How Long Does It Take to Build a New Home in DC?

As you start your search for your new home in the Washington, D.C. metro area, it’s important that you know what you want in a home. Are you looking for a single-family residence, or are you looking for a place to retire? Are you looking for a condo or townhome in the D.C. metro area? Have you considered a manufactured home, or are you looking to build a custom one?

Depending on your needs, it will take anywhere from a few weeks for a manufactured home to anywhere from six to eight months for a more complex build. The timing for your new home will depend mostly on factors such as weather, location and the permitting process.

“We do not purchase land to build new homes. However, we have torn down existing properties and started construction from nothing, meaning that we have gone through much of the permitting process involved in building new homes in D.C.,” says Greg Allen, acquisitions manager at Express Homebuyers, one of the largest East Cost real estate investment/home buying companies.

Allen says the permitting process can take a few months. “It is important to note that any construction project in DC that disturbs more than 1,000 sq. ft. of living area becomes a file job,” says Allen. “A file job essentially means that a walkthrough permit goes from one day of processing to two months to four months.”

Richard Bridges, a broker with Pearson Smith Realty who is licensed in D.C., Maryland, and Virginia, agrees. He says that depending on the location, the permitting process differs, which can affect building timelines: “Some jurisdictions take longer to approve plans to start construction.”

Ask your builder about permits; they will know what permits you’ll need, how to file one and which municipal departments to see about filing. A benefit of working with a builder or architect is that they are there to guide you through the process, so they will often take care of this part for you. Knowing what departments issue the permits for construction will be helpful for any future modifications you wish to make to your home as well.

Allen says if you want to build a house in a non-historical location in the D.C. area, expect the homebuilding process to take anywhere from six months to eight months if there are no major complications. “A more realistic time frame is about 10 months,” he adds.

There are many things that can affect your building timelines, Bridges says. “The weather and time of year can play a factor in construction as well. If contractors cannot work, then construction stalls too,” he adds. Building a custom home from the ground up will naturally take longer than a manufactured one, so if that’s your plan, be prepared to spend the better part of a year on construction.

On the other hand, a manufactured home can take as little as four weeks to be ready. Because these homes are built in a factory and assembled before they leave, factors such as weather are not an issue. Finding a location and securing permits can take up more time in the process of acquiring a manufactured home than the construction process.

If you are looking to move into a newly built home in a shorter amount of time, don’t be discouraged. Builders often have move-in ready homes that you can choose from, so don’t be afraid to ask.

Building a new single-family residence in the D.C. metro area takes about eight to ten months to complete. Be sure to ask your builder what your building timeline looks like so that you can plan accordingly and be ready to move into your new home when it’s ready for you.