Building a New Home- Part 2, Construction

After completing all of the paperwork, design selections and deposits (see Building a New Home- Part 1), it's time for the really exciting part to start- the construction of your brand new home!

PACKAGE & PERMIT
First, your builder will be doing all of the "behind the scenes" work, like creating a construction package which includes purchase orders for everything that will go in your new home. A superintendent will be  in charge of coordinating with all of the trade partners such as concrete, flooring, cabinetry, framing etc. This is the person who will keep your home on track throughout the construction process. Your builder will also apply for a city building permit. Depending on the city and the builder, these preliminary steps can take several weeks to a month or more. Then its time for the real building to start.

FOUNDATION

Using the approved plot plan, your superintendent will stake out the corners of the home on the property and provide instruction to the excavator on the depth of the hole. The depth of the hole is approximately 60" below the top of the curb for homes with a 30' setback, more for homes closer to the curb. After excavation (digging), a concrete company will pour your footing and foundation. Damp proofing will be applied to the foundation and then dirt will be filled in around the foundation. The fill dirt should be well compacted either by a settle-soaking method or using compaction machinery. The concrete company will also pour your basement and garage slabs in preparation for framing.

FRAMING
Perhaps the most exciting time during construction is the framing stage, where the entire shape of the house takes form. It can seem like the house is built "overnight" but complete framing usually takes 7-10 business days.

4-WAY
Immediately following framing, the rough-in heating, plumbing and electrical work are completed. An important city inspection, known as the 4-way inspection, signals the end of this phase and the OK to proceed to insulation and drywall. Your builder may also do a 4-way or Pre-drywall inspection with you to review with you the progress of your home prior to the installation of the drywall. The inspection is a good opportunity to gain a better understanding of how your house is built.

DRYWALL & PAINT

Once 4-way Inspections are complete, insulation will be installed and the drywall is hung followed by several coats of taping, mudding and texturing. Following drywall, the interior doors are hung and finish carpentry is started. Certain areas of the floor will not have baseboards installed at this time. Areas where there will be vinyl or other hard surface flooring will have baseboards installed after the flooring to insure a tight fit.

Preliminary painting will be completed next. Depending on your builder, trim may be painted a different color than your walls for a two-tone effect. When painting is completed, there may still be areas that will require further touch-up. During the next phases of construction, walls will be bumped, scratched and marked as other contractors work on the home. Don't worry! The painter will return and touch-up all needed areas before closing.

EXTERIOR FINISHES
Completion of the exterior of your home will move forward independent of work being done on the inside and may be subject to weather conditions. Exterior work on your home will typically include brown coating and stucco, brick or stone installation, fascia/soffit/raingutter installation, site concrete such as sidewalks and driveways and decks or landings.

INTERIOR FINISHES

After the painting is completed, things seem to go rather quickly, and you know it's time to start packing your bags to get ready to move. Typically, you can expect a closing date within about 4-6 weeks of painting completion. This is an exciting time because you get to see all of your personal selections installed as your house really starts to look like a home! Depending on what you chose for your home, interior finishes will include; vinyl, tile, hardwood or other hard surface flooring, cabinet installation, countertop installation, plumbing fixtures set, fireplace mantle set, electrical wiring completed and lighting installed, mirrors and other bathroom hardware installed, door knobs installed and doors hung, carpet installation and a construction clean to get rid of debris.

FINAL INSPECTION
Your home will go through many final inspections including a city inspection, a company inspection by your builder and a New Home Orientation, which is your opportunity to walk through the home with the builder's representative. At your New Home Orientation you should have the opportunity to become familiar with the operation of many features and appliances in your home. Brief instructions for caring for your new home should be shared by the builder's expert representative. Also, any questions or concerns regarding construction of the home should be resolved.

Congratulations! Your new home is now complete! Look for our upcoming article on the final steps of Building a New Home, including preparing to move, closing, moving-in, and your new home warranty. For more questions on the building process, see McArthur Homes' home owner guide by clicking here.

Please feel free to share this article with anyone you know who may be building a new home now or in the future. Thanks!