Our Construction Process

Construction begins with home site excavation. Your home's position is staked on the lot and prepped for the foundation.

For homes with block wall construction, the concrete footing - the base on which your home's foundation will rest - is poured, and when it's set, gravel fill is placed around the footing or under the basement slab for drainage.

Depending on the region your home is built in, your new home's foundation consists of a slab, block or poured wall foundation.

Slab construction: Forms are set and an outline of the new home begins to take shape. Underground plumbing is installed and tied into the public sewer system. After a bit of prep work, the slab is poured which creates the foundation for your home.

Block wall construction: Concrete block is laid to create your new home's foundation. Once set, waterproofing is applied and the garage slab is prepped and poured.

Poured wall foundation: Concrete is poured into foundation form panels. Once the concrete is set, foundation waterproofing is applied, and drain tile piping is installed. Underground plumbing is installed and tied into the public sewer system. Next, your basement and garage slab is poured, and the concrete floors are finished.

Framing is the phase where things really start to take shape. Many homeowners think their home is near completion at the end of this stage. Actually, we are still only about one third of the way through the construction process! 

So, while the phases beyond this one may seem much slower in progress, it's because we are getting into the fine details which may not be apparent but are vital to your finished home.

In the framing phase, the subfloor, walls, and roof structure are built, and your roof is shingled. Window and door units are installed, and any backfilling around the foundation is done.

"Rough mechanics" is the term used for the mechanical portions of building including heating, air conditioning, plumbing and electric. This construction phase is a swarm of activity as plumbing and indoor sewer pipes, your furnace and ducts, and electric wiring, outlets, and switches are installed.

Insulation is installed in the walls, and drywall is staged in each room for future installation. Water, gas and electric utilities are also connected to your home.

Toward the end of this phase, the Builder will perform a pre-drywall review with you. This review is an opportunity to go over the work already done on your home and discuss work to be completed in the next three phases.

The drywall phase of home construction shows progress rather quickly. Rooms are separated and divided, giving you the visual effect of each space. Drywall is hung and finished, and the ceilings are insulated. Outside brick, stone and siding are installed; and your home site is graded for drainage and to prepare for the driveway, patios, walks, and so on.

The interior finishing phase is probably one of the most exciting phases. You'll see many of the selections you made at your Drees Design Center come to life. This is when the Builder installs kitchen and bath cabinetry, countertops, mirrors, medicine cabinets, interior doors and trim, stair rails, and many other detail features.

Next, the visible portions of the rough mechanics such as the plumbing hardware of faucets, showerheads, commodes, and so on, are installed. Switch plates, plug covers, and light fixtures are put into place, as are your thermostat, outdoor air/heat pump unit, and register and return air covers.

During this construction phase, kitchen appliances and flooring, ceramic, and hardwood - are installed, and both the interior and exterior of your home are painted. Later in this phase, you'll see carpeting and your yard is finish-graded, seeded or sodded. Finishing touches are added, such as cleaning the windows, floors, baths, kitchen, and so on. 

An internal quality assurance inspection ensures your new home is in accordance with your custom architectural plan. After your Homeowner Orientation and Closing are conducted, you'll be ready to move-in!