Self-build Project Planner

However you’re getting it built, you’ll need to know how a house is constructed. Here is our definitive guide to each stage of the process

A step-by-step guide to building your own home

Prepare Site

➳ Groundworkers create site access

➳ Clear site and strip vegetable soil; stacking material to be retained out of the way

➳ Set up site hut and equip with drawings and safety equipment

➳ Set up toilet

➳ Secure lock-up/lorry container (hired in or purchased) to be positioned

➳ Water board to bring supply to stopcock on boundary

➳ Plumber to connect water standpipe

➳ Surveyor marks out building on cleared site and transfers the lines to profiles well clear of any construction work

➳ Bring in bricks and blocks and stack clear of future construction

➳ Set up mixer station close to cement store and sand heap

Foundations/oversite

➳ Groundworkers excavate foundations

➳ Wait for approval of building control and warranty inspectors

➳ Position any reinforcement bars, mesh or cages in the trenches

➳ Position any compressible material or slip membranes required within the trenches

➳ Lay ducts for services to enter through the foundations

➳ Arrange foot scaffold if necessary and shutter for any steps in the foundations

➳ Pour concrete footings and tamp to level

➳ Obtain approval from building/warranty inspectors to proceed

➳ Bricklayers build up foundation blockwork to damp-proof course

➳ Install cranked air vents

➳ Install drainage exit lintels

➳ Fill cavities with lean-mix concrete to level with external ground level

➳ Bed and lay damp-proof courses, linking these with any radon membranes or barriers

Start the Superstructure

➳ Groundworkers to dig service trenches and lay pipes and ducts to proposed stopcock/meter positions

➳ Load out concrete floor beams to each bay and position

➳ Install drainage and vent pipes proud of the oversite

➳ Infill floor beams with blocks

➳ Lay coursing blocks and position ventilator grilles

➳ Brush grout

➳ Arrange for building control/warranty inspection

➳ Commence building superstructure

➳ Install templates for future windows and doors, etc.

➳ First lift of scaffolding required

Superstructure

➳ Bricklayers continue superstructure brickwork and blockwork, including work on any chimneys

➳ Install and bed lintels, including fireplace lintels

➳ Install flue liners as work proceeds

➳ Build in meter boxes for gas and electricity

➳ Electrician to install temporary consumer unit within electricity meter box

➳ Service suppliers to carry out their work to the boundary

➳ Plumber to reroute water supply to stopcock position

➳ Electricity providers to install meter and connect

➳ Second scaffolding lift required

➳ Arrange crane to lift first floor beams onto each bay and position (if required)

➳ Position the plasterboard batten clips

➳ Lay infill blocks ➳ Brush grout

Superstructure continued

➳ Continue building superstructure to wallplate

➳ Third and then fourth lift of scaffolding required

➳ Wallplate to be scarfed, bedded and tied down with proprietary wallplate straps

➳ Warranty inspection sometimes required

➳ Carpenters to build end trusses as templates

➳ Continue building up gable ends and chimney

➳ Additional lifts of scaffolding required at the gable ends

➳ Plumber to fit lead flashings, trays and skirts to chimney

➳ Plumber to install vent pipes and flashing skirts as they come through the roof

➳ Bricklayers to top out and fit chimney pot

➳ Bricklayers to point chimney flashings

Construct Roof

➳ Carpenters to sling roof trusses, and trusses to be fixed down to wallplate ➳ All binders and bracing to be fixed at node points

➳ Layboards to be fixed to valleys

➳ Dormers to be constructed at this point

➳ Fascia and soffit to be fixed together with any necessary ventilation grilles or strips

➳ Warranty inspection sometimes required

➳ Any roof tanks must be installed at this point

Roof Covering

➳ Roofers begin to cut and lay undercloaking to the verges

➳ Roofers to felt and batten

➳ Tiles/slates to be laid

➳ Ridge/hip tiles to be laid and bedded

➳ Valley tiles to be laid, or fibreglass or lead valleys to be laid

➳ Plumber to dress down flashings and skirtings

➳ Decorators to paint/stain fascias, soffits and barges

Exterior & Interior Fittings

➳ Plumbers to fix guttering

➳ Window suppliers to fit external joinery

➳ Plasterers to carry out any external rendering

➳ Scaffolding to come down

➳ Plumbers to fit downpipes and connect to drainage upstands/gullies

➳ External decoration

➳ Carpenters to commence first fix by fitting door linings, building any studwork partitioning and fixing window boards

➳ Carpenters to fix plasterboard noggins and box in vent pipes

➳ Plumber and carpenter to liaise with building of any necessary stands in roof

➳ Carpenter to fix loft trap

First Fix

➳ Plumbers to lay flooring membrane and insulation, taping all joints and sealing up to the damp-proof course

➳ Underfloor heating (UFH) loops to be laid and fixed

➳ All first fix plumbing for hot and cold and waste within floor zones to be laid

➳ Internal gas pipework installed

➳ UFH pipework to be brought to manifolds and outlet positions

➳ Supply and fix company to pump in and lay level floor screed and leave for three days

