Time Commitment: What Owner-Building Really Takes

Let's talk honestly about time. This is where many owner-builders underestimate and then struggle.

The Quick Answer

Total Project Duration: 12-18 months (vs. 6-9 months with a GC)

Your Weekly Time Investment:

• Minimum: 10-15 hours/week (hiring most work)
• Typical: 15-25 hours/week (doing some DIY work)
• Maximum: 40+ hours/week (DIY heavy, full-time)

Total Hours You'll Invest: 500-2,000+ hours depending on approach

Why It Takes Longer

Professional GCs Work Faster Because:

• Construction is their full-time job
• They have established sub relationships
• They know exactly who to call
• They can make decisions quickly
• They're on-site daily managing work
• No learning curve

You'll Be Slower Because:

• You have another job/life
• You're learning as you go
• Subs may not prioritize you
• Decision-making takes longer
• You can't be on-site as much
• Scheduling around your availability

Weekly Time Requirements by Phase

Here's what to expect for a typical 2,000-2,500 sq ft home:

Phase	Duration	Hours/Week	Total Hours
Planning	4-8 weeks	8-12	30-50
Permitting	8-12 weeks	5-8	40-60
Sub Search	4-8 weeks	15-20	60-100
Site Prep	1-2 weeks	15-20	15-25
Foundation	4-6 weeks	8-12	25-40
Framing	6-10 weeks	10-20	60-120
Rough-In Trades	6-10 weeks	12-18	80-120
Insulation/Drywall	4-8 weeks	10-15	40-70
Interior Finishes	16-24 weeks	10-20	150-300
Final Inspection	2-4 weeks	15-20	30-50
TOTAL	52-78 weeks	varies	530-935

Detailed Time Breakdown by Phase

Planning & Preparation (Month 1-2)

Your Time: 30-50 hours total

Key Activities:

• Finalizing house plans (10-15 hours)
• Budget creation (8-12 hours)
• Financing/loan applications (5-8 hours)
• Preliminary site visits (3-5 hours)
• Research and education (10-15 hours)

Permitting (Month 2-4)

Your Time: 40-60 hours total

Key Activities:

• Plan corrections and submissions (15-25 hours)
• Building department meetings (5-10 hours)
• Hiring engineers if needed (3-5 hours)
• Document preparation (10-15 hours)
• Follow-ups and resubmissions (10-15 hours)

Timeline Factors:

• Plan review: 2-8 weeks (you can't control this)
• Your responsiveness to corrections: critical

Finding & Vetting Subs (Month 2-4)

Your Time: 60-100 hours total

Key Activities:

• Research and initial contacts (20-30 hours)
• Getting quotes (15-25 hours)
• Interviewing and vetting (15-25 hours)
• Contract negotiations (10-15 hours)
• Reference checking (10-15 hours)

Site Preparation (Weeks 1-2)

Your Time: 15-25 hours

Key Activities:

• Final site planning (3-5 hours)
• Coordinating excavation (2-3 hours)
• Utility connections coordination (3-5 hours)
• Site visits and inspections (5-10 hours)
• Material deliveries coordination (2-4 hours)

Foundation (Weeks 2-6)

Your Time: 25-40 hours

Key Activities:

• Footing inspection prep and attendance (3-5 hours)
• Coordinating concrete pours (4-6 hours)
• Foundation inspection coordination (3-5 hours)
• Daily site visits (10-15 hours)
• Problem-solving and decisions (5-10 hours)

Framing (Weeks 6-14)

Your Time: 60-120 hours

This is the longest phase and requires the most active management.

Key Activities:

• Daily coordination with framers (30-50 hours)
• Material ordering and deliveries (10-15 hours)
• Problem-solving (10-20 hours)
• Framing inspection prep (8-12 hours)
• Quality checks (10-15 hours)
• Decision-making on changes (5-10 hours)

If you're DIY framing: Add 200-400 hours of actual labor

Rough-In Trades (Weeks 14-22)

Your Time: 80-120 hours

Three trades happening simultaneously: plumbing, electrical, HVAC

Key Activities:

• Coordinating three trades (30-50 hours)
• Material selections and ordering (15-25 hours)
• Site visits and oversight (20-30 hours)
• Three separate inspections (10-15 hours)
• Problem-solving and changes (10-20 hours)

Insulation & Drywall (Weeks 22-28)

Your Time: 40-70 hours

Key Activities:

• Insulation inspection coordination (5-8 hours)
• Drywall contractor management (15-25 hours)
• Site visits during mudding/sanding (10-15 hours)
• Planning for next phases (10-15 hours)

If you're DIY drywall: Add 150-300 hours (it's brutal)

Interior Finishes (Weeks 28-48)

Your Time: 150-300 hours

This is the longest phase by calendar time and where most owner-builders DIY to save money.

