How To Build Your Own Home - A free guide to home building
Building a home from scratch can even be a complicated task for industry professionals. Whether it is a starter home, luxury one, or an energy efficient house, missing a small detail can leave the builder in a costly situation to fix the problem. It takes years of expertise, training, and collaboration amongst construction teams so no detail is overlooked and construction progresses as smoothly as possible. The details that could be missed may end up costing more than hiring a professional to build your home.
However, as most people hire house builders to build their homes, there are a select few people who choose to build their own house. They decide to be the general contractor, hire subcontractors to perform the work, and take different levels of responsibility during the build. Some of these individuals choose to do the cleaning, some to save on paint, while others strictly sit back and only manage the subs.
Regardless, to build your own home will require a great amount of time invested and a pre-planned list of tasks and procedures that take place during construction. The general contractor needs to be prepared, always ready for unforeseen issues, and try to mitigate costs by being ready as possible.
Finally, as a home building expert, having an outline of the construction process of a home will make the build progress smoothly and efficiently. That is why this article is dedicated to individuals who choose to build their own home as it summarizes the entire process. This article will tell you when to hire trades, when to call subcontractors back in, timeframes of different jobs, when to order material, and ultimately how to build your own home. There may be some tasks you can do yourself, but only by understanding the complete processes of building a home you can then decide what to do on your own.
This step by step guide to build a home outlines the construction from start to finish.
Table of Contents - Steps of Building a Home
- What To Do Before You Start Construction
- 1. Decide what you want to do yourself
- 2. Purchase the land or find the lot
- 3. Create architectural house plans
- 4. Obtain proper building and development permits
- 5. Get new water, gas, drainage, and electrical services in place with utility providers
- New Home Construction Starts
- 6. Demolition and excavation
- 7. Pour concrete footings and foundations
- 8. Order framing package and windows. Start framing
- 9. Install the roof and siding
- 10. Rough in plumbing, electrical, HVAC. Speaker systems and vacuums at this time
- 11. Insulation and drywall
- 12. Painting
- 13. Cabinets, countertops, start of finished carpentry
- 14. Tile
- 15. Flooring
- 16. Finished plumbing and electrical
- 17. Appliances
- 18. Landscaping and Driveways
How To Build Your Own Home - Before Construction Starts
Key note: Building a home on your own takes a great amount of time, dedication, and puts strain on your primary careers, family and friends. Make sure you are ready for long days, are mentally prepared for unseen challenges, and become educated as possible to prevent costly mistakes and allow the build to progress efficiently. The steps of building a home are as follows.
1. Decide what you want to do yourself
After you read this step by step guide to building your own home, you must decide as a general contractor what you want to do yourself. Most people who read this article will have full time careers and families that demand a significant amount of time during their days. That is why the majority of individuals who build their own homes only act as a coordinator of the subcontractors. Their job is to:
a) get multiple quotes from different trades and check their reviews.
b) schedule them to do the work.
c) make sure nothing is missed at each step and move through the entire build process.
This is the best option for people who find themselves short of time and still want to build their home on their own.
For individuals who have more time on their hands, they can choose to do tasks such as cleaning, delivery material, landscaping, and potentially skilled labor if possible. Performing these simple tasks as a general contractor will allow you to save money while building your home by yourself.
2. Purchase the land
The very first step to build your own home is to acquire the land to build on. Many people use newly developed lots while others must demolish existing homes. Regardless, your goal is to make sure that the parcel of land has the appropriate zoning to build the home you desire.
Look at the zoning classification and the land use bylaws in your jurisdiction to understand the rules of residential construction.
You should also:
1. Check to verify that there are no restrictive convenances on the purchased lot.
2. Read the architectural guidelines of the area (if applicable). This will determine what can be built on your lot.
3. Make sure you have the appropriate funds to complete the construction. It is important to have an extra 5 to 10% for unforeseen issues. Don’t forget about the holding costs as well (property tax, utilities, and construction heat) when creating your budget.
