Title: Order of trades building a house: handoffs | Cercha

Description: Check the order of trades on a new home, repeat visits, inspection holds, and material releases. See how design and site affect the order.

Canonical: https://cercha.pages.dev/guides/home-building-sequence/

# The order of trades on a new home

Schedule and handoffs

Use the build phases to map dependencies, then confirm each trade's release conditions. A house schedule includes repeat visits, inspections, and overlapping work.

You are planning a new home and need to know which trade comes next. Map the work before and after each trade. Build the schedule around approved documents, materials, inspections, and what must be ready for each crew.

Use the order of trades to show which tasks depend on others. Do not promise that every house follows the same dates or trade order. The following map groups the work into ten planning phases for coordination.

## Use ten phases as a planning map

The [Grand County Builders' Association overview, hosted by NAHB](https://www.nahb.org/-/media/NAHB/advocacy/docs/industry-issues/disaster-resources/home-building-overview.pdf?rev=6f76493d1a3e493fb717f52f0fa47d7e), describes design, site and foundation work, shell, rough-ins, finishes, final sitework, and closeout. It notes variation with the site, design, and systems. The table below divides that work into ten planning phases.

| Phase | Work scopes | Supply to coordinate | Release to record before the next work |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1. Design and permits | [GC coordination](/for/general-contractors/), [trade scopes](/guides/trade-scope-of-work/), and [permit planning](/guides/wake-county-building-permits/) | [Trusses and engineered wood](/suppliers/trusses-and-engineered-wood/) for structural package review | Current drawings, assigned scope boundaries, required permits, and unresolved selections reviewed before site mobilization. |
| 2. Sitework | [Excavation](/trades/excavation/) and [well/septic coordination](/guides/wake-county-well-and-septic-permits/) | [Concrete and masonry](/suppliers/concrete-and-masonry/) for the planned foundation | Access, layout, utility routes, and protected areas checked through the [site-readiness checklist](/guides/site-readiness-checklist/) before foundation work. |
| 3. Foundation | [Concrete](/trades/concrete/), [masonry](/trades/masonry/), and [underground plumbing](/trades/plumbing/) | [Concrete and masonry materials](/suppliers/concrete-and-masonry/), [plumbing materials](/suppliers/plumbing/) | Required [footing inspection](https://raleighnc.gov/permits/services/residential-inspections) and underground approvals before placement. Record separate [waterproofing and drainage release](/guides/foundation-waterproofing-handoff/) before backfill and structural loading clearance before framing. |
| 4. Framing | [Framing](/trades/framing/) and coordinated openings for following trades | [Lumber](/suppliers/lumber/), [trusses and engineered wood](/suppliers/trusses-and-engineered-wood/) | Bearing, openings, backing, and accepted field changes checked against current drawings before enclosure and rough-in crews receive the area. Keep later framing-inspection work on the schedule. |
| 5. Dry-in | [Roofing](/trades/roofing/), [windows and doors](/trades/windows-and-doors/), and enclosure transitions | [Roofing materials](/suppliers/roofing/), [windows and doors](/suppliers/windows-and-doors/) | Check the [dry-in interfaces](/guides/dry-in/) and flashing before siding conceals them. Assign sealing and repair of later penetrations before moisture-sensitive interior work. |
| 6. Rough-ins | [Plumbing](/trades/plumbing/), [HVAC](/trades/hvac/), [electrical](/trades/electrical/), and [low-voltage](/trades/low-voltage/) | [Plumbing](/suppliers/plumbing/), [HVAC](/suppliers/hvac/), and [electrical supplies](/suppliers/electrical/) | Retain [rough-in tests and approvals](/guides/rough-in/) before concealment. In Raleigh, rough approvals precede the [framing inspection](/guides/framing-inspection/), which precedes insulation inspection. |
| 7. Insulation and air sealing | [Insulation](/trades/insulation/) and assigned penetration sealing | [Insulation materials](/suppliers/insulation/) | Required framing approval, agreed air-sealing checks, and [insulation inspection](/guides/insulation-inspection/) complete before wall or ceiling coverings. Resolve open corrections before releasing the drywall area. |
| 8. Drywall | [Drywall installation and finishing](/trades/drywall/) | [Drywall materials](/suppliers/drywall/) | Confirm the pre-cover release first. Then check the specified finish, drying requirements, backing, and open patches with the painter and finish crews before they start. |
| 9. Finishes and exterior completion | [Painting](/trades/painting/), [cabinets](/trades/cabinets/), [tile](/trades/tile/), [flooring](/trades/flooring/), and [landscaping](/trades/landscaping/) | [Cabinets](/suppliers/cabinets/), [countertops](/suppliers/countertops/), [flooring](/suppliers/flooring/), and [appliances](/suppliers/appliances/) | Check accepted surfaces, installed bases before templating, finish connections, and protection. Schedule plumbing, electrical, and HVAC return visits for testing, startup, and final inspection. |
| 10. Final checks and handover | Returning trades, [punch work](/guides/punch-list/), and [closeout](/guides/closeout/) | Installed-product manuals and warranty contacts from [appliance](/suppliers/appliances/) and [HVAC suppliers](/suppliers/hvac/) | Record required finals and the [issued occupancy document](/guides/certificate-of-occupancy-nc/). Check contract completion and owner records separately. Assign each remaining correction and return visit before handover. |

