How long does it take to build a house?

For a one-off home, allow roughly six to twelve months for design and planning, and nine to eighteen months for the build itself, depending on size, complexity and method. Difficult sites and listed buildings take longer.

When should I choose finishes?

As early as possible — ideally before tender. Every finish that isn’t specified is either a guess in the builder’s price or a provisional sum, and late decisions are the main cause of delays and cost increases.

Who is responsible for safety and compliance on site?

The client, designers and contractors all have duties under CDM 2015 and the Building Regulations dutyholder regime. On domestic projects many of the client’s duties pass to the contractor or Principal Designer, but you should know who is doing what before work starts.

How a house build runs, stage by stage

Every stage of building or remodelling a house, from first brief to handover — what happens, how long it takes, and the decisions you’ll need to make along the way.

A house build is a long series of decisions, each one easier and cheaper than the next if it’s made at the right time. Here is how a project runs, from first conversation to final key.

1. Brief

How you live, what you need, the budget, the timescale. A good brief is about your days, not just a list of rooms. Typically 2–4 weeks.

2. Site and surveys

Topographical survey, ground investigation, trees, ecology, services, planning history. This is where the site starts telling you what it wants. Typically 2–8 weeks, depending on survey seasons.

3. Concept design and Cost Plan

Two or three ways the house could work, explored in 3D. One is developed into a concept and costed — before detailed design, so the house you love is the house you can afford. Typically 4–8 weeks.

4. Developed design and planning

The design is refined, the structure developed, the planning drawings and supporting documents prepared and submitted. Planning decisions usually take eight weeks or more. Typically 3–6 months including the decision.

5. Technical design and specification

Construction details, structural design, the building-regulations package, services layouts, and every fixed finish specified. This is the stage that decides whether the build goes smoothly. Typically 2–4 months.

6. Tender and appointment

A complete tender pack goes to a shortlist of builders. Because everything is specified, prices can be compared like with like. The contract is signed. Typically 4–8 weeks.

7. Construction

Setting out, foundations, frame, roof, first fix, plaster, second fix, finishes, external works. The critical moments — setting out, foundations, frame, first fix, pre-plaster — need the closest attention. Typically 9–18 months.

8. Handover

Snagging, commissioning, certificates, manuals and warranties. Then the keys.

The build is only as good as the decisions made before it.

Who runs it?

You can manage it yourself — with the Navigator for support — or have it designed with the Blueprint and built by your own contractor. Or you can hand the whole thing to one person: the Single Point covers every stage above, with every invoice checked, every cost visible and a progress report every week.