Step by Step - How to Build a House

Believe it or not, there are sequences in construction. If there were not, we would all end up building our own individual portion of the project at the same time or at random times and we would wind up having an awful mess on our hands (not to mention a complete train wreck of a project)! In this episode of Electrician U, Dustin digs into the different phases of building a house.

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Before we start, there are a few things to discuss. For one, there are many (MANY!!) different phrase choices for the different phases, and these tend to vary from one location in the country to the other. So, for the purposes of this discussion, we will just talk in generalities, and you can adjust to where you are at to get the language just right! Also, while we ALL must work together to have a successful project, the different trades, and the different jobs Within each trade, will have more interest and interaction with the various phases of a construction job. A trim carpenter will most likely have no interaction with the site prep phase but will have a major part in the trim out phase.
One of the first things we must do is get the site ready to accept the job. We will call this Site Prep. Dirt must be moved and leveled, trees and underbrush must be cleared, and sometimes access roads must be built to give us access to the site. For us electricians (or anyone in the MEP trades) this is where we put in our deep underground conduits, bring our utilities to the site, and put in any of our work in that needs to be put in the ground. Closely behind the site prep portion is the slab work. This is where the rebar is installed and tied, and the concrete slab is placed. As electricians, we also must be present here to install the smaller branch conduits, floor boxes, etc. that go into the slab as well as install our Ufer grounds. This is also the point where the temporary utilities are brought to the site to use during construction.
Framing of the structure is the next phase of construction. Interior and exterior walls are framed, the roof is installed, and the building is dried in. This is the point where the MEP trades will do the rough in for their respective trades. Plumbing pipes are installed, ducts put in, and wiring is run. This is the process where it appears to have the most work done as you started off with just a slab of concrete and when done you have a building! As soon as those trades have finished, and their work is inspected (and passed!!) the drywall can be installed, and finishing can begin.
During the finishing stages the typical sequence is drywall is hung, taped, and floated, then textured. Once texture is complete, then the cabinets, tile, trim wood, etc. are installed. Typically, this work is done before final paint as installing those finishes can result in scuffing up the walls a bit, so paint is left until after. After the paint is dry, the MEP trades are released to come in and install their respective trim out devices. For us electricians, this is where we put in the receptacles, switches, can light trims, surface ceiling fixtures, and things of that nature. Serious consideration must be given to the scheduling of the various trades at any one time so we aren’t working on top of each other (or at least as little as possible) so we can get our jobs done in a timely fashion.
The last thing to be done once the trim has been placed is get the final inspection(s) for the project. A thorough run through the project is made by the inspector, and once he/she is satisfied that we have installed everything appropriately, they will release the project with a certificate of occupancy!
Sometimes the sequences are a bit different, and some of the tasks will vary from project to project and location to location, but these steps are fairly typical of a standard project. We hope this has been insightful into the steps necessary to build a home. Is there a particular topic you would like to have discussed? Please leave some comments in the section below and let us know. Please continue to follow Dustin and Electrician U as we are constantly adding new content to assist our viewers in their careers!

#electrician #electrical #electricity #sparky life #electrical contractor #construction management

[Maine]

i built my house from the ground up.. live in my basement, while building.. did most of my own work.. very proud. it was a long journey, and i learned a lot about myself.. and i was glad i has a few smart people to call on and family to have "working parties" with.. and fellow veterans who use their expertise .. plumbing and electrical was huge.. drywallers are worth their weight in groute! i got a Lowe's house plan, drew an account from a local hardware logging yard.. abd started it.. paid cash.. no mortgage..

[niltomega]

My dad built houses by himself from 1970 to 2005. He would build 3 per summer. He did it all by himself except the roofing and drywall which is very taxing on the body and time.
He is gone now but when I look back at what he did, I'm amazed at how hardworking he was. From the footer to the block-laying through the framing, plumbing and electric. Thats a lot of damn work for one man. Before pneumatic nailers he would wear out hammers regularly pounding those frames together. I remember once we were seeing who could squeeze a kitchen scale the hardest. I was 45 years old and he could squeeze it nearly twice the amount as I, at 70. . needless to say I never challenged my old man physically, ever. His big old mitts would have seized
me immobilized no question. ...lol

[MyFortressConstruction]

Yes, first Plumber, then HVAC, then Electrician. Drains need certain slopes and they can't wiggle around things very easily. Hvac is large and needs space but it can go around pipes. Electrical can fit almost anywhere and move around plumbing and HVAC so it goes last.