Use the table to ask about the sequence within each phase. Put exterior and interior work on separate lines where they can proceed independently. Name the trade responsible for each package.

These release prompts are a coordination worksheet, not a universal inspection list or installation specification. Use the drawings, selected product instructions, and permit authority's requirements. [Raleigh's inspection sequence](https://raleighnc.gov/permits/services/residential-inspections) supports the local checkpoints in the table; [PNNL's flashing guidance](https://basc.pnnl.gov/resource-guides/windows-and-doors-are-fully-flashed) supports the pre-cladding review.

At each boundary, use the [trade handoff checklist](/tools/trade-handoff-checklist/) to record the area, outgoing crew, receiving crew, evidence, and release decision. If a correction remains, name its owner and recheck date. Reopen the handoff when a returning trade changes previously accepted work.

## State what must be ready before each trade starts

For each trade, write what must be ready before its crew starts. Name the previous trade and who accepts its work. Clear only the area that is ready rather than the whole house.

Use [trade handoffs](/guides/trade-handoffs/) to record the boundary. For a slab, ask which underground work and inspections must be complete. For openings, ask which framing conditions, units, and flashing details the installer needs. For finishes, identify the preceding surfaces and selections the trade must receive.

Record those conditions beside the planned start. Name who checks them and what record confirms the crew can start.

Use [the site readiness checklist](/guides/site-readiness-checklist/) before dispatching a crew. Recheck the conditions when weather, deliveries, or another trade changes the plan.

## Distinguish rough work from finish work

Schedule concealed work and later finish work separately. BLS describes [electrical systems installed during construction](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/construction-and-extraction/electricians.htm), along with wiring, equipment, and fixture work. Ask the electrician to define the visits required for the actual package.

BLS describes [plumbing work as installing pipes and fixtures and testing systems](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/construction-and-extraction/plumbers-pipefitters-and-steamfitters.htm). Ask the plumber which underground, concealed, and fixture work belongs in each visit. Do not use one completion date for several visits with different start requirements.

The [rough-in guide](/guides/rough-in/) explains the concealed-system stage. Use its trade questions to settle missing information before the walls close.

## Identify repeat visits explicitly

List each visit instead of marking a trade as “done.” Confirm the visits below with each contractor:

| Trade package | Visits or releases to discuss |
| --- | --- |
| Plumbing | Underground work, concealed piping, fixture connections, testing, and corrections |
| Electrical | Temporary arrangements where included, concealed wiring, finish devices, and final work |
| HVAC | Concealed distribution, equipment setting, controls, testing, and startup |
| Masonry | Foundation scope where included, veneer, and remaining details |
| Excavation | Initial site preparation, backfill, and final grading |
| Finish trades | Main installation, adjustments, and agreed punch work |

Use this list to ask questions. It is not a standard contract package. Ask each trade to identify inclusions, exclusions, and return conditions. Record a separate completion and acceptance check for each visit.

## Put inspections before concealment

Identify the local authority and permit-specific inspection list early. Ask who requests inspections, who prepares the work, and who closes a correction. Track inspection requests, completed inspections, and approvals separately.

For a local example, [Raleigh's residential guidance](https://raleighnc.gov/permits/services/residential-inspections) places footing inspection before stone or concrete, foundation inspection before backfill, and insulation inspection before coverings. It also requires electrical, mechanical, and plumbing rough approvals before framing inspection. Check the city's current guidance against your permit.

The work phase and inspection name can differ. [Framing inspection](/guides/framing-inspection/) concerns a checkpoint, while framing work belongs earlier in the build map. See [Raleigh residential inspections](https://raleighnc.gov/permits/services/residential-inspections) for the local sequence.