4. Survey the lot to get the exact dimensions for the architect. The architect will need a survey done to create the plans.
3. Start creating architectural house plans
Once the lot is purchased, you must find an architect to work with who will design your home. This is your opportunity to find an industry professional who you get along with, is cost effective, and has good reviews in your area. Hiring a great architect is vital for the efficient construction a a home, especially building on your own.
The cost of an architect can range from a fixed fee structure to upwards of 10% of the total cost of the project. Make sure you know their price, past project track record, and if they are someone you can work with for a long period of time.
Overall, a skilled architect will be able to offer suggestions for how to maximize space while avoiding potential mistakes by drafting a professional set of plans. Schedule 3 to 5 weeks for this step to be completed.
You can find architects of different websites such as Houzz, in various magazines, or by inquiring about past projects related to homes that you like.
4. Obtain proper permits in your area
Once the house plans are finalized by the architect, the plans will be sent off to the area of jurisdiction to obtain permits. Before this is done however, it is quite possible that the newly created plans will first need to be sent civil engineer for approval. This will ensure the structure of your home is up to code. The area that you live in North America may further require that you obtain engineered drawings for the footings and foundations. This could be the case for the joists and trusses of a home. Ask the architect what is required. They will know these steps in detail.
Note: Don’t forget to ask him before he is hired. This will help you to know your budget and verify a build timeline.
Whether you are building a luxury home or a simple one, the step of obtaining permits can take on average 4 to 8 weeks. If an issue does arise with the plans (which can happen and isn’t something that you should worry about), get the architect to address the problem, fix it, and resend the correct plans back to the jurisdiction for approval. The two main types of permits that you get are a development and a building permit.
The development permit says that what you are planing on building will meet the jurisdiction guidelines and zoning requirements. The building permit will make sure the home you build is up to code.
5. Plan ahead and get the proper services in place
This step is very important to do before the new construction starts. The reason why is that the new services may need to be relocated in order to accommodate the new build. This is easier to install when there is no landscaping or structure hindering the progression of the work. Furthermore, from time of application until the services are actually installed, it can be upwards of 6 weeks. That is why planing ahead and getting the proper services in place is crucial for the success to building a home by yourself.
There are gas, water, sewer, storm and electrical providers that should be contacted.
New Construction Starts - how to build a house
Getting to this step takes a tremendous amount of work and preparation. Weeks may have been spent going through the permitting process or years to locate the ideal lot. Regardless of the preparation stage, it is time to put the project from pen and paper onto the building site. Overall, get ready to start the home building journey.
Before we dive into the actual construction process of how to build a home by yourself, there are a few key tasks that should be done before any work begins. You should, dependent on where you live:
1. Make sure there are no trees that are sitting in the building pocket. You should make note of vegetation and natural water features you are planning on saving. Get these fenced off.
2. You should fence around your property line.
3. Order a roll-off dumpster and a portable toilet.
4. Make sure all utilities are disconnected and temporary power (as well as a source of heating if applicable) is arranged for. This can be electric heat off of your temporary power panel.
5. The most important thing to do is get a list of the required building inspections. Dependent on where you live in North America, ask your local building authority for a complete set of the required inspections. Keep this with you at all times. Missing one can lead to an exceptional high cost fix.
6. Demolition and excavation
Construction truly starts at this step as work is being performed and your lot will be altered.
If you are building an infill (with an existing home on the lot), you may have to apply for a demolition permit. This will be filled out and approved by the authority having jurisdiction before the old house is removed. In some jurisdictions, a demolition permit can be included in your building and development permits. Make sure you read through your permits and ask a building officer. Furthermore, some areas require that you test for asbestos before commencing with the demolition.
Once you are in the clear to build your own home, hire a demolition contractor to remove the existing house. This step takes between 1 to 3 days dependent on the size of the property and the material on it.
