Steps to Building a House

Permits & Foundation Stage

Permit Stage
In this stage, DSLD files for a construction permit in the Parish/County where the home is being built. Once we have the permit back, we begin dirt work to ensure effective drainage on the home site.

Foundation Stage
During this phase of construction, form boards are laid to contain the concrete of the foundation. This is the exact layout of where the home will be positioned on the lot! Next, the plumbing crew comes to add pipes & drainage supply lines inside the layout of the foundation. The footings inside the foundation are prepared by the concrete crew, then a plastic barrier is laid to prevent moisture from getting into the foundation. The final step before concrete is poured, is adding wire mesh and metal rods giving the foundation even more durability. We then schedule the concrete of the foundation to be poured! The concrete crew will pour the concrete, smooth it out, and allow it to cure.

Framing Stage

This stage is where carpenters begin building the interior and exterior walls as well as the ceiling. After that, the crew adds roof decking with a radiant barrier to make the home energy efficient. The home is wrapped with Barricade Plus Home Wrap to keep unwanted air and moisture out. The exterior doors and windows are also installed at this stage, and the Parish/County will perform an inspection to make sure all construction work meets building code standards.

Top Out Stage

At this point, the plumbing crew extends the pipes laid during Foundation Stage throughout the walls. The lines supplying water to the kitchen, baths, laundry, and outdoor hose bibs are installed as well as the showers and tubs. During this stage, we also install the heating, ventilation, HVAC system, and wiring for all electrical systems. Once these items have been installed the Parish/County performs another inspection. Once inspections are complete, we start the insulation process by first applying foam around penetrations to stop unwanted air flow using a BIB system for maximum efficiency.

Drywall & Exteriors Stage

In this stage, we start by hanging drywall panels on the ceiling first, then the walls. Drywall mud and texture finish are added next to complete the sheetrock process. On the exterior of the home, the base coat of stucco is completed along with the vinyl siding and brick.

Interiors, Punch Out, & Quality Control Stage

Interiors Stage
The interiors stage begins with the trim carpenter installing the interior doors, cabinets, baseboards, and crown molding. Next the painting crew adds the primary coats of paint to the walls, baseboards, crown molding, and cabinets. Next, the ceramic tile flooring is installed in all the "wet" areas of the home.

Mechanical Trim Stage/Interiors Complete
The mechanical and electrical systems in the home are completed during this stage. This also includes the completion of all plumbing, lighting, and HVAC systems. In addition, we install granite slab countertops, mirrors, shower doors, appliances, light fixtures, and plumbing fixtures. Carpet and hardwood flooring will also be installed during this stage.

Punch Out Stage
This is where the finishing touches are done. Paint touchups are complete, the interior and exterior of the home is professionally cleaned and the driveway is pressure washed. The yard is fully sodded and a variety of seasonal landscaping is installed in the flowerbeds. The Parish/County will perform a final inspection to ensure building code standards have been met.

Final Inspections/Quality Control Stage
During this stage, a Quality Control Professional visits the home and goes through a rigorous 1000+ item checklist of all the functioning systems in the home to make sure they are all operating at optimum performance. Once they have completed their report, the DSLD superintendent completes an inspection of his own, and corrects any items on the Quality Control Professional's list so that the home is perfect when the buyer shows up for their first Walk Through.

New Homeowner's Orientation/First Walk Through
The home is now complete and this is the stage where the buyer is contacted to walk through the home with the DSLD superintendent. During this New Homeowner's Orientation, the superintendent will walk the buyer through the home explaining the many features, benefits, and overall operation of the functioning systems. He will also address any questions or concerns at this time so the items needing adjustment can be done prior to closing.

Final Walk Through
The intention of the Final Walk Through is to verify that any & all items found during the First Walk Through have been brought up to DSLD standards and corrected for the buyer. This is the final step before our homebuyer closes and moves into their brand new home!

Customer Care & Warranty

For more information and education on our customer care and warranty, visit our Customer Care page!