How Long To Build A House?

AutumnWood Inc.

That is really fast even on a slab, The building depts. must be really easy to deal with, and you must have some really good subs. I have to tip my hat to you, that is fast.

And you are right, your not making any money when the house just sits waiting on subs. I have seen crane set modulars take much longer..

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Willie T

Guys, I consistantly turn out 3,500 sf one-off plan houses in less than 120 days. What's this 8 months to a year stuff? I would have homeowners on my neck about their financing if I let it drag out like that.

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Bill Everett - St. Petersburg, FL

bwalley

You think from dry in, you can have a house, framed (interior), 1st and second electrical rough in, plumbing second rough in, drywall hung finished, doors and base installed, plus other trim, painted, then your cabinets, electrical trimout, plumbing trimout and mechanical, plus any tile work in the bathrooms done in 1.5 weeks?

Do you have to have any inspections?

is it sided or stucco?

Like I said since this is the internet so anything is possible.

Most of the houses in Florida are slab on grade as well and I know how long it takes to build, as well as the other crafts.

KentWhitten

I worked for this guy once who turned project manager. He was given 60 calendar days for each home to be completed from permit to CO. It turned pretty much into a disaster.

Some people I have met can do this with no problems at all.

Comes back to one of my favorite beliefs

Proper Planning Prevents Piss Poor Production

Edit: Oh and I've seen Kingdom Halls go up in 2 days complete. Foundation already poured.

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Custom Cabinetry - Portland, Cape Elizabeth, Scarborough, Kennebunkport, Yarmouth, Falmouth, Cumberland, Ogunquit, Maine

Salmon Falls Cabinetry

Willie T

Well, I do have to admit that none of the builders I associate with does things the true quality way anymore (myself included). By quality I mean, full sheep's foot run on the site, site contour settling, triple passes on both footer and slab compacting, minimum of half cure time on all concrete work before loading, sponge rub-out on both sides of all block work, full thickness stucco coats, full stucco cure time instead of the typical three day water soaking cure, cross stripping (firring down) the ceilings instead of hanging rock right on the bottom chords, clipping all the ceiling D/W edges, real duct-work instead of flex, full Level 4 or 5 finishes with straight mud, primer coats throughout, actual sanding of woodwork between coats (if more than one coat of finish is actually done), two or three coats of wall paint with curing time between coats..... etc, etc.

To be honest, I couldn't possibly make my schedules if I returned to the proper building practices I grew up learning. So, having looked at it this way..... Yes, I can see how someone could take a cheap 200K tract home, and blow it out like they do on Extreme Makeover on TV.

Years back, I used to get compliments from the inspectors. Today, I'm just grateful that they usually pass me.

And if all of us really complied completely with all OSHA requirements................. well, you fill in the blanks. Me, I'd soon be in the soup lines.

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Bill Everett - St. Petersburg, FL

Mike(VA)

The only way one gets to do that stuff anymore is on full custom remodels and custom homes. These customers don't want cracks in drywall, nail pops before CO, squeeky floors, gaps in molding filled with caulk, handrails that wiggle, etc. They also want bragging rights to their friends that they got something better than the other guys. Now some of these people have more money than God, and thank God for them.

I once heard that during recessions, the smart businesses go after people with money rather than trying to cut prices to beat the other starving guy. Makes sense when you realize people with money will still spend; just not as much.

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Clifton, Great Falls, McLean, Fairfax Station, Manassas, Virginia Renovation Contractor

roof-lover

In the early 90s i was working for a builder and i was doing the roofs by myself. This particular subdivision the homes were in the 1600 sq ft range.
Roofs were around 30sq.
I get to the house about an hour before dark and install all the evedrip.
The lot next door, the guys were buffing out the concrete with one of those big fan looking things. they worked into the dark ,right along with me.

I get to the house the next morning around 730 and the framing crew was already there with all the lines popped and had a portion of the bottem plate laid out. Before the day ended they had the framing done.
The next morning they were installing the roof sheeting and dried it in
while the rest of the crew were doing inside framing.
Before the end of that very day, the roofing supplier had the roof loaded.

