How long does it take to build a house?

The timeline in detail: phases and influencing factors

Phase 1: The invisible work (planning and approval)

Before the first brick is laid, a lot of time is spent at the desk. This phase is often forgotten when calculating the construction time of a house .

• Finding land and planning: It often takes 3 to 6 months until you have the land and the architect has finished the plan.
• The building permit: This is where Swiss bureaucracy comes into play. Ideally, it takes three months from submitting the building application to receiving the permit. However, if there are objections from neighbors or conditions imposed by the municipality, this part of the construction time can extend to six to twelve months. Without the official permit, no excavator is allowed to set foot on the site.

Phase 2: The shell construction (The skeleton is built)

Now the visible construction phase of the house begins .

• Civil engineering and foundation: Excavation and base slab take approximately 2 to 4 weeks.
• Walls and roof: In a solid brick house, the building grows floor by floor. It usually takes 3 to 4 months until the roof frame is in place and the topping-out ceremony can be celebrated.

This phase of the house construction is extremely weather-dependent . A harsh winter or prolonged rain can set the schedule back by weeks.

Phase 3: Interior finishing (Detailed work)

This is often the longest phase of a house's construction . From the outside, the house looks finished, but inside there is a great deal of activity.

• Installation: Electrical, plumbing and heating (approx. 4–6 weeks).
• Screed and plaster: Patience is required here. The screed must dry (become ready for covering). Depending on the weather and method, this drying phase can block the construction time for 4 to 8 weeks, as no floor coverings may be laid during this time.
• Final stage: flooring, painting, kitchen and doors (approx. 4–8 weeks).

Decisive factor: The construction method

A major factor influencing the construction time of a house is the choice of construction method.

1. Solid house (brick by brick)

This is the Swiss classic. The construction time for a house here is the longest, as materials like concrete and mortar need time to dry.

• Pure construction time for the house: Approx. 8 to 12 months.
• Advantage: High individuality and lasting value.
• Disadvantage: Long-term double burden on finances.

2. Prefabricated house (timber frame construction/system construction)

Here, walls are pre-produced in the factory and only assembled on the construction site.

• Pure construction time for a house: Often only 4 to 6 months from the foundation slab.
• Advantage: The construction time for the house on the property is extremely short ; the shell is often weatherproof in 2 days.
• Please note: Delivery times before construction can be long (production queues). Therefore, the total construction time for a house (including waiting time) is not always shorter than with traditional brick-and-mortar construction.

Other factors influencing the construction time of a house

Why does it often take longer than planned?

• The weather: Frost and heavy rain are the natural enemies of a house during construction . Concreting is not possible at sub-zero temperatures.
• Shortage of tradespeople: If the electrician doesn't have time, the plasterer can't start. Coordination of the trades is crucial for a short construction time for a house .
• DIY work: Do you want to do the painting or laying the floors yourself? Don't underestimate the effort involved. Amateurs work slower than professionals, which usually extends the construction time of a house .
• Change requests: Any change during the construction phase (e.g., moving a wall) disrupts the process and significantly extends the construction time of the house .

How you can shorten the construction time of your house

An efficient construction time for a house saves money.

• Good planning: The more detailed the planning before construction begins, the fewer delays there will be later.
• Plan in buffer time: A realistic house construction time always includes time reserves.
• Construction management: An experienced construction manager coordinates the tradespeople so that there is no downtime and the construction time for the house remains minimal.

The schedule at a glance

answer the question "How long does it take to build a house ?", here is a typical calculation for a single-family house built using solid construction methods:

• Planning & approval: 4 – 8 months (highly variable).
• Shell construction & roof: 3 – 4 months.
• Interior finishing & technology: 4 – 6 months.
• Outdoor facilities: 1 – 2 months (often concurrently or after moving in).

Total project duration: 12 to 20 months.

Pure construction time for the house (from groundbreaking): 8 to 12 months.

construction time on site is often reduced to 3 to 5 months, while the planning phase remains similarly long.

Conclusion

The construction time for a house is a dynamic process. For a typical detached house in Switzerland, you should expect approximately 9 to 12 months from groundbreaking to moving in. If you include the planning and the often lengthy permitting process, you can easily reach a total duration of 1.5 to 2 years.

Those under time pressure should consider a prefabricated house or buying an existing property. However, those building a custom home need patience. A shorter construction time should never compromise quality – drying times are physical laws, not recommendations. A realistic estimate of the construction time is the best protection against financial stress.

If you are looking for support in finding the right plot of land or want to know how the location could affect your project, it is worth using Loft 's analyses to put your planning on a solid basis.

Glossary

• House construction time: The period of time required to erect a residential building, often divided into shell construction and interior finishing.
• Building permit: The official permission from the authorities to begin construction; often the biggest uncertainty factor for the start of the construction period of a house .
• Solid construction: Classic construction method using stone and concrete (" wet construction "), which requires a longer construction time due to drying times .
• Prefabricated construction: A construction method using prefabricated elements (mostly wood) that are assembled on site, shortening the construction time of the house on site.
• Shell construction: The completed supporting structure of the house including the roof , but without interior finishing; usually completed after the first third of the construction time .