How Long Does It REALLY Take To Build A Custom Home?
When people first start planning their home, one of the most common questions we get is:
“How long will it take to build?”
It sounds like a simple question, but the truth is there’s a lot that happens before the first brick is laid. If you’re trying to plan your build or line things up around selling, renting, or finance, it helps to know what’s realistic and what can slow things down.
Let’s break it down.
The Pre-Construction Phase (3–6 months)
This is the part most people underestimate. Before construction begins, there’s a lot of groundwork to cover.
Here’s what’s usually included:
Design and drafting
You’ll start by refining your floor plan, exterior facade, and overall design. This can take anywhere from 4 to 8 weeks depending on how clear your vision is and how many revisions you make.
Engineering and reports
Once the design is locked in, your site needs to be properly assessed. That usually includes a soil test, survey, stormwater design, and structural engineering. Each of these steps can take a few weeks, and they often happen sequentially.
Approvals
Whether you’re going through a CDC or DA, approvals can take anywhere from 4 to 10 weeks depending on your local council or certifier. This is one of those areas where delays are common, especially if extra documentation or amendments are requested.
Tender and contract preparation
While you’re waiting for approvals, your builder will finalise pricing, specifications, and contract documentation. If you’re working with a builder like us early on, we’ll often overlap these steps to save time.
Hidden factors that affect this stage:
Council backlogs or requests for additional information
Survey or engineering turnaround times
Client changes mid-way through design
Finance approvals taking longer than expected
The Construction Phase (6–12 months)
Once the contract is signed and the HBCF insurance is in place, the build itself can finally begin.
Here’s how the timeline typically unfolds:
Site preparation and slab – 3 to 5 weeks
This includes clearing, excavation, and pouring the slab. Weather can easily add delays here.
Frame stage – 3 to 5 weeks
The skeleton of your home takes shape. Timber shortages or trade availability can affect this timeline.
Lock-up stage – 6 to 8 weeks
Roof, windows, and doors go in. The house starts to look like a home.
Internal finishes – 8 to 12 weeks
Plaster, cabinetry, tiling, painting, electrical, plumbing, and flooring. This stage takes longer than most expect because it involves multiple trades working in sequence.
Final touches and handover – 2 to 4 weeks
Practical completion inspections, final detailing, and site clean-up.
Hidden factors that affect this stage:
Extended rain periods delaying slab or external works
Slow approval of variations or selections
Shortages in materials or specific finishes
Bank progress payment processing times
Access delays if trades overlap on site
Total Timeline (9–18 months from start to finish)
When you add it all up, a realistic timeframe to go from concept to keys is usually between 9 to 18 months.
The variation comes down to how decisive you are with design, how complex your site is, and how quickly paperwork moves through the system.
A flat, simple site with clear design decisions and CDC approval can be ready in 9 to 12 months.
A sloping block, DA approval, or custom architectural design will often push closer to 18 months.
How to Keep Your Timeline on Track
Engage your builder early
A good builder will overlap engineering, costing and documentation to save time.
Be decisive with design
The fewer changes you make mid-process, the smoother your timeline will be.
Sort out finance early
Delays in valuations and approvals can stall progress more than most people expect.
Respond quickly to builder questions
Fast decisions help avoid bottlenecks.
FAQS
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Typically 9 to 18 months from concept to handover depending on design, approvals, site conditions and builder workload.
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Common delays include weather, council backlogs, engineering revisions, product shortages and waiting on finance approvals.
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Usually 3 to 6 months including design, drafting, engineering, surveys and approvals.
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CDC is generally faster, but it depends on whether your site meets all requirements.
DA is often slower due to council assessment timelines. -
Yes. Engaging your builder early, making clear decisions and preparing finance upfront all make a big difference.