[mikefixac]

I've often fantasized about building a home completely off grid (with elec back up). My cousin has a log home in NH, grows his food, supplies his spring fed pond with trout he catches, needs only 1 or 2 pieces of wood to heat his home, has well and septic. When it's time for dinner, he fishes at his pond, grills on his patio and gets veggies from his garden.

[WailfulSeeker]

My dad built his house from the ground up when i was 12. It was so cool to see the different stages of construction and the progression every week. As an Apprentice Electrician now, it's fun to be actually a part of the process

[nehemiah_illustrates]

0:53 - Site Prep
2:17 - The Slab
7:13 - Framing
8:52 - Rough In
11:49 - Inspecting the Rough In
14:50 - Trim Out
19:05 - Inspection

[Nollic]

HVAC guy here, don’t ya love it when the builder has us all out there working at the same time!

[horacegray]

Great explanation! As a building inspector, I inspect ground up commercial and residential every day. You hit it right on the head. I enjoy the content you put out!

[aaronowens]

Just in case somebody was wondering when you’re installing the doors at that time you should be installing trim as well. Tile or flooring goes in after everything is painted and trimmed out . the last thing if you have carpet is Carpet install.

[gabrielfarr]

I just want to say thank you. I’m 20 years old and I think about a lot of things. Things that make the world go wrong, I often wonder like how is that business even profitable, how does the whole city get water, etc. All these thoughts that just seem impossible to tackle and it really bothers me and frustrates me.

Today I was thinking mmm I’d like to design houses for a living, at least my own house in the future. And I was in the shower just going through all these thoughts on how would tht work, what does it take.

This video really was exactly what I was looking for and eased my mind a lot on this topic. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and doing so in a way where some confused young person like me can understand. I feel pretty dumb alot of times cus I never have the answers to the things I think about, but this really helped big time. Again thanks man

[maxdesjful]

maybe I'm biased as a plumber but I have to deal with gravity I think I should be first. I'm sure hvac has something else to say, they maybe bigger but direction matters a lot less for them. it is always nice to touch base know where others want/need to put thing and work to find the easiest solution for all parties.

[kevinthompson]

Great video Dustin. Regarding service inspection. Here where we wire homes we typically install the exterior service, underground or overhead ( dont do many overhead as of late) and then install one GFCI outlet at a homerun either garage, kitchen, laundry or the refrig and then call for a Temp to Perm inspection. That allows us to not trim the whole house and still have construction power in the house when the power company disconnects our temp pole, but does not electrify any other circuits in the structure.

[jacobplank]

Great video! So many times we show up to a job ( most times homeowners, no GC involved) and the trades are so out of order, and it's a mess all the way through. I agree with you, I like to come after plumbing and HVAC is done. I feel like it's our job as an electrician to make everything look good. Thanks for the video!

[drakezen]

This was a great video overview. I was always curious of the steps involved in building a house from scratch and this was an awesome overview. I'd love to see more explanations like this that goes into more depth of each of the steps.

[Hechete]

Thank you. I jumped into the trades (Plumbing) knowing nothing about construction. I'm now designing. This inherently means understanding what the process entails in a grander scale and being able to coordinate with other trades. This video was very helpful - although it gets a little hairier for commercial construction.

[macgyverga]

Dealing with it first hand right now. Building a custom home myself. Gc’ing the project, subbing most out but also doing some things myself. Broke ground at the beginning of October. We’re trimming everything out right now. literally doing trim (hanging interior doors yesterday and today), cabinets, bath fixtures, electrical devices, panels (tomorrow), flooring goes in next week 😬. We got permanent power hooked up a couple weeks ago so I have spent the last week and a half trimming out devices by myself. 170 of them 😮… Shooting for 1st week of July for move in. FINAL STRETCH!! I’m tired lol… really tired… 12 hour days 7 days a week are starting to wear me down.

[b.entranceperium]

This is something I've always wanted to do. Never learned any trades. Always had an IT computer desk job. Haha

[bph]

Hello, could you explain the process before site prep? For instance, hire an architect or engineer first? When to hire a general contractor?

[phihead]

I like to get all of the cans up before the hvac guys and plumbers start if possible. Then I let them do their stuff and I come back and run wire when they're done.

[sneedworld]

Great video. I built my 1st home in Bastrop last year and I'm a licensed (Electrical) journeyman and certified HVAC Tech. I had a great jump for as knowledge when it came to pulling permits as I work with Austin Energy as well but I did drop the ball in some areas for as the building construction "Process" but I'll do better on my next build and this video is great. I've been watching and following your channel for a few years and just realized you're in Austin Texas as well. That's pretty cool. Keep up the good work brother! Very