Once framing was complete, the house quickly moved into a phase that doesn’t look very exciting from the outside—but is everything on the inside. This is where the house starts to function, not just stand.
Rough plumbing, electrical, and HVAC are the systems that make a home livable, and this stage came with a mix of professionals, family help, and a lot of learning along the way.
Rough Plumbing – Lessons Learned
For our rough plumbing, we hired a local company. Unfortunately, this part of the build did not go as smoothly as we had hoped and ended up being one of the more frustrating stages of the process.
From the beginning, there were issues with incorrect installations, including problems with toilet and sink placement that had to be addressed later. At the time, we assumed everything had been corrected properly and moved forward with the build.
However, about a year after installation, we discovered a leak from a toilet pipe that had been installed incorrectly. The leak traveled into our dining room ceiling below, causing damage that we ultimately had to repair ourselves. This was especially disappointing, as plumbing is one of those systems you trust to be done right the first time—because the consequences of mistakes don’t always show up immediately.
This experience taught us an important lesson: no matter who you hire, it’s crucial to double-check work, ask questions, and not be afraid to speak up if something doesn’t feel right. While it was frustrating to handle repairs on our own, it also reinforced how much homeowners end up learning along the way.
Electrical – A True Family Effort
Our electrical work was done by my husband’s Uncle Joe, with help from his cousin J.R and of course, my husband Josh was right there with them.
This part of the build felt extra special because it truly was a family effort. From running wires to planning outlets, switches, and lighting placement, there were a lot of decisions to be made. I quickly learned that you can never have too many outlets… and that you definitely want to think ahead before drywall goes up.
Seeing Josh working alongside his family, building our future home with their own hands, made this stage incredibly meaningful for me.
HVAC – Growdens
For our heating and cooling system, we worked with Growdens, who handled the HVAC installation. This included ductwork, vents, and planning for airflow throughout the entire house.
HVAC isn’t something most people think about until it stops working—but it plays a huge role in comfort, efficiency, and long-term costs. Knowing that this system was designed and installed properly made me feel confident that our home would be comfortable year-round.
Seeing It All Come Together
By the end of this phase, the house was filled with pipes, wires, and ductwork—none of it pretty, but all of it necessary. This is the stage where you realize just how much goes into building a home that works, not just one that looks good.
Next up: insulation and drywall, where everything finally starts to get covered up and feel a little more finished.
Follow along as I share the next phase of our home-building journey.
- Finding Our View & Prepare Construction Site
- Foundation Delivery & Basement Concrete Pour
- Complete Rough Framing
- Rough Plumbing, Electrical and HVAC
- Installing Insulation, Drywall, and Our Fire Sprinkler System
- Interior Fixtures & Start Exterior Finishes
- Finish Interior Trim; Install Exterior Walkways and Driveway
- Install Hard Surface Flooring and Countertops; Complete Exterior Grading
- Finish Mechanical Trims; Install Bathroom Fixtures
- Install Mirrors and Shower Doors; Finish Flooring and Exterior Landscaping
- Conduct Final Walk-Through
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