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What Are the Steps to Building a House?

A construction-phase walkthrough, from excavation to certificate of occupancy.

Construction moves in a fixed order, because each stage depends on the one before it. Here's what physically happens once the permit is issued and the excavator arrives.

Site and foundation

  1. Staking and site prep. The house is located on the lot, topsoil is stripped, erosion control goes in. See site preparation.
  2. Excavation. Dug below frost depth. See footing depth.
  3. Footings. Formed, inspected, poured.
  4. Foundation walls. Poured or block, then waterproofed or damp-proofed.
  5. Footer drains and backfill. Drainage installed, gravel placed, backfilled.
  6. Basement slab and any under-slab plumbing. Rough plumbing goes in before the pour, which is why basement bath decisions matter now. See basement rough-ins.

Framing and dry-in

  1. Floor system and framing. Walls, floors and roof structure. The house takes shape fast here, which is deceptive; framing is a small share of the total time.
  2. Roof sheathing and shingles.
  3. Windows and exterior doors.
  4. House wrap and siding. Once the house is dry inside, interior work can proceed regardless of weather.

Rough-ins

  1. HVAC rough-in. Ducts first, because they need the most space.
  2. Plumbing rough-in.
  3. Electrical rough-in. This is your last easy chance to move an outlet or add a circuit.
  4. Low voltage. Data, security, audio. See smart home.
  5. Rough inspections. Framing, plumbing, electrical and mechanical are inspected before anything is covered. See inspections.

Walk the house at this stage. Everything is visible and changes are still comparatively affordable.

Enclosing and finishing

  1. Insulation, and its inspection.
  2. Drywall. Hung, taped, finished. The house suddenly reads as rooms.
  3. Interior trim and doors.
  4. Paint.
  5. Cabinetry and countertops. Counters are usually templated after cabinets are set, which is why they lag.
  6. Flooring and tile.
  7. Mechanical, electrical and plumbing trim-out. Fixtures, devices, registers.
  8. Appliances.
  9. Hardware, mirrors, final details.

Outside and finishing up

  1. Driveway, walks and final grading.
  2. Landscaping and stabilization.
  3. Final cleaning.
  4. Final inspections and certificate of occupancy.
  5. Final walkthrough and punch list. See the walkthrough.
  6. Closing and keys.

See our full ten-stage process and how long it takes.