"When will it be finished?" is the question every homeowner asks, and the one builders least like answering.

You don't need to run your builder's program. But keeping your own simple build schedule tells you what's coming, when to book your independent inspections, when the next progress claim is due and how much buffer to plan into your rent and finance. Here's how to set one up, plus the free templates worth using.

How long a new home takes in Queensland

There are two clocks: the time before site start, and the time on site.

Before site start: allow about 9 months. That covers design, selections, the contract, approvals and finance. Your builder can't issue a commencement notice or give you a site start date until your lender confirms the funds, so get your finance sorted early.

On site: about 3 to 6 months. Your contract states the build time and how the builder can claim extensions of time. Plan your rent and finance on that contract time plus a buffer.

As a rough guide for a standard single-storey home in South East Queensland:

  • Base (site set-up, earthworks, under-slab plumbing, slab pour): 2 to 4 weeks
  • Frame (wall frames, trusses, roof covering): 2 to 4 weeks
  • Enclosed (wall wrap, rough-in, brickwork or cladding, windows and external doors): 3 to 5 weeks
  • Fixing (plasterboard, waterproofing, cabinets, internal carpentry, tiling): 5 to 8 weeks
  • Practical completion (painting, fit-off, floor coverings, external works, final inspection, PCI): 2 to 4 weeks

Stages overlap, and rain, public holidays and the Christmas shutdown all push things out. On site, allow 3 to 6 months in total.

What stretches it: wet weather during site works and slab, trade shortages, long-lead items like windows and custom joinery, variations, and inspections that find rework.

What to put in your schedule

Keep it simple. One row per stage or key task, with these columns:

  • Stage or task: Base, Frame, Enclosed, Fixing, Practical completion
  • Planned start and finish: from the builder's program
  • Actual start and finish: what really happened
  • Your inspection: when to book your independent inspector, and the checklist to use
  • Progress claim: the stage payment and when it's due
  • Selections and orders: anything you need to choose or confirm, and by when
  • Notes: delays, reasons given and any extension of time claims

Ask your builder for their program at the start and for a short update when dates move. A shared view or a weekly email is plenty.

Add the dates that matter to you

The builder's program is about trades. Yours should be about the moments you can't afford to miss:

  • Selections freeze. Lock in tiles, tapware and joinery early. Late choices delay orders and invite variations.
  • Inspections before work is covered. Pre-pour slab, frame, waterproofing before tiling, and the PCI. Book your inspector a few days ahead of each one.
  • Progress claims. Don't pay a stage claim until the stage is actually complete, and ideally until your inspector has checked it.
  • Practical completion inspection (PCI). Pencil it in once fixing is well under way, and allow time for the builder to fix what you find.
  • After handover. Your 6-month maintenance inspection and the end of your 12-month defects period. Add both to your calendar as soon as you get the keys.

The free templates worth using

You don't need special software. A spreadsheet does the job for most homeowners.

Pick one and stick with it. One up-to-date schedule beats three half-finished ones.

Keeping it useful

  • Update it weekly. Five minutes after your Friday call or site visit.
  • Record why dates moved. "Rain, 3 days" or "windows delivered late" in the notes column. It matters if there's an argument about extensions of time later.
  • Put changes in writing. If a date moves because of a variation, make sure the variation shows the time impact.
  • Watch the long-lead items. If windows or joinery aren't ordered on time, the whole job waits.
  • Don't panic about small slips. A few days here and there is normal. A pattern of slipping without explanation is worth a conversation.

The short version

Get the builder's program, copy the key dates into a simple spreadsheet, and add your own: inspections, progress claims, selections and the PCI. Update it weekly and note why dates move. A simple schedule that's kept up to date beats a complex one nobody reads.

FAQs

Who owns the schedule on my build?

Your builder owns the master program. Your version is for tracking progress, inspections and payments.

How much buffer should I allow?

Plan your rent and finance on the contract build time plus a buffer for wet weather and the Christmas shutdown. And remember the site start date itself depends on your finance being confirmed.

What if the builder claims an extension of time?

Check it's in writing, gives a reason and matches what you've recorded. Your contract sets out when extensions are allowed.

Do I need Gantt software?

No. Excel or Google Sheets is enough for most homeowners. Use an online Gantt tool only if you find it easier to read.