WHAT’S A “NORMAL” LENGTH FOR CONSTRUCTION LOANS THESE DAYS?
I get wanting to pad the timeline, but honestly, I think a lot of these delays come down to project management. I’ve done three builds in the last decade—never had one go over 14 months, even with custom features. The permit office can be a nightmare, sure, but if you’re on top of them and have a GC who knows the ropes, things move faster. Same with banks—if you’re not pushing for draws, they’ll drag it out.
Custom windows and finishes do slow things down, but I’d argue it’s more about how early you order and coordinate. I always lock in those details before breaking ground. Maybe I’m just lucky with my team, but I wouldn’t automatically add six months unless you know your area is notorious for red tape. Sometimes being too cautious just means paying more interest for no reason.
WHAT’S A “NORMAL” LENGTH FOR CONSTRUCTION LOANS THESE DAYS?
Totally agree—most overruns I see are from poor coordination, not just the permit office or fancy finishes. Still, I’ve had a couple projects where utility companies dragged their feet for months, even with everything else lined up. That’s tough to predict upfront. I usually recommend 16-18 months just to be safe, but yeah, sometimes that buffer ends up feeling like wasted interest. It’s a balancing act.
I hear you on the utility delays—those can really throw a wrench in even the best-planned timelines. I’ve seen projects where the finishes and interiors were ready to go, but we were just waiting on power or water for weeks. Sixteen to eighteen months seems pretty reasonable, honestly. Sometimes I wish lenders would be more flexible with extensions, since so much is out of our hands. It’s tough to justify paying extra interest, but I’d rather have a little cushion than scramble at the end.
Yeah, those utility delays are brutal—had a project last year where everything was done except we were waiting on the gas company for almost a month. Sixteen to eighteen months feels about right these days, honestly. I get what you’re saying about lenders, though. It’s frustrating paying for delays you can’t control, but scrambling at the end is way worse. Sometimes that extra cushion is just peace of mind.
WHAT’S A “NORMAL” LENGTH FOR CONSTRUCTION LOANS THESE DAYS?
Man, I totally get where you’re coming from. Those utility hold-ups are the worst—feels like you’re just sitting on your hands while the clock (and the interest) keeps ticking. I had a friend who was literally waiting on a water meter for six weeks... everything else was done, but no water, no occupancy. It’s wild how something so small can throw off the whole timeline.
Sixteen to eighteen months seems to be the new normal, yeah. Used to be you could get it done in a year, but now with all the supply chain stuff and random delays, I’d rather have that buffer. Paying a bit more for peace of mind beats the stress of rushing at the end or begging for an extension. Still, it’s kind of nuts that we just accept these delays as part of the process now. Makes me wonder if there’s any way to actually speed things up, or if this is just how it’s gonna be for a while.