Lastly, if you had to do the demolition or not, call the survey company back in to stake out the corners of the footing and foundation walls. This will tell the demolition contractor where to excavate and how deep to make the hole. Furthermore, it will tell your plumber or service contractor where to run the underground utilities (such as sewer and water) into the home. In the end, excavation will require 1 to 4 days.
7. Pouring concrete footings and foundations, and maybe the slab
Once the excavation is complete and the underground services are in the house (easier this way), it is time to get ready for the footings and foundations. At this point in the building your own home guide, things will start to get serious in terms of labor and cost. It will also feel like you are finally building a house. All the preparation work is complete and a home will take shape.
In some places in North America, the excavation contractor will also crib the footings and foundations. Usually, you will have to hire a cribbing contractor or foundation specialist to complete this step. They will inspect the excavation, bring their own forms and pour the concrete in. They can manage this step on their own.
The cribbers may ask you if you are calling for the concrete yourself. Ultimately, this simply means that if are hiring a concrete company yourself to pour it into their forms. Most foundation specialists can use their own subcontractors. If you use theirs, make sure you compare the price of concrete you can get to the cribbers. Overall, you will Calculate how much you need in cubic feet or meters to fill their forms. If it is similar to the foundation contractor, get them to call it in and save the headache.
Note: Concrete is expensive, so with best judgement, this is the point of no return.
What to expect:
1. The excavation is complete for the footings and foundation.
2. Either the inspector comes now or after to check the dimensions of the footing forms or finished footings. The foundation contractor will forms up the footings and pour.
3. They will wait a few days until the footings are cured before starting the foundation.
4. Once the footings are striped from their forms and inspection passed, the foundations are formed and poured. While the cribbing takes place, it is a good time to get the underground utilities through the footings. They can be sleeved if going through the concrete or pass right under.
Foundations rest on top of the footings and are primarily concrete. They can also be made from cinderblocks or from insulated concrete forms.
5. The foundation wall is complete and the forms are stripped by the cribbing contractor. The exterior wall of the foundation will now need to be waterproofed up to (or slightly below) finished grade. The foundation specialist may perform this step or you may have to hire a weeping tile and drainage contractor. If this is the case, they will snap the snap ties off of the foundation wall, tar the holes, and either roll on a waterproofing membrane or an actual drainage mat. Overall, this will be along the foundation perimeter and direct water to the weeping tile. The weeping tile rests beside the footing, and will route water to a sump pit or to a storm sewer. The weeping tile is beneath the gravel in the picture below (resting beside the footing).
6. If applicable, you can run storm lines underground for your downspouts to tie into. This is the black ABS piping in the picture below.
Note: If you live in a relatively warm and dry climate, you have the option to pour the concrete slab at this time. The concrete slab is either in basement or on the main floor. If you live in a cold and wet environment, wait until the roof is complete to proceed with this step.
In order to be prepared for pouring the slab, you will need to:
1. Make sure the plumbers and electricians have roughed in pipes for bathrooms, main services, and other utilities that come through the floor. If you have in-floor radiant heating, now is the time to install the piping.
2. Check to see if your local authority has any requirements for radon testing. You may need to rough in a perforated pipe connected to an inspection terminal which penetrates the slab.
3. Once everything is installed under the slab, it is time to install a minimum of 4 inches of gravel (check your approved architectural plans). Furthermore, you should install a plastic vapour barrier which is sealed above the footing (with acoustic sealant) and place re-bar for concrete reinforcement.
Now, you can order the concrete (based on the cubic feet or meters required to give a minimum of 4 inches thick across the slab) and pour the slab. If you have a concrete garage floor, repeat the previous steps above. Check to see if your concrete contractor can provide you with their pricing as well.
Note: It is important to give your slab 5 days to properly cure and your footing and foundation 2 weeks before continuing building your own home.
