Building a home usually takes quite a while, but we’re often asked how long it takes to build a dual occupancy home and how it compares to a typical single-family detached dwelling. After all, it’s ‘dual’ so it should be twice as long, right? Not quite! It will usually take longer, yes, but not usually twice as long.
Here’s a rough breakdown of how long it should take for a dual occupancy home to be built in Australia:
Building Timeline for a Dual Occupancy Home from Start to Finish
The total time it takes to build a dual occupancy home in Australia can range from around typically takes 14months to complete all parts of teh development process 1.5 years to 3 years in total. This stretches from the initial design work all the way to inspections and handover.
The process follows these steps, although each step can vary in schedule depending on the complexity of the development:
01. Preliminary designs, final designs, and documentation required for construction: 3-4 months.
02. Obtaining development applications and permits: 3-6 months to 12 months. This stage is the ‘wild card’ for most developments, since it’s up to the local council and if objections are lodged against the development.
03. Obtaining construction certificates and permits: 3-5 months.
04. Construction: 12 months.
05. Finishing, inspections, and handover: 1-2 months.
Construction Timeline for a Dual Occupancy Home
A dual occupancy home’s construction stage is one of the longest in the entire development process. It takes quite a bit of material and labour to build not just one but two dwellings!
For comparison’s sake, a typical single-family detached home will usually take around 12-18 months to complete, which is more or less similar to the construction required for a dual occupancy home (attached) and a little shorter than building two homes physically separated.
Why Building Projects Usually Take Longer than Just the Construction
There’s an awful lot going on behind the scenes in the development of a dual occupancy home (or any development, for that matter). Everything must be done in an orderly fashion, in full compliance, and with all necessary planning permissions secured before a spade hits the ground.
There’s no getting around the fact that a job will take a fair bit longer than just the construction part (what you see physically going up day by day).
What can be affected is how smoothly everything runs, and a big component of that is ensuring that your contractor is skilled in project management and has a good specialised understanding of the dual occupancy home development process.
How to Minimise Delays and Get Your Dream Home Built
While unanticipated delays (like rainy days) are always something one must factor into the timeline of a dual occupancy home development project, the best way to minimise delays overall is to always work with a qualified contractor that can assist with the management of the entire project from start to finish.
This includes organising trade labour schedules in an efficient manner, but it also includes submitting all applications for permissions duly, completely, and early.
Trevor Homes
Consult with our friendly team of professionals at Trevor Homes.
