Trade secrets: what every trade does, and what you will live with.
A house is built by a dozen trades, one after another. Here is each one in the order you will meet them: what they do, what you will see, how it is done well, where it gets hard, and what you should decide first.
You are not buying lumber and pipe. You are building the house you can already see in your head. Every trade turns a little more of that picture into something you can walk through. The ones below are the places where your decisions shape the result, and where waiting costs the most.
- Site work and excavationThe soils report decides what the foundation has to be. Read it before you fall for a floor plan.
- Foundations and concreteOnce concrete is poured, a mistake means a jackhammer.
- FramingA wall moves cheapest now, not once wires, pipes and drywall are in.
- RoofingLeaks nearly always start at details: valleys, walls, chimneys, skylights and vents.
- Windows, doors and weatherproofingFlashing is applied like shingles: lower pieces first, upper pieces lapped over them.
- PlumbingDrains need slope and a vent. Without them, they gurgle, slow down or back up.
- ElectricalPlan for what you will add later: an EV charger, induction cooking, a heat pump, solar or a battery.
- Heating, cooling and ventilationRight-sized equipment beats big equipment. Oversizing makes a house less comfortable, not more.
- Insulation and air sealingInsulation squashed into a cavity loses part of the value you paid for.
- Drywall and plasterSmooth walls are made in layers and sanded. Dust is part of the process.
- Tile and shower waterproofingGrout is not waterproof. The membrane under it is.
- Cabinetry and millworkCabinets are ordered early, then checked against the built walls.
- Floors and paintWood floors start from a planned line so the cuts at the walls look balanced.
Five decisions that cost the most to change later.
- Where walls and openings gobefore framing
- Fixture and appliance modelsbefore plumbing and cabinets are roughed in
- Switch, outlet and light locationsbefore electrical rough-in
- Window and door sizesbefore they are ordered
- Tile and floor layoutbefore the first tile or board is set
General guidance, not a specification. Your drawings, your engineer and your building inspector govern every job. See the whole process · What it costs, and when
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- Same dayMatt confirms he has it, and flags anything obvious that is missing.
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- Then nothing, unless you askNo follow-up sequence, no call from anyone else. The assessment is yours to keep, and to take anywhere.