Construction Timeline: Plan Your Build Schedule
Overview
- Typical Duration: 1-2 weeks (to create comprehensive timeline)
- DIY Difficulty: ★★★☆☆ (3/5 - Requires understanding of construction sequence)
- Typical Cost: Free (DIY) or $500-$1,500 (professional scheduler)
- When to DIY: Initial timeline, weekly schedule updates
- When to Hire: Complex projects, coordinating many subs
A realistic timeline keeps your project on track, helps you coordinate subcontractors, and lets you plan your life around the build. Most first-time owner-builders underestimate timelines by 30-50%. This guide helps you avoid that mistake.
When This Step Happens
- Must be complete first: House plans finalized, budget created
- Can happen in parallel: Financing approval, permit application
- What comes after: Permit approval, construction start, subcontractor scheduling
Typical Owner-Builder Timelines
Three Timeline Scenarios
1. Aggressive (Experienced, Full-Time, Few Delays)
- Total time: 6-8 months
- Working: Full-time on project
- Experience: Has built before or extensive construction background
- Hiring: Most trades hired out
- Reality: 10% of owner-builders
2. Typical (Part-Time, Some Experience, Normal Delays)
- Total time: 10-14 months
- Working: Evenings and weekends
- Experience: Some DIY background, learning as you go
- Hiring: Major trades hired, doing finish work yourself
- Reality: 60% of owner-builders
3. Conservative (Part-Time, First Build, Learning)
- Total time: 18-24 months
- Working: Weekends and occasional vacation days
- Experience: First major project, learning everything
- Hiring: Hiring most trades, DIY where possible
- Reality: 30% of owner-builders
For planning purposes, assume Typical scenario and hope for better
Phase-by-Phase Timeline
Pre-Construction (Before Breaking Ground)
Months 1-3: Planning Phase
- Week 1-4: Land search and evaluation
- Week 5-8: Land purchase and closing
- Week 9-12: Plan selection/design
- Parallel: Budget creation, financing
Months 4-6: Permit Phase
- Week 13-16: Final plan revisions
- Week 17-20: Permit application submission
- Week 21-24: Permit review and approval
- Parallel: Subcontractor quotes, material research
Total pre-construction: 6 months (range: 3-9 months)
Construction Phase Timeline
Phase 1: Site Preparation (2-4 weeks)
- Days 1-3: Layout and staking
- Days 4-7: Tree clearing (if needed)
- Days 8-12: Rough grading
- Days 10-15: Utility connections started
- Days 13-20: Final site prep
- Inspection: None (unless septic)
Phase 2: Foundation (2-3 weeks)
- Days 1-2: Excavation
- Days 3-5: Footings formed and poured
- Days 6-8: Footings cure
- Days 9-12: Foundation walls formed
- Day 13: Foundation walls poured
- Days 14-16: Foundation cure
- Days 17-18: Strip forms, waterproof
- Days 19-20: Backfill and grade
- Inspection: Foundation inspection (Day 12-13)
Phase 3: Framing (3-6 weeks)
- Days 1-3: Floor system (joists, subfloor)
- Days 4-10: Wall framing (exterior and interior)
- Days 11-15: Roof framing or truss set
- Days 16-18: Sheathing (walls and roof)
- Days 19-21: Windows and exterior doors
- Inspection: Framing inspection (Day 18-21)
Phase 4: Roofing (1-2 weeks)
- Days 1-2: Underlayment and felt
- Days 3-5: Shingle installation
- Days 6-7: Flashing and valleys
- Days 8-10: Ridge vent, final details
- Inspection: None (covered in framing or final)
Phase 5: Rough-Ins (4-6 weeks)
- Week 1-2: Plumbing rough-in
- Inspection: Plumbing rough-in (end of week 2)
- Week 2-3: Electrical rough-in
- Inspection: Electrical rough-in (end of week 3)
- Week 3-5: HVAC installation
- Inspection: HVAC rough-in (end of week 5)
- Week 6: Re-inspections if needed
Phase 6: Insulation (3-5 days)
- Days 1-2: Wall insulation
- Days 3-4: Ceiling insulation
- Day 5: Air sealing, final details
- Inspection: Insulation inspection (Day 4-5)
Phase 7: Drywall (2-3 weeks)
- Days 1-3: Drywall hanging
- Days 4-8: Taping and first coat
- Days 9-12: Second and third coats
- Days 13-15: Sanding and priming
- Inspection: None
Phase 8: Interior Trim (2-3 weeks)
- Days 1-5: Baseboard installation
- Days 6-10: Door and window casing
- Days 11-12: Door hanging
- Days 13-15: Crown molding (if using)
- Inspection: None
Phase 9: Flooring (1-3 weeks)
- Days 1-3: Tile work (bathrooms, entry)
- Days 4-8: Hardwood or LVP (main areas)
- Days 9-12: Carpet (bedrooms)
- Days 13-15: Transitions and final details
- Inspection: None
Phase 10: Kitchen & Bathrooms (2-4 weeks)
- Week 1: Cabinet installation
- Week 2: Countertop template and install
- Week 3: Backsplash tile
- Week 3-4: Plumbing fixtures, accessories
- Week 4: Appliance installation
- Inspection: None (covered in final)
Phase 11: Painting (1-2 weeks)
- Days 1-3: Primer and first coat (ceilings)
- Days 4-6: First coat (walls)
- Days 7-9: Second coat (all)
- Days 10-12: Trim painting
- Days 13-14: Touch-ups
- Inspection: None
Phase 12: Final Finishes (1-2 weeks)
- Days 1-3: Light fixture installation
- Days 4-5: Outlet covers, hardware
- Days 6-8: Final electrical and plumbing trim
- Days 9-10: Cleanup and punch list
- Days 11-14: Final grading and landscaping
- Inspection: Final inspection (Day 10-11)
Phase 13: CO and Move-In (1 week)
- Days 1-2: Final inspection corrections
- Day 3: Certificate of Occupancy issued
- Days 4-7: Final cleaning, move-in prep
Total construction time: 24-40 weeks (6-10 months)
Critical Path Understanding
What Is Critical Path?