8. Order framing package, windows, and start framing
Before the footings, foundation, and slab are complete, make sure you have a framing company lined up and scheduled in to build your house. At this time, you should send your architectural house plans to lumber suppliers to provide quotes for the wood. The framing package along with the framers is typically the greatest cost in a home build. The architectural house plans must be sent to window companies for quoting at this time. You will want windows ordered and on site when the framers show up. They typically install all of the windows.
Dependent on where you live, the lumber company can provide you with the material for trusses, joists, and decks if applicable. Furthermore, your jurisdiction may require engineered drawings of the trusses, joists and beams. These companies should provide you with these as well.
Now, with the concrete work done, you will see your house take shape. The framing contractors will arrive once the lumber shows up to begin installing the floor. They will move up from walls to ceilings, install the secondary stories and finish off with exterior sheathing and roof. Overall, this step range in time from 2 to 4 weeks. The steps to frame a house out of wood are as follows.
Framing:
1. The lumber is ordered and on site.
2. The framers begins by capping the main floor. They anchor the main floor to the top of the foundation.
3. Next comes the house walls, ceilings, and then the roof. Once this is complete, it is said that the skeleton of the home is finished. Rough openings are framed in the walls and ceilings for doors, windows and skylights. It is the general contractors responsibility to provide the framers with these measurements. If a fireplace is being installed, provide them with the rough in guides.
4. The home will be sheathed with OSB or plywood. Furthermore, a waterproof wrap may be applied as well.
5. Lastly, the framer will either install the permanent stairs or install temporary ones. If you chose to get custom stairs, make sure you let the framing contractor know.
Note: It is very important to ask the plumbing, HVAC, and electrical contractor if they need anything done by the framer. An extra large pipe chase may be required for example to accommodate ducts and piping.
9. Install the roof and the siding
With the framing complete, the roofing and siding company can start their work. Having them commence right away will make sure that rain and water won’t damage the internal parts of the home. It will prevent dampness on the wood and mitigate the chance for mould on non pressure treated wood. The plumbers, electricians, and HVAC companies can start at this point as well (10).
Dependent on the type of siding and roofing material you pick, make sure you know the positives and negatives of each. Furthermore, the cost of the material and labor varies. Pick a product that fits your budget while aesthetically improves the curb appeal of your home. The above links highlight the positives and negatives of the most common material.
Note: With different roofing and siding products, the preparation, cost, and installation vary. Make sure the contractors provide 10 year warranty and will installing the appropriate flashings on the exterior. Overall, have to look to make sure flashings are on the roof, above doors and around windows.
Finally, if you require stone on the exterior or have a brick fireplace, hire a mason to complete this work before other siding takes place.
10. Start to rough in plumbing, electrical, and HVAC
When building a new home on your own, you will have to pick out the plumbing and electrical fixtures. Normally, the home owner decides on a the items and gets the general contractor to forward them along to the plumbing and electrical contractor. However, since you are building your own home, you must decide on the fixtures yourself and forward the specifications to the trades. You will need to drop off the rough in items (such as fibreglass tubs and showers) for installation. It is important to decide at this step if you want to rough in an air-conditioner and decide on tiled or fibreglass showers.
Plumbing:
Plumbing and fixtures cost roughly the same as the framing and lumber. Both are the largest costs in a home build. This is because boilers, hot water tanks, furnaces, drainage pipe, water lines, and in floor heat contribute to the high cost. Furthermore, a plumber will be required throughout the entire build. Ultimately, this adds labor. Below are the three main times the contractor comes to the house.
1. Plumbers install the sewer, water, and storm before the foundation is cribbed.
2. They rough-in the drainage piping, water lines, and install fixtures after the house is framed. These fixtures include fibreglass showers and bathtubs.
3. Plumbers install the final fixtures after tile, countertops and finished carpentry is in. These include toilets, sinks, and some appliances. The mechanical room is usually finished at this time.
