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How to build a residential construction schedule in NSW
Stages in build order, durations in working days, the NSW critical stage inspections and progress claim stages, with a worked example for a single-storey house.
Updated 23 October 2026 · BUILDATECH
1. List the stages in build order
For a typical new house on a slab, the order is: site establishment, excavation and footings, under-slab services, slab, frame and trusses, roof and windows, rough-in, brickwork or cladding, insulation and plasterboard, waterproofing, fix-out, tiling, joinery, painting, fit-off, external works, final clean, final inspection and handover. Renovations and knock-down rebuilds add demolition, temporary services and staging, so list those too.
2. Give each task a duration in working days
Ask each trade how many days they need on site and when they can start. Write durations as working days, not calendar days. Count Monday to Friday, skip NSW public holidays, and block out your Christmas shutdown. Add Saturdays only if your contract or crew works them. Our free NSW working days calculator does the counting, and explains why a five-day task that starts the Thursday before Easter finishes eight calendar days later.
3. Link the tasks
Most residential tasks are “finish-to-start”: tiling can’t start until waterproofing is inspected. Link each task to the one before it. The longest chain of linked tasks is your critical path. A delay on it pushes out handover; a delay off it may not. Some tasks can run side by side. In the example below, brickwork starts once windows are in, while roofing and rough-in carry on.
4. Put the NSW critical stage inspections in the program
For a new house (a Class 1 building) the principal certifier must inspect at these stages:
- after excavation for, and before placement of, any footings
- before pouring any in-situ reinforced concrete (such as the slab)
- before covering the framework of any floor, wall or roof
- before covering waterproofing in wet areas
- before covering any stormwater drainage connections
- after the work is complete and before the occupation certificate is issued
Give each inspection its own one-day task so the next trade can’t start until it is done, and book it ahead. Swimming pools and other building classes have different requirements. Source: Environmental Planning and Assessment (Development Certification and Fire Safety) Regulation 2021 (NSW), s 61; NSW Planning Portal, MyHome Planner: Build. Check the current requirements and your certifier’s notice period.
5. Line up the progress claim stages
Mark the points where each progress payment falls due: deposit, base, frame, lock-up, fixing and practical completion are common for a new house. Under the Home Building Act 1989 (NSW), the deposit is capped at 10% (s 8), and for contracts over $20,000 progress payments must be for work already done (s 8A). Describe each stage in plain words so nobody argues about whether it is finished. Check the stages with our free progress payment calculator.
6. Add a weather allowance and keep it visible
Rather than padding every task, put a single contingency block before the final inspection. If you don’t use it, you finish early. If it rains, you can see how much allowance is left. Record lost days in your site diary, so you can back up an extension of time claim.
7. Update it every week
A program is only useful if it’s current. When a task moves, every linked task after it should move by the same number of working days. Send the updated program to the owner and your trades.
Worked example: single-storey brick veneer house, Sydney
This is a fictional example to show the method. Durations are illustrative, not industry averages. Your design, site, trades and weather will differ. Start Monday 1 February 2027. Monday to Friday, NSW public holidays skipped (Good Friday, Easter Monday, the Anzac Day additional day on 26 April and the King’s Birthday). Result: handover on Thursday 12 August 2027, 135 working days after the start.
