How Long Does A New House Take To Build – By Type Of House

At some point during the exhausting search for a new house, have you ever stopped and thought about having one built instead? The main things holding you back from this may be thinking about how long it would take and how much planning it would be. There are certainly advantages and disadvantages to building a house instead of buying one. We have done a ton of research to help you decide if this might be the best course of action for your housing future!

The average time it takes for the entire process of building a new single-family home is around seven and a half months. Different types of homes also change the building time. Here are some different types of homes that can have varying lengths of time to build:

  1. Custom homes
  2. Log homes
  3. Modular homes
  4. Panelized homes
  5. Timber frame homes

There are many different types of homes and each of those has to be made for you. It's incredibly exciting to imagine the possibilities of building your dream home specifically for you! Before you run to your local contractor or lumber yard, there are a lot of things you might want to consider with building your own home. Make sure you keep reading below so you can learn the ins and outs of the process for each home type!

Professional engineer architect worker with protective helmet and blueprints paper at house building construction site, How Long Does A New House Take To Build - By Type Of House

How Long It Takes To Build Each Type Of House

So many things go into building a home that it might feel overwhelming at first. To build each type of house you have to get authorizations, permits, and then there's the construction time. This process doesn't even include the planning beforehand that decides what your dream house will look like! Planning can add three to six months to all types.

Each amount of time can also be changed by factors like location, weather, and the availability of supplies. For more information on building a home visit the census bureau's survey of construction

1. Custom Homes

Custom homes are considered the standard when choosing a house type. This category is for homes that are built on sight with a huge variety for what can be done with them. The average amount of time for this type is around nine months. This is if all parts of the process go perfectly. These types of homes also incorporate the landscape that they are being built on. Such as having huge windows facing the ocean and things like that. 

The average time frame for this home includes all of the processes except the planning and customizing. Getting the authorizations and permits takes around a month. Prepping the area for the home such as clearing trees and leveling the ground can take another month. The foundation takes roughly one month as well. The rough frame for the home will take around two months. completing the rest of the interior and exterior needs onto the home will take at least five months to complete. 

All of these build times have been under the assumption that a contractor and team are being used. If you decide to save some money and do the construction yourself, with your own team of people, then the build time will take longer. It can take closer to 13 months to finish and that's if everything goes well. This is due to having less experience for the process as a whole. 

2. Log Homes

On average the construction of a log home takes around 12 months. The majority of this time is spent prepping the building site and getting your materials. It can take two to six months to properly secure and prepare logs for the building. It can take up to another two months to prepare the area for construction. Most modern log homes do have foundations that can take around a month to pour. Constructing the home its self can take around another four months until completion. 

Like with custom homes deciding to do the job on your own will take longer. It can take closer to two years than one. This is especially true if you cut your own logs. Even after they are cut, they take a minimum of six months to dry out. Using wet logs will cause them to shrink eventually and seriously corrupt your home's structure. The added construction time is again due to a lack of experience in the entire process. 

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Interior of a rustic country home with wooden log walls, wooden panel ceilings, a huge window providing overview, and brown leather sofas

3. Modular Homes

Modular homes have the shortest build time of all types of homes. This is mainly due to the house being constructed off-site. This allows the home to be built while the land is being cleared and prepped. With this huge time-saving process, it only takes around four months to build these homes. Another reason for the greatly reduced time frame is due to the house being built indoors. This way weather isn't ever a factor. 

The timelines for some of the construction are similar to other housing types. The permits take about a month. Prepping the area for the house takes about a month and so does laying the foundation. It also takes about two months to construct the home in the warehouse. However, those processes all take place at the same time! Then it just takes another few weeks to take the house to its final location and assemble the build pieces on the foundation. 

Deciding to build the home on your own as opposed to a contractor is going to add significant time to the process. This is again because of the lack of experience. Another big factor depends on how big of a team you hire to help you your time may be doubled. This is because you might have to prep the sight, pour the foundation, and build the home. If this is the case, then you can't do those things simultaneously. 

4. Panelized Homes

Panelized homes have a lot of similarities to modular homes and are often lumped in with them. There are some key differences; however, that may make panelized homes a better option for you. They generally offer more customization and are built stronger than modular homes.

Panelized homes take around six months to finish. The permits and foundations both take around one month. Then the building of the panels along with the on-site construction can take five or more months. Again, some processing can take place simultaneously.

Choosing to do the construction process on your own may again cause a headache. Time will be added again on average due to a lack of experience with every step of the process. Also, just like with modular homes, you may find yourself having to do all parts of the process so you cannot do it simultaneously. 

5. Timber Frame Homes

Timber frame homes can take around nine months to build. The build time for these homes is comparable to a custom-built home. Gather all of the permits for this home will take you about a month. Clearing the area for it and laying the foundation can take one to two months of your time.

