Who is involved in building homes?

Answer 1

Homes are built by land owners. In (too) many cases, they hold large tracts and build many homes at once. We call these landowners "developers" to distinguish them for a person who buys or owns a lot and has a home constructed on it. Any home that is built will be built from a design and from plans that have to be engineered to meet applicable building codes. Architects, or home designers without advanced degrees and high fees do this. Engineers are involved to insure the integrity of the structure. Surveying will have to be included at some point if the lot isn't "clearly defined" by its location. This is all part of the planning phase. In the case of the developer, a survey party will site and stake the development, and then a heavy equipment crew will grade and prep it. At some point, utility services will have to be routed. Lots of heavy work there. Then some streets and sidwalks as well as lighting fixtures, storm drains, and the like will be put in. Now we're ready to build that house. Plan reviews will have been made and permits will have been gotten from the appropriate government authority with oversight of construction and building codes in the area where the land is. The developer will have had a different burden regarding plans and permits because he is involved in placing streets and utilities and not just the foundation of single house. He has a very large "in house" crew for this and also for a majority of the construction, if not all of it. A builder or contractor will handle the construction of the home, and he'll be working from those plans. (He may or may not have gotten the permits.) Construction requires materials, which involves building supply companies. (Factor in transportation.) And the contractor's workers include people from many specialties. They either work for him or he hires them (general contractor). There may be site preparation. And there is underground work to set water, gas, and electric "Plumbing" that may be under a slab or foundation. Then the setting of forms for a concrete pour, which will follow. A pool or tennis court takes extra work. After the concrete is set, the house is framed, or set up from premade frame sections. A separate crew may stack the roof, or the roof trusses may be trucked in and set. Is there brick or stone work involved? The list of specialists which includes carpenters, plumbers and electricians now includes masons. There is a veritable army of specialists who may be called to come in and do small portions of the overall job. As just one example, the drywall specialist won't lay carpet or paint. An insulation installer won't put in pipe for plumbing, and he won't put in windows and doors or pull wire for electrical outlets, either. Inspections occur at intervals along the way. At some point the house is done and the landscapers have finished their jobs, too. Time to pick out furniture and window treatments.