Your beginning construction timeline...
Have you ever wondered how large residential construction companies keep track of every task in building a house? Well, most large construction compaines compartmentize tasks (i.e., one supervisor assigne to only framing aspects, one assigned only to site prep dutuies, etc.), just like a factory does. One person becomes very familiar with one aspect of construction and a group of individuals manages the construction of a house. Other companies, normally smaller or regional builders, usually have construction managers that manage the project from site preparation to completion.
I fall into the category of working for a regional builder, in addition to contracting home building with my personal company.
If you have every wondered how it is possible to easily keep track of the the processes, below is my answer. I developed my own little cheat sheets to keep me on track with what I needed to do. Below is my generic timeline for construction. It is provided only as a snapshot for you to see what is involved in constructing a home. Yes, there are quite a few steps, and when you contract your own house, there will be more. But it is not insurmountable. It is actually quite easy and manageable. Even as a part time contractor, like yourself.
As you progess through the site, a more detailed list of what you need to do will be presented. This is my personal time line that I used, primarily for block houses. It is only offered as a guideline.
The timeline
1. Get working set of prints.
a. Make sure prints have
window/door schedule
b. Make sure dap outs noted
c. Make sure
positive/negative design pressures noted
d. Make sure all masonry openings specified
2. Submit to client (yourself!!!), get approval/changes and
proceed
3. Take working set of prints to a few truss companies for quotes and
layouts. Do not believe that you will have your roof stick framed.
You cannot buy the material and pay for the labor cheaper with a stick
framed roof over a trussed roof.
4. Get quotes for the following trades. You will need to have
the subcontractors below sign your subcontractor verification sheet (Note:
a subcontractor verification sheet is a list of your licensed trades that
you may have to turn into the building department prior to issuance of
a permit. Please review this in the Terminology
section.)
a. Electrical contractor
b. Plumbing contractor
c. Roofing contractor
d. HVAC contractor (see below)
5. Take set of prints to an HVAC Company (Heating and Air Conditioning
Contractor) for quote and energy calculation report. This may or may not
be applicable for your area. One call to an HVAC contactor w
6. Get truss quotes and layouts from truss companies.
7. Incorporate layout into prints
a.
Make sure doors/windows/garage door
b.
Include site plan into prints
c.
Make sure standard details and other details are
included in prints
d.
Make sure butt glass detail is included
8. Have engineer or architect seal prints and truss layout,
if required. Get six (6) sets.
9. Pick up energy report from HVAC Company
10. Submit an application to the neighborhood Architecural Review Committee,
if required.
11. Order windows and exterior doors. Make sure rough masonry openings for all windows
and doors are specified, as well as the elevations
12. Order trusses
13. Apply for permit. You will need probably most of the following:
a. Permit application (must
be notarized)
b. Subcontractor
verification form
c. Recorded Notice of
Commencement
d. Two (2) sealed set of prints
e. Driveway Application (bring an extra Site Plan for
this)
f. Sealed copy of Warranty
Deed
g. Sealed copy of survey
h. Copy of the energy
report
i. Check for permit
j. Landscape site plan
14. Wait for permit.
15. Get all quotes. You will need quotes for the following:
a. Concrete (digging,
footer, stemwall, floor, and lintel)
b. Block
c. Plumbing
d. Electrical
e. Mechanical (HV AC)
f. Framing
g. Fascia/Soffit
h. Windows
i. Trim Carpenter
j. Exterior Doors
k. Painting
1. Roofing
m. Pool/Cage
n. Landscaping
o. Garage Doors
p. Frame Package
(material)
q. Exterior Doors
(material)
r. Interior Doors
(material)
s. Flooring
t. Appliances
u. Kitchen Cabinets
v. Countertops
w. Fireplace Contractor
x. Lighting Contractor
y. Glass and mirror
contractor
z. Insulation contractor
a1. Grader
16. Pick up permit.
17. Post permit in permit box.
18. Clear lot. Do not fill in lot totally. Set elevation at
least 18" above crown of road
19. Have footers dug. You must have your corners and elevation
set before this can be done
20. Have steel installed.
21. Have building footing inspection.
22. Get a Soil Compaction Report done on the lot. Put a copy
in the permit box
23. Have the stemwall built. Have floor backfilled. Make sure
a tug wall is built.
24. Once stemwall is up, have the site surveyed. Get three (3)
copies. Give one to The Development, one to the building department, and
keep one for your records.
25. Pay the neighborhood architectural review committee their
fee, if any
26. Have the plumbing roughed in. Also have the plumbers stub
in some temporary water either at the water meter or the reclaimed water.