The sequence of tasks that must be completed in order—any delay in these delays the entire project.
Critical path for house construction:
- Site prep → Foundation → Framing → Roof → Rough-ins → Insulation → Drywall → Finishes
These cannot be skipped or overlapped
What CAN Overlap
Parallel work opportunities:
- Plumbing, electrical, HVAC rough-ins (can work simultaneously if coordinated)
- Painting in finished rooms while trim continues elsewhere
- Flooring in completed rooms while others still in progress
- Site work while interior finishes happening
- Landscaping during final finishes
The key: Coordination and communication
Common Timeline Killers
1. Weather Delays
Expected impact: 2-4 weeks over full project
Vulnerable phases:
- Site prep (rain = mud)
- Foundation (can't pour in freezing temps or heavy rain)
- Roofing (can't shingle in rain or high wind)
- Exterior work (siding, trim in winter)
Mitigation:
- Build weather delays into timeline
- Have indoor work ready when weather is bad
- Plan exterior work for good-weather seasons
- Have tarps and temporary cover ready
2. Permit and Inspection Delays
Expected impact: 2-4 weeks over full project
Common issues:
- Permit review takes longer than expected (add 2-4 weeks)
- Inspector not available (add 3-5 days per inspection)
- Failed inspection requiring rework (add 1-2 weeks)
- Permit amendments needed (add 2-4 weeks)
Mitigation:
- Apply for permit early
- Schedule inspections 3-4 days in advance
- Be ready when inspector arrives
- Know code requirements before inspection
3. Material Delivery Delays
Expected impact: 2-6 weeks over full project
Long-lead items:
- Custom windows: 6-12 weeks
- Custom cabinets: 8-12 weeks
- Trusses: 4-8 weeks
- Specialty materials: 4-8 weeks
Mitigation:
- Order long-lead items early (during permit phase)
- Have backup options identified
- Build delivery time into schedule
- Order extras of critical items
4. Subcontractor Scheduling
Expected impact: 2-4 weeks over full project
Common issues:
- Sub not available when you need them
- Sub starts another job, delays yours
- Sub takes longer than quoted
- Finding replacement sub mid-project
Mitigation:
- Book subs early with target dates
- Maintain relationships (pay on time, be organized)
- Have backup subs identified
- Build flexibility into schedule
5. DIY Takes Longer Than Expected
Expected impact: 30-50% longer than estimated
Reality check:
- Professional framer: 3-4 weeks
- DIY first-time framer: 6-8 weeks
- Professional drywall finish: 2 weeks
- DIY first-time finish: 4-6 weeks
Mitigation:
- Multiply professional times by 2-3x for DIY
- Be honest about your skill level
- Have money to hire out if needed
- Focus DIY on less time-critical tasks
6. Scope Creep and Changes
Expected impact: 1-3 months over full project
How it happens:
- "While we're at it, let's add..."
- "I found this better/nicer option"
- "Can we change the layout slightly?"
- "Let's do this in addition to..."
