A Step-by-Step Guide to the Home Building Process

Here’s what to expect during the major phases of construction.

Building your new home is exciting, especially when you understand how the process works.

The 10 Steps to Build a New Home Are: 

1. Prepare construction site and pour the foundation
2. Construct rough framing
3. Complete rough plumbing, electrical and HVAC
4. Install insulation
5. Complete drywall and interior textures; start exterior finishes
6. Finish interior trim; install exterior driveways and walkways
7. Install hard-surface flooring and countertops, and complete exterior grading
8. Finish mechanical trims; install bathroom fixtures
9. Install mirrors, shower doors and finish flooring, and finish exterior landscaping
10. Final walkthrough with the builder

Chip Perschino, senior vice president of construction at Edward Andrews Homes, says it’s understandable that buyers are excited to see their new home, from start to finish.

“Our homeowners enjoy watching the home come together, from pouring the foundation to framing and watching the home take shape,” he says. “Once the home has drywall, they start to visualize themselves living in the space and how they’ll use it — imagining what furniture goes where and how they’ll entertain friends and family there.

“They spend a good bit of time designing the home to be unique to their family needs and tastes so seeing it all come together is rewarding for them,” says Perschino.

To help you prepare for and understand your new home’s construction, this article outlines the typical steps your builder will take during the construction of a new home and will help keep you abreast of what happens at key stages.

Keep in mind that the homebuilding process may vary from region to region and builder to builder, especially if you’re building an elaborate custom home. Be sure to ask your builder about his or her specific policies and procedures.

“We encourage our homebuyers to make an appointment with their agent or project manager to come out and walk through the home at any stage,” Perschino says. “We suggest that it be by appointment to cut down on some of the safety concerns or limitations when a house is under construction. It also gives us a chance to offer a one-on-one conversation that may not be the same via email.”

1. Prepare Construction Site and Pour Foundation

• Construction Crew Levels Site
• Puts Up Wooden Forms for the Temporary Foundation
• Footings Are Installed

Often, site preparation and foundation work are performed by the same crew, but this may not be the case with a wooded lot. Using a backhoe and a bulldozer, the crew clears the site of rocks, debris and trees for the house and, if applicable, the septic system. The crew levels the site, puts up wooden forms to serve as a template for the foundation and digs the holes and trenches. Footings (structures where the house interfaces with the earth that supports it) are installed. If your home is going to have a well, it will be dug at this point.

If the home has a full basement, the hole is dug, the footings are formed and poured, and the foundation walls are formed and poured. If it’s slab-on-grade, the footings are dug, formed and poured; the area between them is leveled and fitted with utility runs (e.g. plumbing drains and electrical chases); and the slab is poured.

Once concrete is poured into the holes and trenches, it will need time to cure. During this period, there will be no activity on the construction site.

After the concrete is cured, the crew applies a waterproofing membrane to the foundation walls; installs drains, sewer, and water taps and any plumbing that needs to go into the first-floor slab or basement floor; and backfills excavated dirt into the hole around the foundation wall.

Inspection #1

When the curing process is complete, a city inspector visits the site to make sure foundation components are up to code and installed properly. This inspection may be repeated depending on the type of foundation (slab, crawl space or basement). Your builder will then remove the forms and begin coordinating step No. 2, the framing phase.

2. Complete Rough Framing

• Floor System, Walls, Roof Systems Are Completed
• Sheathing Applied to Exterior Walls, Covered With Protective Wrap

The floor systems, walls and roof systems are completed (collectively known as the shell or skeleton of the house). Plywood or oriented strand board (OSB) sheathing is applied to the exterior walls and roof and windows and exterior doors are installed. The sheathing is then covered with a protective barrier known as a house wrap; it prevents liquid water from infiltrating the structure while allowing water vapor to escape. This reduces the likelihood of mold and wood rot.

3. Complete Rough Plumbing, Electrical HVAC

The Following Are Installed:

• Pipes and Wires
• Sewer Lines and Vents
• Water Supply Lines
• Bathtubs, Shower Units
• Ductwork for HVAC System
• HVAC Vent Pipes

Once the shell is finished, siding and roofing can be installed. At the same time, the electrical and plumbing contractors start running pipes and wires through the interior walls, ceilings and floors. Sewer lines and vents, as well as water supply lines for each fixture, are installed. Bathtubs and one-piece shower/tub units are put in place at this point because there’s more room to maneuver large, heavy objects.

Ductwork is installed for the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system, and possibly the furnace. HVAC vent pipes are installed through the roof and insulation is installed in the floors, walls and ceilings.

After the roofing goes on, the house is considered “dried in.” An electrician then installs receptacles for outlets, lights and switches and runs wires from the breaker panel to each receptacle. Wiring for telephones, cable TV and music systems is included in this work.

Note that HVAC ducts and plumbing are usually installed before wiring because it’s easier to run wires around pipes and ducts than vice versa.

Inspections #2, #3, #4

Rough framing, plumbing, and electrical and mechanical systems are inspected for compliance with building codes. Most likely these will be three different inspections. At the very least, the framing inspection will be conducted separately from the electrical/mechanical inspections.

At this stage, drywall (also known as plasterboard, wallboard or gypsum board) is delivered to the building site.

4. Install Insulation

Common Types of Insulation in New Homes

• Fiberglass
• Cellulose
• Foam Mineral Wool
• Concrete Blocks
• Insulation Concrete Forms
• Spray Foam
• Structural Insulated Panels
• Foam Board or Ridged Foam

Insulation plays a key role in creating a more comfortable, consistent indoor climate while significantly improving a home’s energy efficiency. One of the most important qualities of insulation is its thermal performance or R-value, which indicates how well the material resists heat transfer. Most homes are insulated in all exterior walls, as well as the attic and any floors that are located above unfinished basements or crawl spaces.