At the same time as the rough-in plumbing proceeds, electrical and HVAC installation can start. Electrical costs should be significantly lower than the plumbing. However, it is important to note that this cost is dependent on the lighting you pick. Furthermore, as the rough-in plumbing, electrical and HVAC is considered the guts of a house, it is important to note that you shouldn’t be afraid of the highest quote. A professional and highly reputable company can potentially save you from headache and trouble in the future.
Electrical and HVAC
1. Electricians bring the electrical service into the house. It can also come in from the outside later down the road. This would be an above grade penetration.
2. Electrical and HVAC rough-in progresses by pulling wire for lights, switches, internet, phone and sound. The wires stem from the electrical panels’ location. The HVAC contractor hired to install heating and airflow ducts through the house at this time. He installs the furnace (or heating unit) and can rough in for an air conditioner. The ducts will branch from the mechanical room and run throughout the home. This is done after the framing is complete.
3. Both contractors come back to install the final cover plates, supply and return duct covers/grills and the light fixtures. The equipment for the entire home will be operational at this point.
Note: Remember to follow the local jurisdiction inspection sheet that lists the required inspections. There is a rough in plumbing, electrical, and HVAC inspection that needs to be completed by the local authority.
The HVAC, electrical, and plumbing rough in should take 2 to 3 weeks.
11. Insulation then drywall
Insulation:
As a do it yourself home builder, this is a good time for you to save on some labor costs. If time permits, you should take this easy opportunity to insulate the house. This can be done by buying batts of fibreglass (pink) insulation and filling the exterior wall spaces, the rim joists and the attic. You may have to add an air/vapour barrier by putting plastic sheets on the inside of exterior walls. It is stapled on, and acoustic sealed along the seam. Furthermore, if you want to increase the insulation value of your home for energy efficient reasons, I highly recommend hiring a spray foam insulation company to complete this step for you. This will eliminate the need for installing a vapour barrier as well. Spray foam insulation is roughly double the cost of batt installed fibreglass. Lastly, insulating is done after the rough in’s are complete and the inspections are passed.
Note: Determine if you want to fireproof and soundproof your home at this step. If you decide to, ROXUL insulation (green mineral wool) will be placed in the floor joists and interior walls. An insulation inspection is sometimes done at this point.
Note: Adding ROXUL to fireproof your interior walls and floor space can lower the cost of house insurace. Check with your insurance provider if this is the case.
Drywall:
The costs of drywall can vary considerably. This is dependent on the level of finish (4 or 5 typically) you choose, if rounded corners are added into the build, and if you create coffered ceilings. Therefore, make sure you get quotes from a few companies. Drywalling is probably the third biggest cost in a home build.
Next, it is important to read reviews and ask other builders for companies they recommend. As a person who is following the steps to build a house, remember that you will be surrounded by their finished product at all times. Take the time when building your own home to make sure the drywall contractor is reputable.
1. The drywall contractor comes to the home and unloads the drywall throughout the house. Make sure it is spread out so it does not warp any of the joists.
2. Drywall is installed on the walls and ceilings. Walls that get tiled can also be drywalled. If there is a tiled shower, make sure the drywall is water resistant.
3. The contractor begins taping and mudding. They will do 2 to 4 coats with sanding in between. This is dependent on the level of finish you choose. I recommend that there should be 3 coats at a minimum.
4. Lastly, after the taping and mudding is complete, the painter will begin. Drywalling with taping and mudding can take 2 to 3 weeks.
12. Painting
Once the drywall is complete when building a home, you can begin painting. The first step is for the painter is to prime the interior walls and ceilings. This is done with spraying equipment and will happen in a day. You should make sure at this point to get the painting contractor to check the drywall joints. If there are some rough patches, they will sand it down or get the tapers to come back and fix the issue. Overall, this is a very important to do.
After the priming is complete, the finished carpenter will come for the first time. This contractor will install trim mouldings, casings, crows, and other finishes (such as shiplap walls) before the painter comes back. Closets and bathroom shelving made from MDF needs to be done at this point. Overall, the finished carpenter will wait to install the doors, baseboards, and finishing trim until the painter is complete. Finally, the doors and baseboards should be left on site to be painted.
