custom Built Homes Toronto

How Long Does It Take to Build a Custom Home?

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If you’re wondering how long it takes to construct a custom home in Toronto you probably won’t be surprised to hear that it all depends on several factors. Every custom home should be considered unique and the length of time it takes to build them will vary. 

However, on average, a custom-designed home will typically take from 8 to 14 months to complete. This is for the actual building process only as the designing and pre-planning stages can take anywhere from 2-3 months ,up to a year depending on the complexity of the project.  Working with a Design Build company will definitely help cut the time and potentially some large costs as you only have to work with a single point of contact for every stage of the process. Communication errors are therefore  minimized and virtually eliminated

Preparing is Key

Once we have all the necessary building permits, documents and financing in hand the building process will depend on the size and design of the house as well as things such as specialty labour, materials, supplies and the weather. Since the weather in the Greater Toronto Area can be quite unpredictable, especially during the early spring and winter months, it’s recommended to start construction anywhere from April until October with the warmer months being a better choice.

Ideally, the foundation should be poured and the home framed before the snow and the temperature start to fall. The excavation and foundation pouring can be completed in the cold weather, but it’s typically more expensive and risky, with less than optimal results. 

Even with summer construction, there’s no guarantee things will go smoothly since heavy rainstorms may slow things down if the building site is flooded and requires dewatering, or site has become too muddy to continue and requires time to dry up. As mentioned, the weather here in Toronto can be unpredictable and  since nobody can control the weather it may ultimately affect the timeline of your custom home. The key is to expect this and be prepared.

Labour and Material Delays

As far as labour and materials go, if there is a hold up somewhere along the line from a material supplier, that is out of the builders control and it can potentially also slow things down. Several different subcontractors and suppliers need to be depended upon for everything to run as planned. A good general contractor overseeing the custom build can help speed things along and ensure delays are kept to a minimum.  However, sometimes there are work backups and delivery delays which may also be due to bad weather conditions or simply because it’s the busy season. 

If the plumbers, electricians, framers and other specialists are all on site working together when scheduled it can definitely help speed things up.  A good Design Build contracting company can make this coordinating more efficient and streamlined during the construction process through proper project management techniques.

Homeowner Delays

The homeowner also has to be on the ball during the construction process since you may have to make timely decisions on things such as windows, flooring, trim, cabinets, and plumbing fixtures etc. When it comes to making a decision, the quicker the better and everything should be on the building site when it’s needed. 

The same goes for staying with your original design plans as you don’t want to change your mind about something once it’s been completed. Changing plans during the building process will always delay things.

Other Potential Delays

The builder will also be affected by environmental conditions such as topography and soil type on the building site. For instance, if the home is being built on a level lot it will be quicker than constructing on a hilly site. Unfortunately, construction delays are just a fact of life in some cases. You may hire the best builder in the world and the project could still be delayed due to unforeseen circumstances, with the majority of these being weather related. 

About Novacon Construction

If you’re considering building a new home or custom home we can help you decide on the best option by evaluating your specific ideas.  Novacon Construction is a Design Build company located in Toronto.  We offer custom home build solutions in Toronto and the GTA and provide an easy and cost effective way to build the custom home you’ve always wanted.  We offer free consultations. Contact us here to learn more.

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