Make sure the concrete company then has the soiled poisoned for termites.
Get a copy of the report and make sure a copy is left in the permit box.
One is needed for the CO. Also, make sure the concrete contractor covers
the soil with visqueen very well.
27. Have the plumbing inspection.
28. Get the building floor inspection.
29. Pour the floor. Check for level
30. Order framing package (only structural is need initially)
31. Have the building blocked. Check all openings and write
all openings on the wall. If incorrect, fix them. You have already ordered
the doors and windows
32. Once blocked, have the concrete contractor install the lintel steel.
33. Get a lintel inspection.
34. Make sure trusses have been delivered. You will receive
2 large books detailing every truss. Keep one in the permit box and one
in the office. You need one for the framing inspection.
35. Have the concrete contractor pour the lintel. Take great
precaution in the placement of the hurricane straps. Get on the wall with
the truss layout and mark them yourself
36. Have framers begin. Make sure framing package has arrived.
Make sure framers cut out vents in roof for roofers. Below is the pay
schedule you should use:
a. 50% when roof dried in
b.
25% when about to have framing inspection (all windows and doorways bucked)
c.
25% when passes framing inspection
37. When roof sheathed, call for roof sheathing inspection.
When passes, have roofers start. Roofers will
complain that all holes not cut through (by plumbers and fireplace contractor).
This only affects them when they hot mop. They can proceed
38. Have the drywall delivered to site at any time now.
39. When drip edge installed on roof, have fascia and soffit installed.
40. Make sure framers frame for the fireplace. Once it is done,
have the fireplace contractor install the fireplace rough in. The framers
can then frame the chimney stack. Once the stack is built, have the fireplace
contractor install the cap. You need the cap for the mechanical inspection
and before the hot mop
41. When framers are about 75% done, have windows and exterior doors
installed.
You will need them installed for framing inspection
42. Once framing inspection, schedule in this order:
a. Plumbing rough in
second
b. Mechanical rough in
c. Electrical rough in
43. Get all inspections respectively.
44. When all inspections pass, have wall insulation installed, if any.
45. Get building wall insulation inspection. Make sure all holes
are foamed
46. Keep an eye out for the roofers. Once the roof is essentially
tiled or shingled, begin the pool.
The pool contractor will schedule his own inspections
47. The roofer at this point will handle his own inspections and pace.
He will need lead caps for all the plumbing
vents. Order them from
48. Once all inspections have passed, have housed stuccoed.
You will have some small areas that will have to get a building lathe
inspection. Wrap the lathe around the chimney on the first day and have
it inspected the next day
49. Once the house is stuccoed, have it painted outside. Begin
to backfill and grade lot. You can begin the driveway now
50. At any time you can have water service and sewer installed, along
with a backflow device. The backflow device must be certified
for final inspection
51. On the inside of the house, have the drywall installed and textured.
52. Once the drywall is up, have the painter shoot the entire inside
of the house and the trim, molding, and doors.
53. Have the interior trim package and interior doors delivered a day
or so after texturing is done. Also, have the under mount sinks
delivered
54. Install the attic ladder.
55. Once the trim is down and the molding up and the interior doors hung,
schedule the flooring contractor to install the tile. Hardwood
floors and carpet can wait, if needed
56. Order the appliances and lighting package.
57. Once the ceilings are painted, have the garage doors installed (two
week lead time). Install temporary locks
58. Once the inside is painted, have the cabinets and vanities installed.
59. Have the interior doors installed, as well as the trim, molding,
and columns.
60. Have the countertops/under mount sinks and fireplace granite installed.
61. Have the glass and mirrors installed.
62. Once the glass and mirrors are installed, have the lighting
contractor install the light fixtures.
63. Have appliances delivered, including range hood fan.
64. Schedule the mechanical contractor to do his final trim out.
Have the trim carpenters install range hood
65. Schedule the insulation contractor to blow the attic insulation.
66. Once the ceramic tile is down and grouted, schedule the plumbers
for final trim out. Once the plumbers have installed the hot
water tank, schedule the electricians
67. When the plumber is done, schedule the plumbing final inspection.
68. When the electrician is done, schedule the electrical and mechanical
final inspections. If you have not had the hardwood floor and
carpet installed, do it now
69. Have the irrigation and landscape installed, you can really
begin this at any time after the driveway is poured and after the pool
is started
70. Have the painters to a final touch up continuously through the process.
Have them paint the garage floor last
71. Have a final building inspection.
72. Once the last building inspection passes, pick up the CO.
You will need the following:
a. A check for the fees
due (available online)
b. A check for the water
service impact fees