Dependent on your painter, you may be able to start installing cabinets and counters at this time. It is a good idea to coordinate with the carpenter, painter, and the cabinet contractor to determine how you will complete these steps. This is how you can maximize time efficiency and lower holding costs.
13. Cabinets, countertops and start of finished carpentry
As stated before, some of the finished carpentry work must start before painting is complete. The finished carpenter starts after priming. Cabinets and countertops in my opinion should start after the painting is 100 percent complete to avoid damage. As a guide to homebuilding, you have the option to choose either or. Here are the steps for finished carpentry, cabinets and countertops.
1. After the painter finishes his priming, the finished carpenter shows up on site. Once you determine the types of casings, crowns, and mouldings, you will have to get them to the property.
2. The finished carpenter at this time will install the crowns, door and window casings. Furthermore, trims, headers and decorative features will be installed as well. The finished carpenter will leave the baseboards and the doors on site to be painted. If shelving or closets are made out of MDF, these must be completed by the carpenter.
3. The painter finishes the painting.
4. Cabinets and countertops should be installed at this point.
5. Next, the finished carpenter comes back to install the baseboards, hang doors and put on the finishing trim. Finishing trim such as shower bars, towel rods, and robe hooks can wait until the tile is complete.
The finished carpenter will take 1 to 2 weeks for the initial installation. Lastly, the final will take roughly 1 week.
Cabinets and Countertops; the final stairs can be installed as well.
The cabinets and countertop should be ordered before the finished carpenter begins. The kitchen and bathroom cabinets are made from specialty cabinet companies and may cut the countertops as well. Furthermore, some finished carpenters can make the cabinets themselves. Regardless, it is important to note that the cost of this step can vary significantly. For example, real wood cabinets compared to melamine can easily be double the cost. Granite and quartz counters compared to laminated material can cost upwards of 5 times the cost. Do your homework at this step by making sure that you stay within your budget.
Lastly, if you have finished stairs specifically ordered, they should be installed before the flooring comes in.
14. Install Tile
As a step by step guide to building your own house in North America, the chronological order of the previous steps should be followed for maximum efficiency. At this point, tile and flooring can happen simultaneously in any order. The flooring could be tile or there may be no tile at all. Regardless, tile will most probably take place in bathrooms, walk in showers, feature walls, back splashes in kitchens and around sinks. It can also be used for the floor. The timeframe for tiling a house can drastically vary. It’s completely dependent on how much tile you choose to do.
Here are the general steps for tiling a home.
1. The tile arrives on site. It should be spread out around the home as it is very heavy and can alter the joists.
2. Next, the tiling contractor waterproofs tiled showers by either rolling on a tar like compound or using a membrane.
3. If the floor is being tiled, get the finished carpenter to install a subfloor. This will prevent the tile from cracking later down the road.
4. The contractor starts installing the actual tile throughout the house. They put down mortar, place the tile, and let it dry. They will do the backsplash at this time.
5. After the tile is complete and the mortar has hardened, they will wash the excess mortar and install the grout. The grout will be between each tile and the color is chosen by the homeowner (like the tile).
6. The tiling company comes back to clean off excess grout and puts a waterproof sealant on the floors.
15. Flooring
With the interior of your home close to completion, there are a few tasks that still need to be done. One of this is the flooring.
If you haven’t installed tile throughout your entire house, you can now choose your flooring material. The most common types of flooring material ranging from lowest to highest cost is; Carpet, linoleum, laminate, vinyl, and hardwood. Dependent on which material you choose, the installation process will vary. Regardless, you should clean the subfloor before the subcontractor begins and make sure they level it out.
If you have time on your hands and are relatively handy, this is good place to save on labor costs by doing it yourself.
