Permits. To be able to build you have to have your plans approved by the city or county you are building in. They will give you building permits once your plans are approved. This can take a number of weeks, or in slower seasons can be approved quickly. So, if you intend to build a home, you do not want to get slowed down by not having the proper permit for it, so get your home plans drawn up and get them in to be approved as soon as possible. After all, you can't start work until this is complete. There is a cost associated with this, but it varies from city to city. You need to post permit on premises when building, it is best to put it in a plastic bag.

Contractors and subs. One of the basics of building a home is having contractors and subs. Generally, even if you owner build, you are going to have someone come in to do some of the work, even if it is just the plumping and electrical. You may hire someone called a general contractor to manage the whole process for you, or you can take the time to interview, check references, and hire the sub contractors yourself. These are the people who will be doing various jobs on site, such as framing, drywall, tile, roofing, etc.

Inspections. Part of the home building process is passing inspections. At different stages in the process the city will come out and check the work. This is done to ensure it meets code, such as not having your water heater too close to the wall, etc. but it is also done to ensure the house is being built correctly and will not cave in on you and kill you or something. If you do not pass an inspection you have a time frame to get things right and re-inspected, or you lose your permits, etc. Re-inspections are costly, so it is best to get things right the first time.

A budget. Part of building a home is having a budget. This budget includes labor, materials, permits, inspection costs, etc. So, if you intend to build a home, it is wise to put a budget together before starting. Most of the time if you need a loan to build, a bank will require to see a budget, and that it is accurate.

A schedule. If you are going to build a home you will have a schedule you will try to follow. There will be a date you hope to have things completed by. There will be dates you need certain subs, etc. Work has to progress in a specific order, so setting a time frame and schedule is how you keep the right people coming at the right time, and get the house done on time.