➳ Protective hardboard/ cardboard to be laid on screed

➳ Electrician to fix carcass wiring for lighting and power circuits together with all backplates

➳ Consumer unit/units to be positioned

➳ Wiring taken to external lighting points

➳ TV aerial/satellite cables to be installed to required positions

➳ Internal telephone wiring to be installed to required positions

➳ Home entertainment/ smart systems/alarms to be carcassed

Drainage & External

➳ Groundworkers to begin digging the trenches for drainage runs

➳ Trenches backfilled to 150mm with pea shingle ➳ Drains laid to required falls

➳ Brick/concrete section manholes constructed, or purpose-made manholes, rodding eyes and gullies set in runs

➳ Building inspector to approve laid drains

➳ Drains haunched over with pea shingle

➳ Drainage trenches backfilled

➳ Work to connect to main sewer in road to be carried out by approved contractors ➳ Carpenter to finish boxings and noggings ready for plasterer

➳ Groundworkers to commence driveways and pathways

➳ Bricklayer to build any fireplaces and hearths

➳ Gas meter to be installed and connected

➳ Plumbers and electricians to liaise on all cross bonding and earthing

ceilings/Drylining

➳ Main staircase to be fitted by the carpenter and protectively covered

➳ Dryliners/plasterers tack ceilings

➳ All external and blockwork walls lined with plasterboard on dots and dabs

➳ All studwork walls and pipe boxings tacked with plasterboard

➳ All joints and angles filled and scrim taped

➳ All abutments of differential materials jointed with mesh

➳ All joinery to be sealed internally and externally with mastic

➳ Dryliners/plasterers to skim coat all walls and ceilings

➳ Decorator to paint/ treat backs of all skirting and architraves

➳ All roofing insulation to be installed

Second Fix carpentry

➳ Carpenters hang internal doors

➳ Skirting and architrave to be fitted by carpenters

➳ Bottom tread of staircase to be fitted, balustrading and handrails to be fitted, as well as linen cupboard shelving

➳ Fit of loft door and ladder

➳ Timber floors to be laid by carpenters or specialists and protected

➳ Ceramic floor tiles to be laid by specialist tilers and protected

➳ Carpenters/specialist suppliers to fit/build built-in bedroom and bathroom furniture

➳ Kitchen units to be fitted

Second Fix

➳ All wiring connected to consumer unit

➳ Boiler to be positioned, plumbed and then wired in

➳ Sink units to be plumbed in, earthed and cross bonded

➳ All sanitaryware to be fitted and plumbed in

➳ Radiators and towel rails to be fitted and plumbed in

➳ Underfloor heating loops to be connected to manifolds

➳ Electrician to check cross bonding and earthing to all sanitaryware, sinks, radiators, etc.

➳ Boiler to be wired in; control systems and room thermostats to be wired in

➳ Plumber and electrician to attend firing up and commissioning of boiler

➳ All pipework and connections to be flushed through and pressure tested

➳ Central heating to be left on ‘test’

decorating

➳ Worktops, made from the previously taken templates, to be fitted

➳ House to be thoroughly cleaned with all debris and dust removed to outside

➳ Decorators to snag any holes, blemishes or rough patches on walls, making good

➳ Internal timber to be sanded smooth or rubbed down with wire wool

➳ Decorators to paint all walls and ceilings, mist plus two coats of emulsion

➳ Internal timber to be knotted, painted, primed, undercoated and top coat glazed, or internal timber to be two-coat stained

➳ Specialist tilers to fix ceramic wall tiles to kitchen and utility ➳ Baths to be filled, in order to settle, before tilers fix any wall/ splashback tiles ➳ Water meter to be installed

landscaping

➳ Groundworkers or landscape gardeners to level the ground and prepare ➳ Topsoil from storage to be placed where required, with extra shipped if necessary ➳ Site hut to be removed or re-sited if intended for use as a garden shed ➳ Secure site storage to be sold off or returned to hirers ➳ Groundworkers to complete driveway surface ➳ Patio slabs to be laid ➳ Bricklayers to build any required dwarf/ decorative walling ➳ Lawned areas to be levelled ready for seeding or turfed ➳ Approved contractors to complete any bellmouth and kerbing to road

completion

➳ Whole house to be thoroughly cleaned out

➳ All windows polished and all labels removed from glass and appliances

➳ All polystyrene packing to be removed from cookers

➳ All stabilising bolts to be removed from washing machines/driers

➳ Site toilet and any remaining plant on hire to be off-hired

➳ Readings to be taken on all meters

➳ Central heating switched to ‘run’

➳ Telephone company to connect

➳ Contractors to install TV aerials and/or satellite dishes

➳ All trades return to work through items on the snagging list

➳Carpets to be laid

➳ Local authority to be advised of completion to arrange for council tax valuation

➳ Energy Performance Certificate to be prepared and sent to building control

➳ Building control final inspection and issuing of Completion Certificate

➳ Warranty inspector’s final inspection and issuing of warranty

➳ Arrange protective covering for floor surfaces prior to delivery of furniture

➳ Switch self-build site insurance policy to homeowners’ policy H