Most people building a custom home for the first time have no idea what happens between “I want to build a house” and moving-in day. I’ve walked clients through this process for years, and I tell them the same thing up front: the more you understand each step, the fewer surprises you’ll run into.
Step 1: Land Evaluation
Everything starts with the land. Before we talk floor plans or finishes, I walk the property with you — slope, soil, where water naturally drains, tree cover, and where the best building pad sits. In Middle Tennessee and southern Kentucky, we deal with a lot of clay soil and rolling terrain, which affects foundation type, drainage planning, and where the septic system and driveway can go. If you haven’t bought land yet, call me before you close.
Step 2: Permits in Tennessee
Permitting authority sits with individual counties and cities in Tennessee, so the process differs by location. In Montgomery County, Clarksville, and surrounding counties, you’ll need a building permit before site work starts, plus separate permits for electrical, plumbing, and mechanical. Tennessee updated its residential building code standards in 2025, so plans need to meet current requirements. I handle the permit process for clients.
Step 3: Design and Plans
This is where we turn your land evaluation and wish list into an actual set of drawings. I talk through how a family lives day to day before we finalize a layout — morning light, how many people live in the house, whether you need a shop or extra storage.
Step 4: Site Prep
Once permits are in hand, crews clear the building pad, address drainage, and rough in the driveway. Utility stub-outs — water, power, and a temporary electrical pole — happen around this stage.
Step 5: Foundation
Depending on your land and plan, we’ll pour a slab, a crawl space foundation, or a basement. Crawl spaces are common here because of the terrain. Basements work well on sloped lots where we can walk out on the downhill side, adding significant square footage for the cost.
Step 6: Framing
This is when the house starts looking like a house. I invite clients out during framing because it’s the last easy chance to visualize room sizes and make small adjustments before drywall makes changes expensive.
Step 7: Rough-Ins
Once framed and inspected, electrical, plumbing, and HVAC crews run their lines. Low-voltage work like data lines and security wiring needs to happen now too — running wire is cheap during rough-in and expensive after drywall.
Step 8: Insulation, Drywall, and Finishes
After rough-in inspections pass, insulation goes in, then drywall, then the finish stages: flooring, trim, cabinetry, countertops, interior doors, paint, fixtures, and appliances. I encourage clients to make selections early — backordered materials are one of the most common causes of delay.
Timeline Expectations
For a custom home in our area, from first shovel to move-in, expect seven to twelve months depending on size, complexity, and how quickly selections get made. I’d rather give a realistic range up front than a number that sounds good and falls apart by month four.
How to Choose a Builder
Ask to see homes a builder has actually finished. Ask how they handle change orders. Ask who’s on your job site day to day. And ask how long they’ve been building in your specific county — every jurisdiction has its own quirks with inspections and permitting.
I’m the fourth generation of my family building here, starting with my great-grandfather Simon Yoder, and I still walk every job site myself.
Let’s Walk Your Land
See examples of past custom homes at oneshieldconstruction.com/custom-homes, or call me directly at 931-542-7550 to get started.
