Staying Involved During the Building Process

Staying Involved During the Building Process

While your new home is under construction, you can monitor its progress during the various building phases.

• Readying the lot – Depending on how far along the construction has progressed, you may see the lot’s borders identified and staked by a surveyor, and the lot cleared and graded in preparation for building. You’ll want to be sure that the site for your home has the appropriate drainage.

• Establishing the foundation – Excavation paves the way for your home’s foundation, which can be made from poured concrete, brick, or concrete blocks. A mason will construct the walls if your house has a basement.

• Connecting the utilities – At this stage, your house is connected to local water and sewer, or well and septic facilities. Gas, oil, electric and phone connections are also made.

• Framing the structure – Once the foundation is established, the frame of the house is created. Be sure that the rooms are laid out as specified in your plans. During this phase, the electrical wiring and plumbing are “roughed in” and must pass inspection before the walls are installed.

• Finishing the work – Your home is nearing completion. The exterior siding and roofing work begins. The dry wall that forms the inside walls is installed, the plumbing and electrical work is completed, floors and molding are installed, and the painting and wallpapering is done. You’ll also see the kitchen cabinets and other amenities installed.

At various stages during construction, local building inspectors will check the construction to ensure that it meets local building codes. This typically occurs for framing, electric and plumbing work, but may apply to other phases, depending on the local codes in the area. Work that doesn’t meet building codes must be corrected before construction can proceed.

Once the construction is completed, you’ll conduct a final walk-through to inspect your new home and make sure it meets your requirements. Make a list of any details that have been overlooked and discuss a schedule for addressing these items with your builder.