Block out the good part of a year to get your home on its feet
The average time to build a house ranges from seven to 14 months.
The length of a house build can vary based on location, building regulations, and supply availability.
Building timelines are also affected by who designs and builds the house.
The idea of building a house might sound appealing—after all, if you build your home from scratch, you can outfit it with the latest features and make sure everything is to your liking.
Although it has many perks, it’s also important to know that building a house is a big time commitment, from planning and permitting to the building phases required to finally move in (excavation, framing, electrical, etc.).
Building a home is an involved process, and can take an average of seven to 14 months to complete. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2023, it took an average of 8.6 months to build a new home from start to completion, with built-for-sale homes taking an average of around seven months to complete and owner-built homes taking nearly 14 months.
Each stage of construction adds to the timeline, and how long your home takes to build can depend on what’s involved during the different planning and construction phases.
The Census Bureau notes that the pre-construction phase takes an average of 1.3 months.
If you’re doing a custom build, this phase includes meeting with the designer or the architect, designing your floor plan and structural features, and choosing all your design details. Remember that an architect costs an average of $6,500 but will often charge a percentage of the total project determined during this phase. You’ll be dreaming big (and then adjusting your expectations) during this phase to get a better sense of what you want for each part of your house and what it will look like.
After the designing phase, you’ll be in the permits phase. When building a new home, you’ll need various permits, which can vary based on your state and local laws. In some cases, getting proper approvals and permits can take a lot of time, so it’s better to plan ahead.
Once your team has the green light to break ground, the final and most eventful stage begins.
Before the builder starts work on your home, you must prepare the home’s lot. That means clearing trees and rocks and rough grading and leveling for the foundation.
Then, your team of pros will measure, dig, and pour the foundation. The timeline will also shift depending on the size of the foundation. Assume that this early stage will take one to two weeks, but it can be delayed if you wait longer for your foundation inspection.
Once the concrete is completely dry, the next step is building your house's frame or skeleton, starting with the exterior walls, floors, and roof rafters and then moving on to sheathing, which is applied to the walls and roof. Expect an additional inspection at the end of this stage as well.
After the building crew completes the frame, they can start working on siding, roofing, wiring, and setting up plumbing. Pros can also install water heaters and the HVAC system at this stage. Not only does this stage take a large team of specialized contractors, but it will also require another inspection to ensure the framing meets local codes.
Walls are installed at the midpoint of the building process. Next, builders will cover the interior walls and ceilings with drywall or plasterboard, then sand and prime them. After that, you or any painters you hire can paint the walls.
Now, your new house has a personality as builders can install the flooring, doors, windows, trims, etc. Functional and decorative installations such as bathroom fixtures, cabinets, countertops, and doorknobs also go into place. Now is the time when you can really get creative.
The last step is finishing the exterior facade. Pros will install any exterior finishes such as siding, landscaping, the driveway, and retaining walls. By the end of this part of the construction phase, your new house is move-in ready!
Many things can affect the time to build a house, and a few different obstacles can cause it to take more time than you expect. Knowing these factors will help you streamline the process and avoid home-building delays.
Hiring skilled builders is one of the main factors that can make or break your home construction timeline. A reputable and experienced homebuilder often takes less time to complete your new home and will likely make fewer mistakes than you would on your own.
The time it takes to get permits from your local building department may vary. If you come across any issues, such as zoning or property line disputes, it’s likely to take longer. In most cases, you should put in any permit requests ASAP in case of delays.
Depending on where your new home will be, factors like the soil type or the site topography can affect the average time to build a house. For example, building a house on a hill can take longer than building on a level site.
Not to mention that the building season in the northern U.S. is shorter than in the south because cold and wet weather will affect the construction process. Building in the cold or during snow might cause delays—it can take nearly a year.
The type of house you choose is a massive factor in determining the timeline. Custom-designed homes will take longer to build than a standard house design.
Single-family homes generally take less time than multi-family houses. They require less plumbing and electrical and fewer kitchens and bathrooms, which can all be time-consuming.
Your design plans may look great on paper, but sometimes, things change once the work is in progress. Unexpected issues, miscommunication about specifications, and changing your mind about finishes during the construction phase can cause delays, especially in the case of custom-built houses.
It’s better to make all decisions in the planning phase and stick to the timeline—and your initial plans—to avoid delays.
The structure of your home may influence construction time. The more standard the structure and construction features are, the less time it’s likely to take. So, while you may want to customize your new home plan, expect that any unique features that may require a change in the structure will require more time to complete.
Shortages in building materials and supplies can also affect the construction time. Sometimes, you need to wait around for the next lumber shipment or for the prices of your dream tiles to get lower, which will delay the work and affect the original plan.
Timelines vary based on the type of project, including who’s doing the planning and building. Custom homes will take longer than built-for-sale homes, and hiring a general contractor will shorten the process compared to building your own home.
A built-for-sale home, where the home was either fully planned or in the process of being built before it was sold, takes an average of 7.5 months. Built-for-sale homes are a great middle ground between building and buying a home, but the faster timelines mean you’ll sacrifice some customization. A contractor-built house takes an average of around 11 months to build. Stock plans are faster and will save on home-building costs, while custom plans will take longer to complete. Owner-built homes take the longest of all, with the average completion time being around 14 months. The cost of building a home yourself can be much higher in both money and time without a general contractor to manage the project.
As you begin to design your home, you and your team will get a sense of the most practical timeline. For homeowners in a hurry, your contractors may recommend the following tips to speed up the process.
Opt for stock home designs instead of customized blueprints
Understand how to build a house before you start to get a sense of the process
Choose building materials and finishes that are locally accessible
Hire a construction manager to oversee the entirety of the design and building process
Stay within your originally proposed budget to avoid loan complications
Work with a team familiar with local permitting laws
Clarify all design details before breaking ground to avoid material delays
No question that buying a house is easier than building one from scratch. Buying an existing home is almost always faster, even if you need to make renovations once you move in. However, when you hire the right team to build a home, they will simplify the design and build phases so that there is little guesswork throughout the process.
Custom homes can take an average of two years to build, mainly due to the lengthy design process. That being said, when you work with the right custom home builders near you, they can help you map the road ahead and understand what can speed up or delay the timeline. Choosing locally available materials, for example, can speed things up without losing that customized touch.
Framing a house is often the longest stage of building, but the specifics of your home build may make other stages take even longer. Different building stages can be held up if it takes a long time to get a permit or inspection, if materials take extra time to obtain, or if you encounter other unexpected challenges along the way.