16. Finished plumbing fixtures and electrical/lighting
Once again, the plumbers and electricians come for the final time. They install lights, switch plates, plumbing fixtures and other miscellaneous items. Get both to come at the same time to maximize efficiency and lower costs. Furthermore, call the HVAC contractor to come install grill covers, thermostats and hook up HRV’s and heat sources. Humidifiers can be installed at this point.
Basically, everything that is unfinished in your home (other than appliances) will be completed now.
This step should take 1 week.
17. Appliances
After following this step by step guide for how to build a house on your own, you have finally arrived at the end of the interior work. Lastly, you will wrap up the inside by installing the appliances. This can be done by the homeowner, the plumber or the electrician.
Note: Appliances should be ordered before drywalling begins. You should give the specifications of each appliance to the plumber, electrician, and HVAC contractor at the time of rough-in. Ultimately, this will make sure nothing gets missed. Don’t forget about the gas fireplaces as well.
Once the appliances are in you are ready for the final clean of the home. You can do it yourself or hire a cleaning contractor. This step is a ton of work, but can be minimized with a constant site cleaning throughout the build.
Expect the install of the appliances and site cleaning to take 1 week.
18. Landscaping and Driveways
Once the appliances are in and the interior is finished, you are ready to landscape and finish the driveway. You can do the landscaping yourself or hire a contractor to do the work. It is important to remember that by spending the money to get your yard professionally designed, you can drastically increase the value of your home by increasing the curb appeal. Furthermore, you will also get a greater sense of satisfaction when living in your home day to day. You can read this article if would like more information when it comes to landscaping your house.
At the same time, you will hire a finished concrete company to form and pour the driveway. If you have custom steps or porches, complete these at this time. The 3 most common types of concrete to choose from are:
1. Standard concrete (least expensive)
2. Exposed aggregate (second)
3. Stamped (most expensive)
Dependent on your budget, these are the three most common types of concrete used for driveways, steps and porches.
Note: Front and back steps along with porches can be precast at a facility (at the time of framing) or poured in place.
The finished concrete company will prep the area, form up the driveway, and pour the concrete.
Note: Don’t forget to sleeve underneath the driveway (with a pipe). You may want to add landscaping lighting and an irrigation system later down the road.
Final to do list for home building
With the interior and exterior of the new home finally complete, it is safe to say that you have learnt to build your own home. The first house you build is always the most challenging. Most people at this time will be working multiple jobs, have to find their own financing and deal with new trades for the first time. Before the house is completely wrapped up, you will have to:
1. Remove the dumpster and potable toilet off the site
2. Call for final inspections. This will also include a final building inspection which grants occupancy for house. Review the inspection list you have noted.
3. If the house is for yourself, you are done. Make sure you have no outstanding items to do with your jurisdiction and all the trades are paid appropriately. If you have financed the build through a lender, make sure they receive copies of the building occupancy. You can now get a mortgage.
4. If the house is built for a client, friend or family member, make sure you walk them through the home and explain how everything works. Ultimately, you want to make sure that they are satisfied with the job. You have completed the steps for building your own home. This is how to build a house yourself.
Step by step guide to build your own home
This free guide is a detailed summary for building a house from scratch. It explains the entire process in chronological order from purchasing the land to acquiring final occupancy of the home. It goes over the rough costs of the different subcontractors, what to expect at each stage and when you should order material to maximize efficiency. Furthermore it tells the home builder what should be expected and gives insight for the simpler tasks that can be performed by the general contractor.
Overall, the way each individual chooses how to build a house in North America varies drastically. This is dependent on their finances, how they attain their lot, will they do work themselves and how much time they have on their hands.
If you have any questions, feel free to ask us at Macarthur Custom Homes or email me directly at braden@poetryhomes.com and I will be happy to help. I hope you learnt from this guide – how to build house, or can follow along with your home builder to make the journey more enjoyable. If you need help finding a lot, take a look at this website for homes in Edmonton.
