How Long Does It Take To Build A House? 2025 Timeline

How long does it take to build a house? As a top-rated home builder, this is one of the most common questions we hear. Of course, it’s no secret that building a home (especially a good, high-quality home) takes time, but most people don’t know exactly how long. So, we’re here to share our insight.

At Hasler Homes, we’ve been building custom homes in Vancouver, North Vancouver, West Vancouver, Squamish, Burnaby and the surrounding areas for over a decade. As a result, we know precisely how long it takes to build a house! Below, we’ll answer the question – “How long does it take to build a house?” – and break down the various stages of building a house so you can see how long each phase takes.

Content Quick Links:

Average Time to Build a House
Timeline Breakdown
Factors That Can Impact Building Time
Tips for Efficient Building
Build with Halser Homes

AVERAGE TOTAL TIME TO BUILD A HOUSE IN 2025: 19 to 36 months + 

The average time it takes to build a house in 2025 is 19 to 36 months (approximately 1.5 to 3 years) or longer. This timeline includes planning (i.e., finding a location and hiring a home builder), designing the home, securing permits, demolition (if required), and construction.

BUILD TIME ONLY: The typical build time for a 3500 to 5000 square foot home is 13 to 18 months, not including planning, design, permits, etc.

**Please Note: This is an estimate only. The time it takes to build a custom home in Vancouver can differ significantly based on factors like home size, style, design, etc. Learn more about what impacts the time it takes to build a house below.**

Now that we’ve discussed how long does it take to build a house in total, let’s break this timeline down so you can see exactly how long each step of the building process takes.

Below is a breakdown of how long it takes to build a single-family custom home.

Stage 1 – Planning

How long does it take? 4 to 6 months +

The planning stage includes all the steps that must be taken before you can start designing and building your home. For instance:

• Choosing and securing a location for your new home (if you don’t already own property). The timeframe for this step can range anywhere from 4 to 6 months.
  
• Hiring a custom home builder, designer, architect, etc. How long will it take to hire a team to build your home? In Vancouver, it can often take 1 to 2 months or more to hire a builder, depending on availability.

IMPORTANT TO NOTE: If you hire an experienced, full-service Vancouver custom home builder like Hasler Homes, they will help you assemble a team of professional engineers, energy consultants, architects, interior designers, landscape architects, etc., to bring your dream home to life. Thus, working with a full-service builder will save you time and effort.

Not sure how to choose a home builder who is reliable, trustworthy and good at what they do? Learn more here – How to Choose a Home Builder.

Stage 2 – Pre-Construction (Design & Permits)

How long does it take? 4 to 9* months +

Please Note: This timeframe can be significantly impacted by the size of your home and budget. The larger the home and the bigger the budget, the longer this stage may take.

The pre-construction stage involves all the planning and preparation required before construction begins. This stage includes:

• Working with your builder, architect, and designer to choose an architectural home style and home size and create a custom home design, budget and blueprints. This step takes, on average, 1 to 3 months or more, depending on your home’s size and design complexity.
  
• Securing financing (if necessary). Depending on your needs and financial position, this can take 1 to 2 months.
  
• Obtaining necessary permits. The permit process in North Vancouver, West Vancouver, Vancouver, Squamish, Burnaby and the surrounding areas can take from 3 to 4 months or more.

IMPORTANT TO NOTE: When you build with Hasler Homes, our team of experienced professionals will secure all permits for you, simplifying the home-building process and ensuring your project is compliant.

Stage 3 – Demolition (If Necessary) 

How long does it take? 1 week or less (in most cases)

If your property has an existing structure, it must be demolished before construction can begin. The demolition process can take anywhere from a few days to a week or more, depending on the structure’s size and the complexity of the project (e.g. demolition vs deconstruction).

Most North Vancouver homes can be demoed in a week or less. That said, if the home contains hazardous materials, teams will need to go in and perform all the necessary mediation before the house can be demolished. Additionally, deconstructions in different municipalities have varying requirements. But most demolitions can be completed within a few weeks or less.

Stage 4 – Construction

How long does it take to construct a house? 9 to 18 months +

How long it takes to construct a house can vary significantly, depending on home style, size, design complexity, material availability, site conditions, etc. That said, construction involves the following steps and estimated timeframes.

• Site preparation. This stage often takes 1 to 2 weeks.
  
• Pouring the foundation. This includes excavation, forming and pouring the footings, erecting the foundation walls, allowing the foundation to cure, etc. The foundation usually takes around 1 month to complete.
  
• Framing. This involves framing the walls, floors, and roof and can take 1 to 3 months to complete.
  
• Roofing, siding and windows. Once the framing is complete, the roof, windows and siding (components of your building envelope) can be installed. This typically takes 1 to 2 months.
  
