How Long Does It Take to Build a House?

Steve Volkers

Oct 23

3 min read

How Long Does It Take to Build a House?

Direct answer: For West Michigan buyers building a new home, expect a build to take longer than it once did — timelines that ran about six months from hole dug to move-in now commonly stretch to eight months or even a year, depending on the house, the builder, and your selections.

It used to be more standardized

How long does it take to build a house? It used to be pretty standardized — a little more standardized than it is right now. The old picture was about six months, from hole dug to move-in.

That picture has changed a lot. Timelines are less standard now, and there are a lot of different reasons for that.

It depends on the builder

First, it depends on the kind of builder. Each builder's process is a little different, and the kind of builder you use changes the timeline.

That is why the builder posts in this series matter here: production, semi-custom, and custom builders do not run the same process, so they do not run the same timeline.

Fewer subcontractors, longer builds

The bigger reason is capacity. As more homes are being built, there are not enough subcontractors — for framers, drywallers, roofers, and painters.

So builds are extending out anywhere from eight months to even a year, depending on the kind of house you are building, how you handle selections, and what builder you are using.

If you need it in six months

So if you need to be in something in six months, Steve would say plainly: he does not think that is going to happen. But reach out and talk it through — he can try to make it work and see how the timing lands for your specific build.

The honest answer beats a promised date that slips. Plan for eight months to a year, and let the builder and the selections set the real number.

Key takeaways

Build timelines used to be more standardized, at about six months from hole dug to move-in.
Timelines now commonly run eight months to even a year.
It depends on the kind of builder — each builder's process is a little different.
It depends on the house, how you handle selections, and which builder you use.
A shortage of subcontractors — framers, drywallers, roofers, painters — is stretching builds longer.
If you need to be in something in six months, that timeline is unlikely — talk it through before counting on it.

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