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How Long Does It Take to Build a Custom Home in Michigan?

The Short Answer

For most custom homes we build in West Michigan, the total timeline from first conversation to move-in is 12 to 18 months. That includes the design process, pricing and decision-making, permitting, and construction.

Some projects move faster. Some take longer. The variables that push a timeline in either direction are worth understanding before you start, so you can plan realistically and avoid frustration along the way.

Breaking Down the Timeline

Here's what a typical custom home timeline looks like, phase by phase:

Discovery: 2–4 Weeks

This is the initial conversation phase — understanding how you live, establishing a budget range, evaluating your site (if you have one), and gathering inspiration. It's the foundation for everything that follows, and it shouldn't be rushed.

Conceptual Design: 3–6 Weeks

Floor plan options, exterior massing studies, and preliminary cost checks. Most clients go through 2–3 rounds of revision before the concept feels right. This phase moves faster when the homeowner has a clear sense of their priorities and is available for regular check-ins.

Design Development: 4–8 Weeks

The approved concept gets developed into detailed plans — dimensioned floor plans, exterior elevations with material callouts, 3D renderings, and the beginning of finish selections. This is where the home takes real shape.

Pricing and Establishing Standards: 4–6 Weeks

Structural and mechanical plans are finalized, finish standards are established collaboratively with the homeowner, and the project goes out to bid. Subcontractors and suppliers price the work based on the drawings and the established standards.

Presenting and Decision Making: 2–4 Weeks

After pricing is presented, homeowners need time to absorb the numbers and make decisions about scope. Everyone says no to something — that's normal. This phase takes as long as it needs to, and we don't rush it. The goal is a final scope and budget that everyone feels good about.

Permitting: 2–8 Weeks

Permit timelines vary significantly by jurisdiction. Inland municipalities may turn permits around in a few weeks. Lakefront projects — especially those requiring EGLE review or critical dune permits — can take considerably longer. We submit permits as early in the process as possible to minimize delays.

Construction: 7–14 Months

This is the widest range because it depends heavily on the size and complexity of the home. A 2,500-square-foot home on a straightforward site might be framed, dried in, and finished in 7–8 months. A 4,500-square-foot lakefront home could take 9–14 months.

What Extends the Timeline

Several factors can push a project beyond the typical range:

  • Lakefront permitting: EGLE involvement, critical dune reviews, and local waterfront overlays all add time — sometimes months.
  • Complex designs: Timber frame packages, extensive steel work, curved elements, and intricate rooflines require more time to detail, fabricate, and install.
  • Material lead times: Custom windows, specialty stone, and one-off millwork items can have long lead times. Ordering early is critical.
  • Weather: Michigan winters can slow exterior work. Foundation pours, framing, roofing, and exterior finishes are all weather-dependent. A well-planned schedule accounts for seasonal slowdowns.
  • Association by-laws: Some lakefront and neighborhood associations restrict construction hours, delivery times, and seasonal work windows.
  • Decision delays: When finish selections or scope decisions stall, the schedule stalls with them. The most efficient projects have engaged homeowners who make timely decisions.

What Compresses the Timeline

On the other side, some factors help a project move efficiently:

  • Design-build model: Because design and pre-construction overlap, the total timeline is shorter than traditional design-bid-build by 3–6 months.
  • Early decisions: Clients who make finish selections early — cabinets, tile, fixtures, lighting — allow us to order materials before they become critical-path items.
  • Inland sites: Simpler permitting, easier site access, and fewer regulatory layers all help.
  • Straightforward designs: A well-designed home doesn't have to be complicated. Clean lines and efficient layouts build faster than homes with excessive complexity.

Seasonal Considerations in Michigan

The ideal time to break ground in Michigan is spring — April or May — which allows the foundation and framing to happen during the best weather months. A spring start on a typical custom home puts you on track for a winter or early spring move-in the following year.

That said, we build year-round. Foundations can be poured into late fall with proper precautions, and interior work — electrical, plumbing, drywall, trim, cabinetry, flooring — continues through the winter regardless of conditions outside. The key is planning the schedule so weather-sensitive work happens during favorable months.

The Honest Takeaway

Building a custom home takes time — and it should. The design process, the pricing conversations, the decision-making — all of it matters, and none of it should be rushed. A realistic timeline, communicated clearly from the start, is one of the most important things a builder can give you.

If you're starting to think about timing for your project — let's talk through it. We can map out a realistic schedule based on your goals, your site, and the kind of home you're envisioning.