Mitigation:
- Make all decisions before construction starts
- Create "absolutely not changing" list
- Calculate time and cost impact of changes
- Limit changes to between phases only
Creating Your Timeline
Step 1: Use Standard Phase Durations
Start with typical times:
- Copy phase durations from this guide
- Adjust for your square footage (bigger = longer)
- Adjust for complexity (simple faster than complex)
- Adjust for DIY vs hired (DIY = 2-3x longer)
Step 2: Account for Your Situation
Add time if:
- Working part-time (weekends only) - double timeline
- First build (learning curve) - add 30%
- Complex design (multiple rooflines, angles) - add 20%
- Difficult site (steep, limited access) - add 15%
- Doing most work yourself - add 50%
Subtract time if:
- Working full-time on project - use baseline
- Previous build experience - subtract 15%
- Simple design (rectangle, simple roof) - subtract 10%
- Hiring most trades - use baseline
Step 3: Add Buffer Time
Build in delays:
- Weather contingency: 2-4 weeks
- Inspection delays: 1-2 weeks
- Material delays: 2-3 weeks
- Subcontractor scheduling: 1-2 weeks
- Unknown issues: 2-3 weeks
Total buffer: 8-14 weeks (2-3 months)
Step 4: Create Month-by-Month Schedule
Example timeline (12-month construction):
Month 1: Site prep, foundation Month 2: Framing, roof Month 3: Windows, rough-in plumbing and electrical Month 4: HVAC, insulation, start drywall Month 5: Complete drywall, start interior trim Month 6: Complete trim, start flooring Month 7: Complete flooring, install cabinets Month 8: Countertops, tile work Month 9: Paint entire interior Month 10: Final finishes, light fixtures, hardware Month 11: Bathroom and kitchen final details, landscaping Month 12: Final inspection, punch list, CO, move in
Step 5: Create Rolling 4-Week Detailed Schedule
Each month, plan in detail:
Week 1:
- Monday: Task list
- Tuesday: Task list
- Wednesday: Inspection
- Thursday: Task list
- Friday: Material pickup
Week 2-4: Similar detail
Update weekly based on progress
Tools for Timeline Management
Simple Tools (Good for Most)
Spreadsheet timeline:
- Rows = phases/tasks
- Columns = weeks or months
- Color code: planned, in progress, complete
- Track actual vs planned
Calendar-based:
- Google Calendar or similar
- Create events for each phase
- Set reminders for inspections
- Share with subcontractors
Professional Tools (If You Want Them)
Gantt chart software:
- Microsoft Project
- Smartsheet
- TeamGantt
- Shows dependencies and critical path
Construction-specific:
- BuilderTREND
- CoConstruct
- Buildertrend
- Includes scheduling, budgets, documents
Most owner-builders don't need this—spreadsheet works fine
Quality Checkpoints
Before starting construction:
Timeline Completeness:
- [ ] All phases included
- [ ] Realistic duration for each phase
- [ ] Inspections scheduled
- [ ] Material lead times accounted for
- [ ] Subcontractor availability confirmed
Timeline Realism:
- [ ] Adjusted for DIY vs hired work
- [ ] Weather delays built in
- [ ] Buffer time included (2-3 months)
- [ ] Part-time work accounted for
- [ ] Seasonal factors considered
Timeline Feasibility:
- [ ] Subcontractors available when needed
- [ ] You have time to dedicate
- [ ] Financing timeline matches
- [ ] Family/life commitments compatible
- [ ] Move-in needs accommodated
Sample Timelines
Example 1: Full-Time Owner-Builder (8 months)
Pre-construction: 3 months Construction:
- Month 1: Site prep, foundation
- Month 2-3: Framing, roof, windows
- Month 4: Rough-ins
- Month 5: Insulation, drywall
- Month 6: Trim, flooring
- Month 7: Kitchen, baths, paint
- Month 8: Finals, CO, move in
Total: 11 months
Example 2: Part-Time Owner-Builder (14 months)
Pre-construction: 6 months Construction:
- Month 1-2: Site prep, foundation
- Month 3-4: Framing
- Month 5: Roof, windows
- Month 6-7: Rough-ins
- Month 8: Insulation, drywall
- Month 9-10: Trim, flooring
- Month 11-12: Kitchen, baths
- Month 13: Paint, finals
- Month 14: CO, move in
Total: 20 months
Example 3: Weekends Only (24 months)
Pre-construction: 6 months Construction:
- Month 1-3: Site prep, foundation
- Month 4-7: Framing
- Month 8-9: Roof, windows
- Month 10-13: Rough-ins
- Month 14-15: Insulation, drywall
- Month 16-18: Trim, flooring
- Month 19-21: Kitchen, baths, paint
- Month 22-24: Finals, CO, move in
Total: 30 months (2.5 years)
What Comes Next
After timeline is created:
- Submit to lender (if required)
- Book subcontractors with target dates
- Order long-lead materials
- Plan your life around construction schedule
- Begin construction with site prep
Typical gap between timeline creation and construction start: 2-4 weeks
Related Resources
Need help coordinating subcontractors? Our subcontractor management guide covers scheduling and communication.
Ready to start building? Begin with our site preparation guide.