The construction of a new house begins long before the foundation gets built. However, creating a new home may be exciting and productive if you make a thorough strategy and hire a reputable constructor.
A house requires meticulous planning on all fronts, from the budget to the lot selection to the finishing touches.
Putting together a capable construction crew to build the house is a step that is even more important than designing the house, so you must take your time and do it right. Continue reading if you want to learn how to build a house because we will go into much greater detail below about what you need to know and do before building a house.
1. Begin With The Budget For Your New House
The estimated $300,000 average cost of building a house excludes the land cost. Given the broad spectrum of contemporary housing trends, from recycled shipping containers to self-sustaining residences, sophisticated smart buildings to opulent tubs, it’s not unexpected that the cost of freshly built homes can range from $30,000 to several million dollars.
The price of your ideal home will vary depending on various factors, including your particular preferences, the cost of labor in the area, and the availability of building supplies. We advise that at least 15% of the total budget be set aside as a contingency in case additional expenditures or upgrades arise throughout the construction process.
How Much Does Property Cost?
The average value of farm estates in the United States in 2022 was $3,800 per acre, an increase of $420 from the previous year (2021) and a 12.4 percent increase over the last year’s value. Compared to designing a custom-built mansion, the costs of purchasing a mobile home, hooking up a camper, or installing a pre-fab home on a plot with existing utilities are predictable.
2. Find And Buy The Property
Consider some possible locations for your new home. Do you long for country life with plenty of room to roam? Do you want to collaborate with a builder to construct a home in a brand-new neighborhood? Is it possible to get water, sewage, and electricity from the land?
Unfortunately, you can’t just buy any old vacant lot; it has to meet the requirements of the local zoning laws. However, these types of zoning delineations are pretty standard:
Residential areas are zones that are set aside expressly for single-family homes.
Commercial areas are for commercial enterprises such as restaurants and retail shops.
Industrial refers to areas that have been set aside for manufacturing.
Rural areas that have been set aside for agricultural use
Historical areas are locations that have been set aside for the protection of historically important buildings or landmarks.
Environmental areas are zones that have been set aside for the preservation of natural habitats.
3. Get The Permits You Need To Start Building A House
Your contractor will contact the local government agency in charge of building permits to get the ball rolling on your construction project. They will understand the permits required and may have a rapport with the relevant authorities, allowing them to breeze through the application process.
However, no construction work should ever begin without obtaining all necessary permits. If the city discovers that you are building without a permit, they may give you a big fine, order you to stop building until the permits are obtained, or even demand you to tear down any work you have already completed.
If money is an issue, you could apply for the permits yourself; however, this would make you the building contractor (in the eyes of the city), and you would be liable for any complications that might arise during the construction process or inspections.
4. Choose The Right Contractor To Build A House
Hiring the right contractor ensures that the finished building is what you imagined and is completed within budget and on time. However, you should not hire a contractor if there is any possibility that they will fail to deliver the results you require with minimal effort on your part. Instead, look for a collaborator with whom you can have discussions and brainstorming sessions.
Personal recommendations, like when looking for any other type of service provider, are one of the best ways to find reliable contractors. Talk to people who have previously hired contractors or are currently working with independent contractors to get their opinions.
Begin by making some preliminary phone calls. It would help if you questioned them more about their procedure and philosophy. Do they appear friendly, approachable, and willing to talk? Or they could try to persuade you that they are the best option by listing all of their strengths. This way, you can find out if they are suitable for the job.
It is not enough to be a skilled contractor; you must also be the right contractor for the job. Determine whether they use subcontractors and, if so, how long they have worked with them, how many projects they are working on, and their primary area of expertise.
Finding a trustworthy contractor will require some legwork on your part, but in the end, the effort will be well worth it. The recommendations above can be an excellent starting point for finding the right contractor for your upcoming project.
5. Decide What Kind Of House To Build
You can choose from three kinds of houses to build: speculatively built homes, mass-produced houses, and unique residences.
Speculative Built Houses
Spec homes are detached houses built in a new housing development before a buyer is found for the property. If you make an offer on a spec house before it is finished, you may be able to customize the flooring, paint, kitchen appliances, and other finishes.
Tract Built Houses
Creating tract housing entails a developer purchasing a large plot of land and subdividing it into smaller lots. Then, they will begin building houses per the community’s predetermined architectural guidelines. Depending on the developer’s intentions, homes in a tract may be single-family detached houses, condominiums, or townhouses.
Custom-Built Houses
A custom home is one in which the buyer purchases the land on which the house will be built and then enters into a contract with a builder to have the house built to the buyer’s specifications.
Before settling on a house design, it is in your long-term interest to learn as much as you can about the options available. For example, the total number of bedrooms and bathrooms, the number of floors, and the presence or absence of an open floor plan should all be considered.
6. Get The Building Site Ready And Start The Foundation
A professional land-clearing crew will remove all of the junk, plants, trees, brush, and rocks that are in the way of the construction. If there are a bunch of trees that require removal, you can sell them to a commercial logging company to be used for other purposes, such as lumber production. When the clearing crew is finished, they will level the land and fill in any holes.