So from first piece of wood untill shingles loaded on the roof-34 hours.
I was amazed. I didnt finish the roof i was working on untill the next morning.

It was normal to drive into a subdivison and see at least a half dozen houses in the slab phase and know that a week later, all those houses would have shingles loaded up and ready to go. I miss those days.

joasis

We have beat these horses before....and yes, it can be done, and depending on trim, yes it is done. Most spec homes here get fiberglass tub surrounds and the only ceramic tile is on the floor.

Yes, we have building inspectors...same day call. How long does it take a mason to lay 8000 bricks? More time then it takes to side it, and the point is, the drywallers are doing their thing while the mason is outside.

If you don't believe it, then so what? We do it, we don't screw around with waiting and dead time on a job site...that is what being a general is all about, management. Time, people, material, and the job.

I have posted pictures of 2 ICF homes we built that didn't take as long as you say it takes you to build...you guys work short days or do you only allow one sub on a job at a time?

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joasis

Careful now, this is the internet and we are expected to lie about the real world.

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joasis

If you need an education, you have it thinking that your spreadsheet is the one size fits all answer. For instance, I have never used stucco yet...where did you get that idea?

Have you ever seen an inspector check framing, rough in elec, plumbing, and hvac on one trip?

In other words, your spread sheet looks good, but I will still do it our way here....now if I was somewhere else, it may be different.

New member huh? Read past posts and you will get a better idea about how some of us actually work.

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neolitic

Pretty cool guys.
Just walk in and start slinging
mud at someone who you don't
even know yet.
Jo has his creds here.
You two......?

"There are more things in heaven
and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt
of in your philosophy."

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Mellison

It really depends on how long it takes to pre heat the oven.
Once the ginger bread is baked, and if a basic decoration motif is used: Between 1/2 & 1 hour.

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scuba

Allright, so I'm new. I've been reading for awhile now and feel like I know how things work here. In your post #32 you asked for a work flow chart so I sent you one. I thought I was helping you to prove your case since most of the members who have posted on this thread can't beat or come close to your 4 weeks. Maybe, just maybe, you can educate some of us here. Isn't that one of the reasons why we do this?

I didn't think I was slinging mud.
How many posts do I need before I can sling mud?

rbsremodeling

250

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joasis

Not picking on you, and perhaps I took it the wrong way.

I have fought "tradition" a long time. The old guys, the ones I learned from, and the ones who think their way is the only way and no other way will work, that is the way we always do it, and you can't do it unless you do it our way....those guys drive me nuts. Applied reasoning and simple, value engineered design allow for quick build times and no sacrificing of quality. Like standard home framing, this isn't rocket science.....

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dubz

It takes a year to get through health, wetlands, and zoning around here sometimes.

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neolitic

Talk about mud slinging!
Okay that invites me in.

When I did nothing but build
new houses in the 70's, they were
stick built, semi custom (we had @24
stock plans, but there were most always
some changes) they were above average
quality for these customers "These customers don't want cracks in drywall, nail pops before CO,
squeeky floors, gaps in molding filled with caulk,
handrails that wiggle, etc. ".
Usually second time HOs.
1800-2400sqft + 2-3 car garage.
(This was average to above
floor space then)
Only about one out of twenty were slabs.
Usually they went up in 6 weeks,
stakes to closing.
Over 60 days and our construction
loan interest started to cut into profit.

Funny how all the improvements
have aided the process in the last 30 years.

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joasis

I started in construction at 16, framing ranch style specs, 1500 sq/ft, in 1977.....and I was 16. You are old..........

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neolitic

Some of us musta taught
you something, Kiddo!

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joasis

Sure did...taught me that old guys don't know it all!

My grandfather, who was a carpenter and cabinet maker would really be surprised to see what we do today. he died in 1985...and the advances in materials and methods would shock him....let alone tools. But then again, somethings may go back....like the cheap spec homes I love to build. The MacMansions may go away, but there will be a market again for 1200 sq/ft + homes and make a profit.....

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