the year. Most people and construction companies prefer to build new homes in the summer because of the better weather conditions. However, temperature extremes are something that can interrupt the construction process. Once you have the main structure of the house ready and the work that is left is only inside under the roof of the house, the weather conditions are not something that your home building timeline will be dependent on.

Size of Home

When it comes to the size of the home, this is one of the first things that builders will ask you for and will use as a factor in the calculation of how long it takes to build a house of this size. So, keep in mind that this is inevitably leading to a more extended construction period the larger your proposed home is.

Complexity of Design

Here again, the standard floor plans with simple design will take a shorter period to get ready. If you have in mind building a more complex home with many customizations, this will extend the home building timeline to meet the requirements you have.

Budget Constraints

When it comes to hiring a home builder, the more expensive ones can sometimes offer you shorter building periods. Also, they can assure you that there won’t be any building delay because of the lack of crew members. In some cases, those builders' prices can go high and not be something you can afford. In this case, you need to calculate that having a smaller construction company help you with your home will result in a longer wait for the house to be ready, or go with a high end builder, but fewer workers. Talk to your builder about your desired timeline and if that fits within the proposed budget.

Scope Changes

Changes in the plan or the initial scope might be something that can also lead to building delays in the latter part of the process. Suppose they are for small details or significant parts of your construction plan to which you want to make any last-moment changes. In that case, this will require adjusting the home building timeline, waiting for new materials, and additional work from the builder, and possibly even permit changes. This is why it is always better to have a clear plan from the beginning and avoid any scope changes if possible.

Conclusion

Deciding on building a new home is a big step. Making the proper estimations on how long it takes to build a custom home and what it will cost are the two factors you should start with making your plans. Once you find an excellent home builder to work with and have your building timeline, remember to be patient and kind to the people helping you build your dream house. Some building delays are inevitable, so make sure you have this in mind when going on the adventure of building your new home. Be sure it will be all worth it once you step foot in your dream house!

To get details on how long it might take to build your dream house, contact Bianchi-Tillett Developers today.

Additional Reading:

Best Places to Live in Sacramento

Building a New Home Checklist

Pros & Cons of Building a Custom Home

Cost to Build a Custom Home