Blog Post

Whether it’s your first time buying or you’ve purchased several homes before, learning about the stages of home construction can be helpful. It’s a great way to better understand and have peace of mind about the overall process. Cornerstone Homes will always make your home-building process enjoyable and fun and help you along the way. While there are other steps leading up to the start of construction, today we want to help you anticipate what to expect during your home’s official evolution in one of our active adult communities. Take a look at our Tuesdays at Two to see the actual stages of construction from foundation to rough in with our very own Senior Construction Manager, Jay Frederick. 

The Early Steps in Our New Home Construction Process

Building a new home requires a lot of skill, knowledge, and attention to detail. Cornerstone Homes has been building 55+ communities and homes for over 25 years, so you can rest assured we know how to do it right. Our custom home-building process has been perfected to ensure you have a home that’s built to high standards and is comfortably suited to how you want to live. Once your approved structural and design selections have been made, your personalized plan set is created and sent to the local jurisdiction for plan approval.  After review of your personalized approved plans during your Pre-Construction Meeting, construction on your home begins!  Here are the early steps we take to bring your home from bare land to our next milestone, the Pre-Drywall Meeting.

1. Grading

Your homesite has been graded and compacted by the developer to ensure the land is leveled and sloped to fit the home’s layout. This includes making sure there’s proper drainage away from the house and that the land accommodates your home’s driveways, curbs, and remaining exterior.

2. Dig Footers

A land survey is completed to flag the footers and our erosion and soil control specialist install silt fencing around the perimeter of your homesite.  Footings are put in to distribute the weight of your home evenly across the full structure and helps prevent water and moisture from seeping into the foundation.

3. Foundation

Along with the footers, foundation walls are poured to maintain the home’s structure. Both are formed with concrete, and leveled and fitted with ground work utility runs for the initial setup of your plumbing, electrical and gas.  Special items like zero-threshold showers and floor outlets are installed.  A vapor barrier is laid on top of the gravel to ensure your home is kept dry. Following a groundworks inspection, your foundation is poured.

4. Framing

This is a particularly exciting part for our homeowners who are building a new home. Here, you get to see the home’s shape come to life as wood beams and walls are put up to distinguish each room. Once completed, you can see exactly where the doorways, windows, and hallways are located. The walls are secured in place with bracing until the roof trusses are swung and set in place.

5. Roofing

The roofing trusses are organized and labeled so our team can efficiently install them after the framing is completed. Once swung and set in place, roof sheathing is installed, followed by  black tar paper and finally roof shingles.  Once the roof is secure and dry, more work begins on the exterior of your home.

6. Walls, Windows & Doors

Plywood is secured to your home’s walls and then the home is wrapped with a vapor barrier.  Flashing is installed and doors and windows are set. The home is then inspected once again.   

7. Exterior Facade

Here is where the beautiful exterior of your home comes into play. Siding is installed and stone or brick veneer is applied.  Various other exterior details are also included here like cornices, decorative trim and shutters.  These items add a great accent and detail to your home.

8. Plumbing, Electrical and HVAC

During the new home construction process, there are some steps that can overlap as they need to be completed prior to the walls being enclosed with drywall. These tasks, called “Rough-ins” are when the plumber, electricians and HVAC come and install their necessary wire, pipes and lines for a modern home. For example, the utility lines include plumbing drains and electrical chases to get your home’s showers, bathrooms, kitchen, etc. ready to go for finishing touches. Again, there are several inspections that occur along the way and your next milestone – The Pre-Drywall Meeting is just around the corner!

Features of Our Finished Homes

Now that you’ve learned a little about the details below the surface and behind the walls, we want to give you a taste of what to expect inside your finished Cornerstone home. Our goal with every home is to include features that impact your life for the better and grow with you throughout the years. With us, your home is guaranteed to be comfortable, safe, accessible, and energy-efficient. Check out a few of the timely and lasting features we include.

• Efficient Lighting - natural and supplemental lighting to ensure well-lit spaces day or night.
• No-Step Showers - Low or no threshold showers with optional built-in benches.
• Safe Owner’s Entry - Zero threshold owner’s entry.
• Easy-Open Handles - Lever-style door handles in brushed nickel finish.
• More Space - Wide, accessible hallways, doorways & living spaces.
• Wifi Enabled Thermostat - A programmable, touchscreen thermostat can be used to remotely control your home’s temperature and reduce your cooling and heating energy usage.
• Fresh Air Ventilation - Efficient delivery and filtration systems reduce dust, odors, and indoor contaminants ensuring a healthier home.
• Water-Saving Features - Water-efficient toilets, faucets, shower heads, and appliances to save you water and money.
• Smart Door Lock and Deadbolt - Offers optimal security that you can operate, manage, and monitor the lock with your smartphone using the app from anywhere there’s an internet connection.
• Wifi Enabled Garage Door Opener - A reliable opener with the advantage of being able to monitor and operate it remotely through a smartphone or other similar type of device.

Learn more about our home features for smart and easy living and energy efficiency on our website.