The Build Sequence — Companion Guide 03

Everything gets covered up. Look at it first.

The footing disappears under the wall, the wiring under the insulation, the insulation under the drywall. By the time you move in, almost nothing you paid for is visible — and the moment to check it has passed.

This 24-page guide is a schedule of the last moment each thing can be seen. It follows a build from survey stakes to certificate of occupancy in eighteen stages. Each stage gets one page: what happens, what it depends on, a checklist to walk before the next trade covers it, what usually goes wrong, what to photograph, the question to ask the builder that day — and where Ching's book draws it in full.

What's inside

• The sequence. 18 stages, 6 phases, and where the 8 building-department inspections fall.
• Site to final, one page each. Excavation, footings, foundation, floor, walls, roof, dry-in, roofing, plumbing, electrical, HVAC, insulation, drywall, cladding, finish, fixtures, handover.
• The pre-drywall walk. The most valuable hour of the whole project, as a checklist.
• Renovations. Where an addition, a gut, a kitchen, a bath, a basement or a wall removal re-enters the sequence.
• Five questions for every site visit, the camera habit, and how draws, change orders and retention should follow the stages.

A note on scope. Typical North American residential practice; codes, inspection schedules and payment norms vary by jurisdiction and contract. A guide to what to look at and when — not a substitute for your local code, your contract or licensed professionals.