Stucco, brick and roof

Now it is time to Stucco or brick the exterior of the home. During this time the roof can be installed as well. It is also a good idea to get the cabinet guy to measure where your cabinets are to go because once the sheet rock and tape and float are complete, it will be time to install cabinets. If cabinets are not installed then it puts the tile/carpet on hold.

Doors, windows, poly-seal

At this stage the doors will be installed. In some cases the contractor will only install the construction doors which are temporary doors so the original doors do not get damaged.

Window could have been installed at anytime after the framing stage, but now is as good as time as any.

Before the insulation your contractor will poly-seal the whole house. The is a yellow foam the seals holes and cracks (windows, door jams, exterior wall plugs, etc.) so that the home does not have any drafts or air escapes.

Electrical, Plumbing, A/C

Now that the house in pretty well dried in, it is time for the electricians to run all the cables the the lights, outlets, TV, phone and misc. cables. The lines will not be terminated, they will only be the wires leading from the breaker boxes to the switches and outlets. Once the sheetrock is complete the electricians will finish out the switches and outlets.

The will also be installing all the lines for the showers, toilets, sinks, washer and outside spouts. All lines will be terminated at the end until sheet rock is complete.

The A/C installers will run all the A/C air ducts and copper lines to outside A/C units.

Framers

The next step is when the frames come in to put up the walls of the house. This is a very exciting process because it happens so fast and it really gives your house shape. For the first time you can really see the layout of your home. It is very important to walk through and measure every part of your house so they can make adjustments. After the studs and rafters are in place, the framers will put plywood all over and around the house. When the plywood is on the roof they will install tar-paper on top to protect the plywood and inside of the house until the permanent roof is installed. Next phase will be the electrical, plumbing and A/C.