Key Activities:

• Trim work (DIY or managing: 40-80 hours)
• Painting (DIY or managing: 30-60 hours)
• Flooring coordination (15-25 hours)
• Kitchen/bath installation (20-40 hours)
• Cabinet and countertop coordination (15-30 hours)
• Fixture installation (10-20 hours)
• Punch list creation and completion (20-40 hours)

Final Inspections & Move-In (Weeks 48-52+)

Your Time: 30-50 hours

Work Schedule Scenarios

Choose your approach based on your life situation:

Scenario 1: Full-Time Job, Minimal DIY Labor

Typical Week:

• 2-3 weekday evenings (6-9pm): 6-9 hours
• Saturday: 6-8 hours
• Sunday: 3-4 hours
• Total: 15-21 hours/week

What This Looks Like:

• Quick site visits after work
• Longer Saturday site time
• Sunday admin (ordering, calls, planning)
• Take vacation days for inspections and critical events

Timeline: 16-20 months Feasibility: Very doable if you hire quality subs

Scenario 2: Flexible Schedule, Some DIY

Typical Week:

• Monday-Friday mornings: 2-3 hours each (10-15 hours)
• 2-3 full days on-site: 16-24 hours
• Evening admin: 3-5 hours
• Total: 29-44 hours/week

What This Looks Like:

• Work afternoons/evenings at day job
• Mornings on construction site
• Can attend all inspections
• Do some DIY finish work

Timeline: 12-15 months Feasibility: Ideal if you have flexibility

Scenario 3: Full-Time Owner-Builder

Typical Week:

• Monday-Friday on-site: 40-50 hours
• Evening admin: 5-10 hours
• Weekend: 8-12 hours
• Total: 53-72 hours/week

What This Looks Like:

• Quit your job or take leave
• Treat it like a full-time job
• Do significant DIY work
• Intensive but fastest approach

Timeline: 9-12 months Feasibility: Requires financial runway

Hidden Time Costs

These are easy to underestimate but add up quickly:

Decision Making (50-100 hours total)

Every. Single. Thing. Requires a decision:

Decision Type	Estimated Time
Paint colors (with spouse)	10+ hours
Light fixtures	5-10 hours
Cabinet hardware	2-3 hours
Flooring selection	5-8 hours
Roof shingles	2-3 hours
Exterior finishes	5-10 hours

Material Shopping (40-80 hours)

• Building supply trips: 20-40 hours
• Specialty stores (tile, cabinets, etc.): 15-30 hours
• Online research: 10-20 hours

Problem Solving (30-60 hours)

Things will go wrong. You'll spend time:

• Dealing with wrong materials delivered
• Fixing subcontractor mistakes
• Addressing inspection failures
• Redesigning things that don't work as planned

Administrative Tasks (40-80 hours)

• Organizing receipts for lender
• Tracking budget spreadsheets
• Paying subcontractors
• Updating lender on progress
• Managing timeline and schedule
• Daily communication and coordination

Balancing Work and Build

If You Keep Your Day Job

Pros:

• Steady income and cash flow
• Health insurance benefits
• Less financial stress
• Slower pace is less overwhelming

Cons:

• Significantly longer timeline
• Harder to manage subs effectively
• Miss critical events during workday
• Stress of managing two full-time commitments

Make It Work:

• Inform your employer early in process
• Use vacation days strategically
• Build in evenings and weekends
• Consider hiring a consulting GC for critical phases

If You Quit or Take Leave

Pros:

• Full-time availability when needed
• Faster overall timeline
• Better sub management and oversight
• Can do more DIY work

Cons:

• No income for 6-12 months
• Resume gap to explain
• High stress with no backup plan
• Must finish on budget (no margin for error)

Make It Work:

• Save 9-12 months of living expenses first
• Have partner with stable income
• Set firm budget with 20% contingency
• Have backup plan if you run over

Impact on Family Life

Be brutally honest about this with your family:

Weekends

• Most of your weekends will be consumed by the build
• Family activities will be severely limited
• Expect to spend 16-20 hours per weekend on project
• Kids' events may be missed

Weekday Evenings

• 2-4 evenings per week dedicated to project
• Dinner might be rushed or eaten on-site
• Kids might not see you as much as usual
• Less time for household responsibilities

Emotional Impact

• You'll be physically tired and mentally stressed
• You might be short-tempered or distracted
• Your partner bears this burden too
• Relationship strain is common

Duration Reality

• This isn't a 3-month sprint
• It's a 12-18 month marathon
• Family needs to be genuinely prepared
• Support system is critical

Timeline Tips to Stay on Track

1. Build in Buffer Time

Your 12-month estimate should include:

• 15-20% buffer for inevitable delays
• Weather allowance (especially winter)
• Sub scheduling slippage
• Inspection failure re-work time

Realistic planning: 12-month estimate = 14-15 months actual

2. Track Your Critical Path

Some delays don't matter. Some cascade through everything:

Critical Path Items (focus here):

• Foundation inspection failure → delays everything
• Framing inspection failure → delays all trades
• Rough-in inspection failures → delays drywall
• Permit delays → delays groundbreaking

Non-Critical Items (less urgent):

• Interior door delays → can work around
• Light fixture backorders → install later
• Landscaping delays → do after move-in

3. Communicate Relentlessly

4. Front-Load All Decisions

Don't wait until you "need" something to order it:

• Make finish decisions 8-12 weeks early
• Order long-lead items ASAP (cabinets: 6-12 weeks, countertops: 4-8 weeks)
• Select paint colors before drywall is done
• Choose fixtures before rough-in is complete

5. Accept the Evening/Weekend Reality

This is simply the reality of owner-building while working. Plan for it rather than resent it.

When to Reassess

Consider pausing or bringing in professional help if:

It's okay to bring in help—consulting GC, project manager, or full GC takeover—if you're drowning. Ego is not worth your health, job, or marriage.

The Bottom Line

Owner-building will consume 500-2,000 hours of your life over 12-18 months.

Is It Worth It?

The Math:

• If you save $75,000 over 1,000 hours = $75/hour
• Plus valuable skills learned
• Plus deep satisfaction of building your own home
• Minus significant stress and life disruption

Only you can decide if that math works for your situation, family, and life stage.

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