• Plumbing, electrical, and HVAC. Before the interior walls are sealed, your electrical wiring, plumbing pipes, and HVAC systems are installed. At this time, inspections are also conducted to ensure everything is up to code. This takes approximately 1 to 2 months.
  
• Insulation and drywall. Your home is now ready for insulation and drywall. This step takes approximately 1 to 3 months.
  
• Interior finishes. Next, it’s time for interior finishes, including flooring, cabinets, countertops, painting, sinks, fixtures, etc. On average, this takes 2 to 4 months.
  
• Exterior finishes. While the interior finishes are completed, the exterior finishes are also finalized. This includes any exterior painting or finishing, landscaping, etc. These exterior finishes can take 1 to 2 months to complete.
  
• Final inspections and walkthrough. Lastly, final inspections must be completed to ensure your house complies with building codes. At this time, your home builder will also complete a final walkthrough with you to identify any final touch-ups or fixes. This process can take anywhere from 2 to 4 weeks.

Overview – How Long Does It Take to Build a House 

The table below provides a quick look at each stage of the building process and how long it takes.

Please Note: The following timeframes are estimates only. The time it takes to complete each step of the construction process can vary significantly depending on multiple factors (more on this below).

Stage	Estimated Time
Choose and secure a location (if necessary)	4 to 6 months
Hire a home builder, designer, architect, etc.	1 to 2 months
Develop a design, budget and blueprints	1 to 3 months +
Secure financing (if necessary)	1 to 2 months
Obtain permits*	3 to 4 months +
Demolition (if necessary)	1 week or less (typically)
Site preparation	1 to 2 weeks
Pouring the foundation	1 month
Framing	1 to 3 months
Roofing, siding and windows	1 to 2 months
Plumbing, electrical, HVAC, and inspections	1 to 2 months
Insulation and drywall	1 to 3 months
Interior finishes (flooring, cabinets, countertops, painting, trim, sinks, faucets, lighting fixtures, etc.)	2 to 4 months
Exterior finishes (painting, finishing, landscaping, etc.)	1 to 2 months
Final inspections and walkthrough	2 to 4 weeks

*Obtaining permits often takes the longest when building a house.

Now that you know how long it takes to build a house in Vancouver, Canada, let’s discuss some factors that can impact the timeline estimates above.

Many variables can affect how long it takes to build a custom home. However, the most significant factors that will impact your home building timeline include:

• Home size
• Style of home
• Design complexity
• Location
• Customization (unique features and finishes may take longer to source)

In addition, some of the most common causes for building delays include:

• Weather (e.g., storms, rain, snow, freezing temperatures, etc.)
• Permit delays
• Inspection delays
• Material availability and shipping
• Homeowner changes (e.g., to design, layout, finishes, etc.)
• Home builder availability
• Labour shortages
• Inexperienced builders

Now that we’ve answered “How long does it take to build a house?” here are some tips to help you minimize the time it takes to build your home.

Want to build your custom home as quickly as possible? Here are four tips to help you avoid delays and keep your timeline on track.

1. Hire an experienced local home builder. The best thing you can do to ensure your custom home-building project is smooth and efficient is to hire a good builder. An experienced local contractor will know local regulations, building codes and standards, environmental factors, etc. This knowledge will ensure that the permitting and inspection processes go smoothly, helping to avoid delays. A local builder will also have connections to assist with acquiring building materials. Finally, an experienced contractor will know how long it takes to build a home in your area and can help you create a realistic timeline.
2. Place orders for home-building materials, fixtures, fittings and finishes as early as possible. Selecting and ordering your windows, appliances, fixtures, etc., as early as possible can help avoid delays.
3. Schedule groundbreaking during spring or summer, if possible. Try to avoid breaking ground during the winter months (e.g., November, December, January) to help prevent weather delays.
4. Communicate changes as early as possible and try to limit changes during construction. Sometimes changes are necessary – you’re building your dream home, after all! However, it’s important to keep in mind that changes can delay the building process (and increase costs). Therefore, to avoid delays and stay on budget) try to limit changes during construction.

Above all, it’s essential to have realistic expectations. Building a good, high-quality custom home takes time. So, don’t rush the process – enjoy it!

Hasler Homes is an award-winning, North Vancouver-based custom home builder. As a full-service residential construction company, our team will handle every aspect of the home building process for you. We’ll help you find the perfect architect and interior designer, hire experienced and reliable tradespeople, secure permits, and manage your timeline and budget. Most importantly, with our knowledge and experience, we can do these things efficiently!

At Halser Homes, our focus is not on building homes as quickly as possible. Instead, we focus on constructing high-performace homes that exhibit quality craftsmanship. Thus, when you choose Hasler, you choose reliability, transparency, and quality.

Ready to start building your dream home? Contact us for a commitment-free consultation. 

Call: 778 688 7846

Email: info@haslerhomes.ca

Contact Form: https://haslerhomes.ca/contact/