The most common types of insulation used in new homes are fiberglass, cellulose and foam. Depending on the region and climate, your builder may also use mineral wool (otherwise known as rock wool or slag wool); concrete blocks; foam board or rigid foam; insulating concrete forms (ICFs); sprayed foam; and structural insulated panels (SIPs).

Blanket insulation, which comes in batts or rolls, is typical in new-home construction. So is loose-fill and blown-in insulation, which is made of fiberglass, cellulose or mineral-wool particles. Another insulation option, liquid foam, can be sprayed, foamed-in-place, injected or poured. While it costs more than traditional batt insulation, liquid foam has twice the R-value per inch and can fill the smallest cavities, creating an effective air barrier.

Fiberglass and mineral-wool batts and rolls are usually installed in side walls, attics, floors, crawl spaces, cathedral ceilings and basements. Manufacturers often attach a facing such as kraft paper or foil-kraft paper to act as a vapor barrier and/or air barrier. In areas where the insulation will be left exposed, such as basement walls, the batts sometimes have a special flame-resistant facing.

5. Complete Drywall and Interior Fixtures, Start Exterior Finishes

• Drywall is Hung and Taped
• Texturing is Completed
• Primary Coat of Paint is Applied
• Exterior Finishes (Brick, Stucco, Stone) Are Installed

Drywall is hung and taped so the seams between the boards aren’t visible, and drywall texturing (if applicable) is completed. The primer coat of paint is also applied after taping is complete. Contractors begin installing exterior finishes such as brick, stucco, stone and siding.

6. Finish Interior Trim, Install Exterior Walkways and Driveway

• Doors, Window Sills, Decorative Trim Installed
• Cabinets, Vanities, Fireplace Mantles Installed
• Final Coat of Paint

Interior doors, baseboards, door casings, window sills, moldings, stair balusters and other decorative trim are installed, along with cabinets, vanities and fireplace mantels and surrounds. Walls get a finish coat of paint and are wallpapered where applicable.

Generally, exterior driveways, walkways and patios are formed at this stage. Many builders prefer to wait until the end of the project before pouring the driveway because heavy equipment (such as a drywall delivery truck) can damage concrete. But some builders pour the driveway as soon as the foundation is completed so that when homeowners visit the construction site, they won’t get their shoes muddy.

7. Install Hard Surface Flooring, Countertops; Complete Exterior Grading

Ceramic tile, vinyl and wood flooring are installed as well as countertops. Exterior finish grading is completed to ensure proper drainage away from the home and prepare the yard for landscaping.

8. Finish Mechanical Trims; Install Bathroom Fixtures

Light fixtures, outlets and switches are installed and the electrical panel is completed. HVAC equipment is installed and registers completed. Sinks, toilets and faucets are put in place.

9. Install Mirrors, Shower Doors; Finish Flooring, Exterior Landscaping

Mirrors, shower doors and carpeting are installed and final cleanup takes place. Trees, shrubs and grass are planted and other exterior landscaping completed.

Inspection #5

A building-code official completes a final inspection and issues a certificate of occupancy. If any defects are found during this inspection, a follow-up inspection may be scheduled to ensure that they’ve been corrected.

10. Final Walk-Through

This is where you spot items that need to be corrected or adjusted!

Your builder will walk you through your new home to acquaint you with its features and the operation of various systems and components and explain your responsibilities for maintenance and upkeep, as well as warranty coverage and procedures. This is often referred to as a pre-settlement walk-through. It’s also an opportunity to spot items that need to be corrected or adjusted, so be attentive and observant. Examine the surfaces of countertops, fixtures, floors and walls for possible damage. Sometimes disputes arise because the homeowner discovers a gouge in a countertop after move-in and there’s no way to prove whether it was caused by the builder’s crew or the homeowner’s movers.

A Few Words About Inspections

Your new home will be inspected periodically during the course of construction. In addition to mandated inspections for code compliance, your builder may conduct quality checks at critical points in the process. (In the story above, we point out when these inspections typically take place.) The idea is to catch as many potential problems as possible before construction is finished, though some issues may not surface until you’ve lived in the home for a period of time.

A survey of the New Home Source Insights Panel found that most panelists are interested in tracking the progress of their new homes – whether that be via email communication from the builder, drivebys or even through the use of drones. Before you head to the homesite unannounced, talk to your builder early on about attending inspections, with or without your real-estate agent. Even if your presence is not required, it’s an opportunity to learn more about what’s behind the walls of your new home and how everything works. If you’re planning to hire your own inspector to do an additional review of the home, notify your builder prior to the start of construction.

For safety as well as logistical reasons, builders discourage customers from dropping in unannounced at the construction site. If you’d like to pay a visit, be sure to arrange it in advance. Chances are your builder will conduct regular walk-throughs to bring you up to speed on the progress of the work.

Working with the builder who’ll construct your new home is the fifth of six steps to your new home. Here in our New Home Guide, you’ll find helpful and inspiring articles, slideshows and videos that will make your new home journey easier and more rewarding.

Learn about the six key steps to your new home: Get expert advice from leading real estate writers, builders and recent new homebuyers in our New Home Guide

We’ve made it easy to follow six simple steps to your new home that include: new home 101; shopping online and in model homes; buying, financing and insuring your home; working with a builder to design and construct your home; and settling in to enjoy it.

Simply click on any of the six steps to your new home in the welcome graphic on the main page of our New Home Guide to learn about that step in your new home journey.