Building a house: from foundation to roof

When it comes to the steps to building a new house, from foundation to roof, there are a number of processes to take into consideration. This is certainly a very exciting time for any new home owner and naturally, the plans need to be discussed with the building company or builder to make sure that everything is as you want it. It is a lot easier to make modifications before any cement or foundation is first laid.

Once you are happy with the design, it is then time to submit the plans to the local county or shire for approval. This is normally a relatively straight forward process, when the house is designed by a registered builder or architect, as they will be familiar with the local building codes and any requirements that need to be met, in terms of drainage, and other land placement considerations. There are a lot of requirements that the county will check, and when they are satisfied, will give the go ahead to commence construction. Again, to minimize any delays, it pays to have the architect or builder do their homework first as well.

It is certainly an exciting time when you see the cement poured for the foundation, and you may well think the area looks a lot smaller than you had imagined. This is normal. Once the walls are constructed, and the house takes real shape, you will find that your plans are in fact OK and that you have not built a small box. I fell for this trick with my house. Usually, at this stage, you will have had to pay the first, if not second payment to the building company. The way it works is that on signing to build the house, there is a deposit, followed by a payment at the laying of the foundations, when the walls and roof are up, and then at what is known as lock up, or handover stage. These payments are to help the builder keep liquid, as well as to protect you and your bank in terms of ensuring money is handed over progressively as the house is built.

Once you see the walls up, and internal walls as well, it is common to then construct the roofing timbers and create the base for the roof tiles. During this work, other trades will also be working, like the electricians wiring the house, the plumbing will have mostly been done, as the pipes are often below the foundation. Depending on your contract, landscaping may be done at this time as well, or you may leave it till after you have moved in. This largely comes down to the state of your finances and it is quite common for people to leave the extras till a little later, once they have gotten used t making the house payments.

It is important to make sure that before you move into your new home and take possession, that you organize to have it fully and comprehensively insured as this is an important protection for you. To the date of handover, the insurance is the responsibility of the builder. The above process is a summary of steps when building a new house from foundation to roof.