The stages of building a house, from design to handover

The five phases at a glance

These times are typical for a two-storey house. Size, weather, approvals and, above all, cash flow make the real schedule shorter or longer.

The 14 stages in order

1. Design brief and concept plans

Agree the rooms, sizes, style and budget with your architect. The concept plans fix the layout; every change after this point costs more. Check that the plans meet the plot’s bylaws: setbacks, covered area and height.

2. Structural, electrical and plumbing drawings

The structural engineer designs the foundations, columns, beams and slabs. Electrical and plumbing drawings show every point, pipe and board. Check that the drawings are signed and that the quantities and contract are based on them.

3. Building plan approval

Submit the drawings to the development authority or society (for example a DHA, Bahria Town, LDA, KDA or CDA) or, in Saudi Arabia, the municipality through Balady. Most authorities don’t allow work to start without it. Keep the approved set on site and build to it.

4. Mobilisation and excavation

The plot is cleared and marked out, a water supply, store and labour shelter are set up, and the ground is dug to the foundation level in the drawings. Check the layout against the approved plan before digging.

5. Foundation, waterproofing and plinth

Lean concrete, footings and plinth beams are cast; anti-termite treatment and a damp-proof course protect the house from below. Check the steel before every pour and the plinth level before walls start.

6. Ground-floor columns and roof slab

Columns are cast, then the formwork and steel for the beams and roof slab, then the pour. Electrical conduits and pipe sleeves go in before the concrete. Use a slab checklist before pouring, and keep the slab wet for at least 7 days after.

7. First-floor columns and roof slab

The same cycle for the upper floor. The props under the slab stay until the structural engineer allows them to be removed.

8. Block masonry, parapet and water tanks

Walls are built in block or brick, with lintels over doors and windows; the parapet and the underground and overhead water tanks are built. Check that walls are plumb and openings are the right size, and test the tanks for leaks before plaster.

9. Plaster and grey structure handover

Inside and outside plaster, and roof insulation and waterproofing. The grey structure is now complete: measure it and settle the grey structure account before finishing starts.

10. Electrical and plumbing first fix, window frames

Wiring, boards, water and drain pipes, gas lines, and door and window frames go in before floors and tiles. Pressure-test the water pipes and photograph every pipe and wire run before it is covered.

11. Flooring and wall tiles

Floors, bathroom and kitchen tiles, and stone. Check levels and the slope towards drains, use tiles from one batch, and keep a few spare boxes.

12. Woodwork, kitchen and aluminium

Doors, wardrobes, kitchen cabinets and aluminium or uPVC windows, alongside the tiling. Measure on site after plaster, not from the drawings.

13. Paint, sanitary ware and lights

Putty and paint, then taps, basins, toilets, lights, switches and fans. Check that every point works and nothing leaks under the basins.

14. Snag list and handover

Walk through every room with the builder and list every defect. The builder fixes them, then hands over the keys, drawings and warranties. Keep a small retention until the snags are fixed.

What depends on what

Some stages overlap and some cannot. Approval can run while the structural drawings are finished, and woodwork can run alongside tiling. But nothing structural should start before the drawings are approved, and finishing should not start until the grey structure is complete and settled.

How Buildiary uses this schedule

When you start a project in Buildiary, these 14 stages are added for you and spread between your start and finish dates. Your team records progress against each stage with photos, so you always know where the work stands and what comes next.