The crew will then use wooden stakes to mark the location of the foundation pour. Next, the land will get graded so that the area around the house and driveway is flat. If slopes or hills exist, the ground will get leveled to accommodate the house and driveway. Footings, typically made of concrete or brick masonry and used with shallow foundations, can distribute the weight of vertical loads to the soil.
A footing’s typical depth is one foot below the frost line(the typical depth at which the soil freezes in your climate), making it wider than the actual foundation. The foundation can be a slab, a crawlspace, or a full basement once the footings are in place.
Curing is what it gets called when the concrete hardens to its full strength. That can take up to 60 days, but construction can resume in as little as a few weeks if the weather cooperates. Next, backfilling the trenches around the foundation will be done with the excavated dirt.
7. Build the Exterior Of The House
Framing can begin after the project has been inspected and passed. As you look at this, the house will begin to take shape before your eyes. The framing crew is in charge of assembling the building’s framework, which includes the studs, joists, and beams. This procedure may take one to two weeks to complete.
As you lay out the wall lines, begin by marking your bottom plate (also known as the rat sill) to attach to anchor bolts on the floor. As you work, note the sills of the doorways, window openings, and interior wall corners. If you want to meet storm and earthquake resistance building codes, you must use special metal connectors/straps on the floor and tops of the walls.
Use tees at corner walls and heavy headers at load-bearing wall openings, and leave enough room for installation at all rough openings. Sheathing should be put up if needed. All exterior wall corners may also be reinforced with diagonal sheet metal straps.
All studs (vertical framing members, typically 2″ x 4″ (5 cm x 10 cm) nominal lumber, graded standard or better) must be nailed to the wall line, straight and square. Stick framing entails measuring, cutting, and installing your rafters and ceiling joists (especially if you want a usable attic space).
Installing Roof Trusses
A truss is a type of structural framing system used to support roofs. They frequently get found in homes, barns, and other rural structures. Some trusses are intended for steeply sloping roofs and dormers, while others are more appropriate for flat or traditional roofs. Choose a solution that complements the aesthetics and needs of your household.
Adding The Final Touches On The Exterior
Installing a moisture barrier on your roof before it is finished can help to ensure that the weather does not impede your progress. First, fasten 15, or 30-pound roofing felt tar paper, and use simplex nails, roofing tacks, or plastic-capped felting tacks. Then, starting at the bottom and allowing it to hang over slightly, felt the decking; subsequent layers should overlap to prevent water from seeping under this water-proofing.
Install the exterior siding, including windows and doors. Water-proofing the edges and gables usually necessitates a metal flashing, but caulking may be sufficient in some cases if allowed and used properly.
Roofing materials include shingles, terra cotta tiles, painted metal panels, and rolled steel formed on-site to precise lengths. If you are building the house in a hot climate, you may consider installing ridge vents, attic exhaust fans, and vented dormers to improve your home’s comfort and lower cooling costs.
8. Install Plumbing, Electrical Wires/Panels, And Insulation
After finishing the exterior, you can install a water supply line, drains, and vents. If local regulations require pressure testing, it can be done after the walls get completed. Pipes will be installed in the kitchen, bathrooms, and laundry room by a plumber. In addition, new plumbing, ductwork, and a bath will get installed.
Install heating, ventilation, air conditioning ductwork, air handlers, and refrigerant lines. Small ductwork sections should be cut out for the supply and return registers. If the ductwork isn’t already insulated, it should be, and the joints should get sealed. Don’t let your ductwork shift; keep it flush by fastening it as needed.
Once the groundwork is laid, and the first stages of construction are finished, such as the basic plumbing and electrical work, inspections can begin. The inspector will look around for any signs of water damage and ensure that the drains, sewage, and vent pipes can handle the required airflow. Heating, ventilation, air conditioning, lighting, electrical outlets, exterior wiring, and the circuit breaker all work correctly.
Put insulation in walls that need it. Warmer climates require much less insulation in the walls than colder areas, so it is essential to get climate-specific guidelines for this kind of work. Put insulation in the voids between the ceiling joists and the walls.
Once you have finished all the exterior and finished the plumbing, electrical work, and insulation, then all that is left to do is the interior.
Which Is Cheaper, Buying A House Or Building One?
Buying a house is usually less costly than building one. Building a house costs $34,000 on average more than buying one already made. The median price of a freshly constructed home in May 2022 was $449,000, while as of February, the national average for building a house was $282,299
When Is The Best Season To Build A House?
Although spring is the best time to begin construction, the offseasons of fall and winter are when you can find the best deals on building supplies and labor.
How Long Will It Take To Build A House By Yourself?
DIY home renovations are an option for homeowners with the necessary skills and equipment. However, only those with the required knowledge, experience, and availability should attempt this. The average construction time for homes built from the ground up by their owners is 12 months.
Conclusion
If you plan everything out carefully and work with a builder who has a good reputation, the process of building a new house can be exciting and fruitful. Building a house requires careful planning on every front, from the financial side to the choice of the lot to the interior and exterior details. The next step, even more, important than designing the house itself, is to put together a competent construction crew to build the house.