A step by step guide to the stages of a build as you watch your house take shape
As a rough guideline, here’s a step by step guide to the stages of a build and seeing your house take shape. What generally happens in what order as your build goes up. This isn’t set in stone, as there will naturally be variables depending on your specific build. However, whether it’s a new build or an extension, this summarises the general flow of activity.
The Preparation
- Clear Site
2. Mark out footings
The Foundations
3. Dig footings
4. Remove excavated soil
N.B. soil removal has a big cost so ensure this gets done early on within your costings. Removing the soil and muck also means builders aren’t having to work around soil. It will certainly lend itself to keeping a tidy site, rather than traipsing soil everywhere.
5. Pour concrete
Engineering the build
6. Engineer the build out of the ground to damp course level
7. Oversite (compacted type 1, DPC, compacted concrete) or block and beam floor with required levels of overlapping damp course on the internal and external skins
8. Build – These three go up together to wall plate level:
a. Brickwork
b. Cavity Insulation
c. Blockwork
N.B. Following the stages of a build, scaffolding should get erected at about half way height. Any required steels go in during brick build, before wall plate.
The Roof
9. Roof timbers & joists
10. Soffits and fascias
11. Roof – Felt, baton and tile
Doors & Windows
11. External doors and windows installed
N.B. If building an extension, this is usually the point during the stages of a build where we’d knock through to the existing building so as to minimise disruption to the customer until now.
Internals
12. Flooring
a. Floor insulation
b. Under floor heating installed now if relevant
c. Screeding
N.B. Before screeding you must have decided what floor finish you want. This is because there are different screeding allowances depending on the floor product you choose (tiles, wood etc…)
15. Internal stud work & door frames where required
16. First fix electrics & plumbing – get the electric cables and plumbing pipework in place
17. Drylining. Either:
a. Plasterboard, tape and join or
b. Plasterboard and skim
N.B. The costs of either option are similar but our personal preference is for tape & join. This is because you can paint immediately after taping and joining. If you skim, this will require a week to dry out so extends the build time. Of course, if you have curves to factor in, then skimming will be required. Where skimming, ensure you have a good plasterer to get a smooth skim finish and lovely looking curves!
18. Skirting and architrave
The final stages of a build
19. Snagging list – go through any snagging at this point with your builder. Because otherwise its only the electrician and plumber left to finish their piece of the puzzle
20. Second fix electrics and plumbing – this is when the electrics and plumbing are completely finished in one of the final stages of a build. All pipework and cables should get attached to something! Extractor fans installed; sockets, plug switches, light fittings connected. Appliances installed – integrated ovens, fridges…; baths, sinks, toilets, heated towel rails fully connected and operational. Essentially, everything from your wine fridge to your sensor operated bathroom cabinet lights should be connected up!
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