From permits to final walkthrough, here is a realistic month-by-month schedule for a custom home in central Illinois — and an honest list of the things that slow it down.
Months 1–2: design and permits. Drawings, structural calculations and the permit application with Sangamon County. Budget six to eight weeks; longer if the plot needs a variance.
Month 3: site preparation. Clearing, excavation, drainage and utility trenching. Wet ground is the usual delay here.
Months 4–5: foundations and frame. Footings, slab and the timber or steel frame. Once the frame is up the house stops being an abstraction.
Months 6–7: envelope and first fix. Roof, windows, insulation, then the mechanical, electrical and plumbing first fix.
Months 8–9: second fix and finishes. Plaster, joinery, tiling, paint and the kitchen. This is the stage clients underestimate.
The honest average is seven to nine months of construction, plus the design and permit stage. Anyone quoting four months for a custom build is either subcontracting the whole thing or telling you what you want to hear.
