The Help I'm Building A House Guidebook

$85.00

The Help I'm Building A House Guidebook

Every step of building your first home, in order. From budget and land to the final punch list, so you know what to ask and what to check before it costs you.

32-page printable PDF
30 steps, checklists, and pro tips
Instant download

$85.00

You're about to make hundreds of decisions about a house you've never built before. This 32-page printable guidebook walks you through every one of them in order, from setting your budget and choosing your land to the final punch list and moving day. There are 30 steps, 28 checklists and 30 pro tips from the Texas House Plans architecture team, so you know what to ask, what to check and what to decide before it costs you. Instant PDF download.

Authored by Texas House Plans, an architecture studio with 20+ years experience and 2,000+ projects. Questions before you buy? Call (888) 702-2555.

This PDF Guidebook walks you through the phases and steps of building your home including: 1

1. Project Preparation: Goals a complete budget with a 10 to 15% contingency, loans, your team and your site.

2. Your Site: Location, slope, soil, drainage, zoning, setbacks, HOA rules and utilities.

3. Your House Design: Build-ready vs. customized vs. custom, the floor plan, materials and efficiency.

4. Your House Build: All 10 construction stages and what to check at each walk-through.

5. Project Closeout: Inspections, the punch list, warranties, lien waivers and moving in.

Instant Download. A download link appears right after checkout, and a link is emailed to you at the same time.

Because it's a digital download, all sales are final. See the sample pages before you buy.

WHAT'S INSIDE

Project Preparation

Set your goals, build a complete budget with a 10 to 15% contingency, compare construction loans, choose your team and decide how you'll get your site.

Your Site

Choose a location you won't regret, read the land (slope, soil, drainage, sun), check zoning, setbacks, easements and HOA rules, and price out utilities before you buy.

Your House Design

Define what you really need, compare build-ready vs. customized vs. custom design, test your floor plan against a real day, choose materials and plan energy efficiency while changes are still cheap.

Your House Build

All 10 construction stages, from grading and foundation to framing, roofing, MEP rough-in, interiors and landscaping, with what to check at each walk-through.

Project Closeout

Final inspections, a punch list that actually gets finished, warranties, lien waivers and final payment, and a move-in checklist.

Also inside: a one-page timeline of the whole build (design 1 to 6 months, permitting 1 to 2, construction 6 to 12+, closeout 1 to 2), and an overview of how a home design goes from concept to construction drawings.

Is this guidebook for you?

This is for you if:

You're building your first home and want to understand the whole process before you sign anything

You own land or are shopping for a lot and want to know what to check before you commit

You're deciding between a build-ready plan and custom design and want to compare them honestly

You want to stay on budget without cutting corners where it matters, like the foundation, flashing and insulation

You're working with a builder and want to know what to look for at each walk-through

This isn't for you if:

You want a contractor's technical manual or a code book. This is a plain-English guide for homeowners, and your local professionals still review your project against local code.