How long does it take to build a house?

The question of how long it takes to build a house is probably one of the main questions clients ask when they come to our studio, along with how much it costs to build a passive house, as building a house is a life project that involves investing a family’s savings, and time planning plays an important role in its successful development.

Therefore, in today’s article, we will clarify certain common assumptions and explain clearly and quite accurately how long it takes to build a house.

But before focusing on the key phase, which is construction, there are certain phases we will also address beforehand, as they involve, like everything else, hours of work both on the part of the client—or in this case, the future occupant of the house—and on the part of the architects and all those who will be part of the house’s construction process, such as defining our needs, searching for land, or finding an architect and defining the project.

From this point on, the key phase begins: construction, which will depend on the construction system we use and which we must define together with our architect.

But it does not end here; there are some final procedures that are part of the slow and lengthy, yet also exciting, process of building a house. Let us see how long it takes to build a house.

Phase 1. What are we looking for? What budget do we have available?

First of all, and also to know how long it takes to build a house, we must define our own program of needs.

It is a preliminary step before any other decision that will govern everything that follows, and we must have it very clear before starting to investigate or contact any professional.

This plan or program must answer the question, what will my house be like?

A program of needs is basically a list or outline, given to the architect, with everything our house must include.

For example, if you are a couple planning to start a family and have children, you should anticipate that your future house will have enough bedrooms and bathrooms, a spacious kitchen connected to the living area, living room, dining room, office, storage…

It is also useful to think about how we would like to live, whether we want some areas to be multipurpose, whether we will have family visitors, whether we want a garden with a pool, etc.

Once we know the program, we can define the approximate square meters; a 3-bedroom house corresponds to 100–120 m², a 4-bedroom house corresponds to 130–150 m², for example.

It is time to go to the bank and assess the available investment according to our savings and the financing capacity they offer us.

Normally, the bank will require us to have sufficient savings to pay for the land or 20% of the total cost of land and construction.

All things considered, we could estimate that within how long it takes to build a house, this first phase of planning and financial arrangements may take one month.

Phase 2. Search for land

(from 3–6 months to 1–2 years)

Once we have the list of needs and the budget, we can start searching for the land on which we will build the house.

It is a complex task that can take from days, if we are lucky and find the perfect land quickly, to a couple of years.

But do not be alarmed; this is normal, as choosing good land is essential, and the more the characteristics of the plot are analyzed and studied, the better the architects will approach the design and structure of the house.

Although it may seem like wasted time at first glance, searching calmly and securely for a plot will save us time and headaches during the construction and design process.

Furthermore, this phase can be done having already contacted an architect who will help and advise us during the search process, as recently, after the economic crisis, many plots have appreciated in value, increasing in price, so we must proceed carefully when choosing.

At our studio, Slow Studio, we advise you on the land search at no cost.

Phase 3. Contact an architect and finalize the contract

(from 1 to 3 months)

The next step will be to find an architect.

In this regard, it is usually a quick phase (1 month), as nowadays the range of architects is very broad and accessible via the internet or social media.

But one must be careful, as in recent years many low-quality builders have appeared who hire architects to draw plans for prefabricated houses or modular houses that they sell at a supposedly fixed price with few quality guarantees.

In our case, Slow Studio is a young and energetic firm that always works with the foundations of sustainable architecture, without forgetting the user and their needs. Safety, comfort, and sustainability are ensured by using primarily natural materials, but always of the highest quality. We handle projects of all types and budgets, from single-family homes for families to sustainable residential buildings.

Phase 4. House design

(from 4 to 6 months)

The design phase consists of two parts: the preliminary project and the construction project.

Although we cannot determine the exact duration of this phase, we can say it usually takes around 3–4 months.

The preliminary project phase requires more client involvement, and once approved, the architect will be responsible for defining the technical part with the drafting of the executive project.

Caution! There are companies that offer design + construction packages and tell us that the project takes only 1 or 2 months. That is not good!

At our studio, Slow Studio, the project begins with a meeting at the client’s home, usually a joint breakfast or snack, if possible, with the whole family. During this meeting, we get to know you very well, understand your needs and requirements, and we also visit the land together to understand where the sun is, where there are views, where it is most appropriate to plan the location of the house, etc.

After this meeting, there is approximately three weeks to one month of work in the studio to present you with a proposal that suits your family, adapts to the land, and also functions passively with zero energy consumption.

From the first layout sketch, several meetings will follow for changes and detailed definitions of both the construction system and installations and finishes, and in each of the phases, you as clients have much to say. Often it is the client who wants some time to consider one option or another.

We always tell you that it is a house for life; it is not about 1 or 2 months of project work. We must be clear about this; we all need to be motivated and excited knowing that we have the ideal project, and for that, there is no need to rush. It is about dedicating the necessary time, designing slowly.

Time shortcuts in the project phase are not acceptable, and we should be wary of companies that offer catalog models or houses designed in one or two months. These companies are not valuing the family but rather seeking to move to the construction phase as quickly as possible, which is where they make money.

Phase 5. Obtain the building permit

(from 1 to 3 months)

Once we have the project and before starting construction, there is an intermediate step we must take that will affect how long it takes to build a house.

This involves applying for and being granted the building permit. Generally, this procedure can take from 1 to 3 months, depending on the town hall of your municipality.

We recommend consulting the legal deadlines that the town hall in question has to respond to the permit, as they vary from one to another, and you can use this to press for the corresponding technician to review your file as soon as possible.

In exceptional cases, such as in rural areas of Mallorca, the town hall can take up to a year to process and approve a building permit.

To expedite the process, one can also submit the basic project initially and draft the executive project while the building permit application is being approved.

The town hall may grant the permit prior to receiving the complete executive project, which we will need to start construction.

Phase 6. Find a builder or construction company

(from 1 to 2 months)

Once we have the executive project, we will need to find a construction company or builder to carry out the work.

It is a consulting and selection process, which we detail regarding what a contract with a builder should include, but in reference to how long it takes to build a house, we could say that the search and contracting period ranges from 1 month to 2 months.

In the case of our studio, Slow Studio, we manage this process by conducting a tender among 3 proposals from different construction companies and making a completely transparent technical and price comparison in which the client can participate.

This helps us finalize the price negotiation and decide on the builder who will carry out the work.

The fact that the architect and the builder are separate companies and that the architect has no financial commitment to the builder provides the assurance that the architect will oversee the construction process always on the client’s side, defending their interests and investment.

Phase 7. House construction

(if timber, between 4 and 6 months; if masonry, from 9 to 11 months)

We arrive at the most complex section: building a house. We must not lose sight of the previous phases, as they are very important and also add time when we want to know the total of how long it takes to build a house.

Defining how long it takes to build a house varies depending on the land, foundation, and structure, as well as the size and levels (floors) we want to build.

Phase 8. Final construction documentation, property registration, certificate of occupancy, utility company registration

(from 1 month to 3 months)

Finally, once the house is finished, we must wait some time before being able to move in, as all the final construction documentation must be processed, which includes, among others, procedures such as:

– The certificate of occupancy.

– Property registration.

– Utility company registration.

These procedures are usually quick, but we should count on at least one more month that adds to the entire process and calculation of how long it takes to build a house.

In summary: how long does it take to build a house?

Ultimately, if we take into account all the phases mentioned in this article, we could establish a timeframe of:

– 12 months for a timber house

– 18 months for a masonry or concrete house

Of course, we should always allow a contingency margin of around 3 months for unforeseen events of all kinds, both in construction and in previous phases of obtaining permits or builder tendering.