It’s important to understand what goes into planning, designing, and building a custom home before you start the process. Without a clear understanding of the complexities of the process, you risk disappointment when things don’t work the way you think. 

If you’re looking to build a home from a standardized, or mass produced blueprint, your home could be completed sooner, but without any customizations. 

A fully custom home usually takes between 10 and 16 months to complete because it involves a lot more attention to detail, problem solving, decision making, creativity, and one-off pricing.

In this blog, we break down the typical pre-construction and construction timelines, explain the key factors that can speed up or slow down your project, and share tips for planning ahead so your home is move-in ready right when you need it.

First Things First: Find a Home Builder

Before you can find the right lot or piece of property, design your home, and move your furniture in…you have to find the right home builder for the job.  If you’re building a custom home, make sure you’re searching for a custom home builder that you trust and get along with.

If you’re building a custom home in the Evansville, Indiana area, Custom Homes by Modern Structure has you covered! We are a custom home building company with a keen focus on modern materials, design, and attention to detail. We’re here to help you with everything: from land acquisition, to budgeting, to home design, to selecting the right finishes. 

Pre-construction Phase:

When future homeowners picture building their dream home, they often focus on the construction itself. But before the foundation is poured or the framing begins, an essential pre-construction and planning phase has to take place. This can take several months to go through this process and even longer if you are not prepared and focused. We deem this as the most important phase – we strive to make sure Your Custom Home Build is properly thought & planned out prior to the construction phase. 

The pre-construction phase includes:

• Getting financing
• Securing a lot or piece of land
• Designing the home’s floorplan 
• Establishing the constructability of your home
• Selecting finishes, lighting, flooring, paint, cabinetry, etc.  
• Finalize costs / pricing for construction 
• Finalizing contracts
• Getting building permits

Lot Preparation

After the pre-construction phase is completed, and your builder has all necessary permits in hand, land prep can begin. Land prep involves clearing trees, grading the land, potentially soil testing, and installing utilities as needed.

Foundation

Once the land is prepped, the foundation can be poured or the basement can be dug. Before moving on to the next step, local building officials will likely need to come out for several inspections.

Framing the Home

This is where things start to take shape! Framing materials are delivered to the site, then walls are erected, roof trusses installed and support beams are put in place. Then windows, doors can be installed.

Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing

Once the home is framed, the mechanical systems can be installed. This includes HVAC, Plumbing, and Electrical (all the things that keep you comfortable year-round!) 

Interior Design Elements and Fixtures

This is where things get really exciting!

This step can take anywhere between 4 and 6 months to complete. This is where all of the finishes you have chosen in the pre-construction phase come to life. 

Your insulation & drywall will be installed, then painting will start. Your floors will be laid and cabinetry installed in bathrooms, kitchen, and the laundry room. Then, sinks, light fixtures, appliances are put into place. 

Exterior Finishes and Landscaping

Now we can put the final touches on the exterior of your home. This is where exterior concrete or hard surfaces are installed, landscaping is completed, exterior lighting installed, roofing drainage finalized, and then The Curb Appeal Shines!

Final Inspections

At this point, there are likely to be a few local building authorities we will call to come out for a final site visit. They’ll sign off on the project and Issue a Certificate of Occupancy.

Move-In Time

Once everything is approved, you’ll get the chance to walk through the home for a final inspection. For Instance – If you see any little marks in the drywall or slightly crooked mirror installations, we will address & correct these items in what is called a Punch-List. 

Once the punch-list is completed, and you have your official approval to move in, you’ll get the keys to your brand new custom home!

Factors That Can Affect Your Construction Timeline

Each phase of planning and construction is given a time frame to account for potential delays. And because all of these factors could potentially affect your build, we suggest planning your build well in advance. For Example –  If you’re looking to start building your custom home in the Spring you should start the Pre-Construction Process in the late fall / early winter, to give you and the Custom Builder plenty of time to prepare and plan. 

These delays can come from:

• Weather – excessive rain, ice, snow, and extreme heat can cause delays
• Supply issues  – building material shortages / shipping damages can make an impact 
• Slow decision making – if you get hung up on a design decision, this could push the whole timeline back
• Change orders – changes requested during construction will affect the process with time & costs
• Inspections – sometimes we have to wait longer than intended for an inspection or unexpected issues are found during an inspection 
• Not having a clear budget – not having a clear budget means you may make decisions that are out of budget, causing us to go back and start over.

Are You Ready to Build a New Home in the Evansville Area?

Custom Homes by Modern Structure is an Evansville, Indiana based home builder specializing in modern / one-off floor plans, multifunctional amenities, energy efficiency and sustainable living. 

If you’re ready to start the process of building your dream home, give us a call to schedule a consultation. Our building consultations are designed to walk you through the entire building process, and answer any questions you have. 

To schedule your free building consultation, fill out this simple form or call us at 812-306-8438.