Generally, timber frame homes are built in sections at warehouses, similar to modular homes and panelized homes. It can take a while longer to build and construct these homes, though. To build the home, construct it, and finish all of the interior and exteriors, takes around six months. 

Unfortunately, the last type of home on our list is no different from the others when it comes to owner-built instead of contractor-built. It's going to take longer if you decide to the job cheaper and do it yourself. Even if you decide to only do part of the process on your own, like construct the home, it will still add time to the process. 

More Timeline Questions

Composite of a modern house during and after construction

All of the averages above are for average-sized homes. This does not mean that you can't build a bigger house. It just means that the amount of time it takes to construct that bigger home will most likely be affected. 

How Long Does It Take To Build A 2,800 Sq.Ft. House?

The average home is around 2,000 sq.ft., depending on your area, so anything more than that is going to add some time. For a 2,800 sq.ft. home, it will be around a minimum of eight months. This is, of course, if everything goes perfectly and there are no hiccups. It may be closer to 10 months or a year. 

How Long Does It Take To Build A 3,000 Sq.Ft. House?

For a 3,000 sqft home, the time frame will be a bit longer. It will be closer to 10 months to construct this size of a house. With bigger-sized buildings comes more possibility for problems to occur, which pushes back the timeline. 

How Long Does It Take To Build A 5,000 Sq.Ft. House?

A beautiful 5,000 sq.ft. home is going to take around 16 to 18 months to construct. Since these projects are quite a bit bigger than the rest, there's just that much more room for issues. All of this is also influences by the type of house you are opting to build. This is the time frame for a standard custom-built home of 5,000 sq.ft. 

How Long Does It Take To Build A Ranch Style House?

Ranch-style homes are very popular and fall under the construction type of custom homes. The difference between and ranch-style homes and others are that they are only one story and typically have a patio of some sort. Since they are custom-built homes, the construction time average is still around nine months. It, of course, depends on how big you want it to be as that will lengthen the time. 

More House Building Questions

Building your own home can get complicated very quickly. While it's possible to give very rough timelines for how long it takes, there and so many factors that can influence the process. These problems can range from the weather to the availability of building supplies and everything in between. That's why it's important to have as much information as possible before you start this huge project.

Where To Start If You Want To Build A House?

Before you ever start the clock on construction, there are some things that you should sit down and figure out. It may seem obvious, but the first place to start would be to figure out what you want. Sit down and sort through the priorities of everyone that will be living in the home. Figure out what everyone wants and needs from a new home and how many rooms it should have, things like that. Next, you need to come up with a budget by going through all aspects of a home build. 

Once those possibly complicated things are done, you can look at putting together a building team. This can include an architect, contractors, interior designers, and more! Once you have a team in mind, then they'll help you pick the land that's perfect for your new future home. After the land, you can sit down and come up with the designs and plans for the house. With the plans in hand, you are now ready to start the construction!

What Are The Stages Of Building A New House?

Professional engineer architect worker with protective helmet and blueprints paper at house building construction site, How Long Does A New House Take To Build - By Type Of House

Once construction begins, there are different stages in the process for a custom-built home. The first stage is going to be clearing and preparing the land for the build. Second, the foundation will be laid. Once the foundation is done then, you can put up the rough framing for the house. Next, the plumbing, HVAC, and electrical need to be installed. After that, the insulation can be put in.

Now you can start to see the house really take shape! The drywall can be put up, followed by all of the interior fixtures. After this, the exterior is installed along with the driveway. Then they go back inside and install the floorings and countertops. Next comes the bathroom and kitchen fixtures. The last step before the final walkthrough is to finish any flooring and well as small installations like mirrors and shower doors. 

What Season Is Best For House Construction?

Spring is objectively the best season to start construction. This way, you can hopefully complete all of the outdoor work while the weather is the most cooperative. Once the heat of the summer hits, you want to ideally be working on the home's interior.

Is It Cheaper To Buy Or Build?

According to most statistics, it is cheaper to buy a home when compared to building one. However, if you buy a home, then you lose out on the main advantage of building one in the first place. That is customization! If you build a home, you can make it be pretty much whatever you want. While it is cheaper, buying a home will tie your hands in a lot more ways creatively. 

Are New Builds A Good Investment? 

While costing more short term, building a new home can be a great investment. Since the home is so new, you are more likely to see a return on your investment. Buying an older home is only going to depreciate in value while you live in it more. This may also be true for a brand new home, but it will depreciate less. 

Final Thoughts

Deciding to build a home over buying one is a huge commitment. The time it takes that new home to be built can differ wildly depending on the type of home, where it's built, if you do it yourself, and a bunch of other external factors. It may be perfect for you; however, because you can customize it to your liking and, in the end, are more likely to get back your investment!

For more home construction information, click on the links below!

6 Types Of Split-Level Homes To Know

Do Ranch-Style Homes Have Attics Or Basements?

Can You Put An Addition On A Split Level Home? [Including Adding A Master Suite]

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