| # | Task | Working days | After task | Start (2027) | Finish (2027) | Progress claim |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Site establishment, fencing, amenities, set-out | 3 | – | Mon 1 Feb | Wed 3 Feb | Deposit (paid on signing) |
| 2 | Site cut, pier and footing excavation | 5 | 1 | Thu 4 Feb | Wed 10 Feb | |
| 3 | Inspection: footing excavation (critical stage) | 1 | 2 | Thu 11 Feb | Thu 11 Feb | |
| 4 | Under-slab plumbing and drainage | 4 | 3 | Fri 12 Feb | Wed 17 Feb | |
| 5 | Slab set-up: formwork, termite barrier, steel | 5 | 4 | Thu 18 Feb | Wed 24 Feb | |
| 6 | Inspection: slab steel, before pour (critical stage) | 1 | 5 | Thu 25 Feb | Thu 25 Feb | |
| 7 | Pour slab and cure | 7 | 6 | Fri 26 Feb | Mon 8 Mar | Base stage |
| 8 | Wall frames and roof trusses | 15 | 7 | Tue 9 Mar | Wed 31 Mar | |
| 9 | Roof cover, fascia and gutters | 7 | 8 | Thu 1 Apr | Fri 9 Apr | |
| 10 | Windows and external doors | 4 | 8 | Thu 1 Apr | Tue 6 Apr | |
| 11 | Rough-in: plumbing, electrical, A/C, data | 8 | 9, 10 | Mon 12 Apr | Wed 21 Apr | |
| 12 | Inspection: frame, before covering (critical stage) | 1 | 11 | Thu 22 Apr | Thu 22 Apr | Frame stage |
| 13 | Brickwork (brick veneer) | 20 | 10 | Wed 7 Apr | Wed 5 May | Lock-up stage |
| 14 | Stormwater drainage and connections | 4 | 13 | Thu 6 May | Tue 11 May | |
| 15 | Inspection: stormwater drains (critical stage) | 1 | 14 | Wed 12 May | Wed 12 May | |
| 16 | Insulation and plasterboard | 12 | 12, 13 | Thu 6 May | Fri 21 May | |
| 17 | Wet-area waterproofing | 3 | 16 | Mon 24 May | Wed 26 May | |
| 18 | Inspection: wet-area waterproofing (critical stage) | 1 | 17 | Thu 27 May | Thu 27 May | |
| 19 | Internal fix-out: doors, skirting, architraves | 8 | 16 | Mon 24 May | Wed 2 Jun | |
| 20 | Wall and floor tiling | 12 | 18 | Fri 28 May | Tue 15 Jun | |
| 21 | Kitchen, vanities and joinery | 5 | 19, 20 | Wed 16 Jun | Tue 22 Jun | Fixing stage |
| 22 | Painting (internal and external) | 12 | 21 | Wed 23 Jun | Thu 8 Jul | |
| 23 | Fit-off: plumbing, electrical, A/C | 5 | 22 | Fri 9 Jul | Thu 15 Jul | |
| 24 | Driveway, paths, fencing, landscaping | 8 | 15, 22 | Fri 9 Jul | Tue 20 Jul | |
| 25 | Floor coverings, screens, mirrors, final clean | 5 | 23, 24 | Wed 21 Jul | Tue 27 Jul | |
| 26 | Weather and contingency allowance | 10 | 25 | Wed 28 Jul | Tue 10 Aug | |
| 27 | Final inspection and occupation certificate | 1 | 26 | Wed 11 Aug | Wed 11 Aug | |
| 28 | Defects walk and handover | 1 | 27 | Thu 12 Aug | Thu 12 Aug | Practical completion |
Dates were calculated with the same working-day rules as our NSW working days calculator (start date counts as day 1).
Common mistakes
- Counting calendar days, or forgetting Easter and the Christmas shutdown.
- No inspection tasks, so trades are booked before the certifier has been.
- Progress claim stages that don’t match what is actually built.
- A program made once for the contract and never updated.
- Weather allowance hidden inside every task, so nobody knows how much is left.
FAQ
How long does it take to build a house in NSW?
It depends on the design, the site, your trades and the weather. Our example single-storey brick veneer house takes 135 working days on site, about 27 working weeks or six and a half months, from site set-up to handover. That excludes design and approvals. Build your own program from your trades’ real lead times rather than relying on an average.
Should I count weekends in a construction program?
Usually not. Most residential programs count working days: Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays and the Christmas shutdown. Count Saturdays only if your contract or crew works them. Your contract’s definitions clause decides.
What are the critical stage inspections for a house in NSW?
For a new house (Class 1) the certifier inspects: after excavation and before footings are placed; before in-situ reinforced concrete is poured; before framing is covered; before wet-area waterproofing is covered; before stormwater drainage connections are covered; and a final inspection before the occupation certificate is issued. Check the current regulation and your certifier’s notice requirements.
How much weather allowance should I put in?
There is no fixed rule. Many builders add a separate contingency block before handover rather than padding every task, so the allowance stays visible. Our example uses 10 working days. Record wet days in your site diary so you can back up any extension of time claim.
Can I do this in Excel?
Yes. Excel’s WORKDAY function and a holiday list will calculate finish dates. Our free NSW Builder Admin Pack includes an Excel program template with NSW public holidays loaded. A Gantt app such as Construction Gantt saves re-typing dates when things move.
Do it in Excel, free
The NSW Builder Admin Pack includes this program as an Excel Gantt template with NSW public holidays loaded.
Download the free packOr on your phone
Construction Gantt links tasks, skips weekends and public holidays and moves the whole chain when one date changes.
See Construction GanttGeneral information only, not legal advice. Check your contract, your development consent and your certifier’s requirements. Legal references are to NSW legislation as checked in October 2026.