Building a custom home is a highly complex & challenging process. It can be overwhelming if not taken one step at a time. This blog will give you a better understanding of timelines and the process in order to help you plan for your own!
Planning Makes Perfect: Steps involved in designing a custom home.
It is hard to give a precise timeline for the design process as architectural design complexity or engineering requirements will impact any estimated timeline significantly. The timeline can also depend on how quickly the client wishes to move forward. Constant communication and detailed, precise feedback help the process move more quickly.
Pre-Construction Phase
Buying
Most clients will already own the land before beginning the build process. Though this step will not affect your timeline it is important to note some key features of your lot before you begin the design process. Natural light & surroundings, the slope & size of the lot, and any potential privacy concerns, are all aspects that you want to be aware of before beginning to design your new home.
Surveys
Surveys are an important step in the pre-construction phase. Analyzing the lot is essential for both the design phase and building permits. This step can also be done before obtaining an architect or designer and will depend on the surveyors availability. At ZED Studio we require a survey before the design of your home begins in order to be preemptive and ensure that everything in your wishlist is viable on your lot.
Design
The design stage of a home is crucial, but the length of this step depends on the builder, the client, and the designer. Unless you have bought floor plans and plan on minimal changes, designing your home will take at least a couple months to have it ready to go for permits. The design process is not something that should be rushed as you want to ensure that you build a home that you will love.
There are a lot of factors considered by the designer in this stage such as lighting, zoning laws, noise and privacy. Budget is an essential factor that should be discussed with your architect and builder during the design phase. Knowing the client’s budget will help the architect determine what they can include in design plans.
Here are the steps involved in the ZED Studio design phase:
- Conceptual Design
- Detail Design
- Building Permit
- Drawings Issued for Construction
Permit Submission
The timeline to get the plans processed & approved by local officials varies depending on the city. This is the one part of the process that is extremely difficult to estimate a timeline for. The processing time for permits fluctuates depending on the area, scope of the project, how busy local officials are, and the volume of other permit applications they are processing. Often there will be modifications or reviews that need to happen before the permit is approved.
Construction Phase
Building
Construction can begin once all the plans are designed and a permit has been issued. The construction phase usually takes six months to a year to complete, but it may vary depending on the home size, and the level of architectural design details. The smaller and less detailed home can be completed faster than the large-sized home.
Certain things can influence the construction timeline process. If the client changes the plans further into this step, the construction process will take more time. Other factors that can cause construction to run longer are weather, material delays, and architectural complexities.
Reviewing
It is important to continuously review the construction process to ensure that everything is up to your expectations and standards. You do not want to wait until the home is finished to check the quality in case something comes up that you are not happy with.
Wrap Up
Finishes are the final step to the home building process. Appliances, furniture, wall decorations are all a part of this final step and can help turn the new custom house into your home. It is important to wrap up the finishes before moving into your space to ensure that you do not have to deal with the hassle of living around a work in progress.
Conclusion
After reading this article you may be discouraged about the length of time that it takes to completely design and build a custom home. While it is true that your timeline will need to be flexible, you will find that it is worth it to not rush the designing and building of your custom home. Keeping this in mind will ensure that you enjoy the process more and are fully focused on what matters most to you in your dream home.
One Response
It’s good to know that you should not rush the design process. My sister and her husband are planning on getting a custom home built for them in a couple of weeks, and they wanted to know more tips about working with a designer. I’ll pass this information along to them once they find a custom home designer.