## Assign responsibility at openings and penetrations

Name who handles the connections around each opening and penetration. Identify the weather barrier, flashing, roof transition, and installation details that adjoining work must preserve. Resolve a conflict before covering the affected area.

PNNL's [window and door flashing guidance](https://basc.pnnl.gov/resource-guides/windows-and-doors-are-fully-flashed) recommends checking flashing integration before siding. Use that checkpoint to coordinate the opening installer and cladding trade. Have the responsible professionals confirm the exact assembly details against the product instructions.

Do not mark dry-in complete from a distant exterior view. Have the responsible people confirm the agreed enclosure conditions. State where protection is partial and where work must wait.

## Confirm materials before committing crew starts

Ask each supplier for the approved package, outstanding selections, release conditions, and receiving arrangements. Track order approval, expected delivery, actual receipt, and readiness to install separately.

Confirm who checks the delivered quantity, model, condition, and accessories. Assign a contact for a shortage or mismatch. Do not ask a crew to install a substitute before the responsible party approves it.

A finish selection can affect information needed earlier, so ask the trade which decisions must be resolved before rough work. Schedule the decision as well as the product's delivery.

## Explain why the order changes

Ask how the foundation, structural system, enclosure, mechanical design, and finishes affect what must happen first. Separate a design-driven change from a delayed delivery or incomplete predecessor. Update the specific affected tasks.

Review opportunities for overlap with the responsible trades. Define separate areas, access, protection, and release conditions. Do not assume two crews can share an area because their bars overlap on the schedule.

Save the revised instruction and confirmation in the project record. Check how the change affects later work before committing the next crew. Record the next decision and what must be checked again.

## Plan closeout as assigned work

List remaining tasks by location and trade, with what must be checked before accepting each one. Ask each company to confirm who returns and what information it needs. Separate correction work, incomplete original work, and proposed additions for review through the appropriate process.

Collect product documents, approved records, and handover information as the work finishes. Give unresolved items a contact and next step. Do not mark the house complete because the last major installation ended. Before closing the schedule, have the project team confirm final approvals and the agreed handover conditions.

In Raleigh, trade finals precede the building final. In North Carolina, occupancy requires the issued certificate of compliance or an applicable temporary certificate, not just a booked inspection. [Raleigh final sequence](https://raleighnc.gov/permits/services/residential-inspections) and [G.S. 160D-1116](https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_160D/GS_160D-1116.html) define those separate checkpoints.

Use [closeout](/guides/closeout/) for contract completion, owner documents, and handover. Use the [punch-list template by phase](/tools/punch-list-template-by-phase/) for each correction's owner, evidence, and recheck. An occupancy document does not settle contract payment or erase remaining punch work.

## Where Cercha fits

Cercha's trade, ZIP-code, and radius search can help identify companies for a planned trade package. Profiles, portfolios, and endorsements provide context for the first conversation. Confirm capacity, visit sequence, material responsibilities, and start conditions directly with the chosen businesses.

Published 2026.10.14. Updated 2026.10.14.

[More guides: Schedule and handoffs](</guides/topics/schedule-and-handoffs/>)

## Related guides

- [What is dry-in?](</guides/dry-in/>)
- [What rough-in means for each trade](</guides/rough-in/>)
- [Trade handoffs: who accepts the work before the next crew](</guides/trade-handoffs/>)
- [Foundation waterproofing: release the buried work together](</guides/foundation-waterproofing-handoff/>)
- [Closeout on a residential job](</guides/closeout/>)
- [Certificate of occupancy in North Carolina](</guides/certificate-of-occupancy-nc/>)

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## Sources

<a id="source-1"></a>

1. Grand County Builders' Association. (2021, May 18). *Overview to the custom homebuilding process*. NAHB. https://www.nahb.org/-/media/NAHB/advocacy/docs/industry-issues/disaster-resources/home-building-overview.pdf?rev=6f76493d1a3e493fb717f52f0fa47d7e

<a id="source-2"></a>

2. City of Raleigh. (2026, October 12). *Residential Inspections*. Raleighnc.gov. https://raleighnc.gov/permits/services/residential-inspections

<a id="source-3"></a>

3. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. (n.d.). *Windows and Doors are Fully Flashed*. Building America Solution Center. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://basc.pnnl.gov/resource-guides/windows-and-doors-are-fully-flashed

<a id="source-4"></a>

4. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2026, August 27). *Electricians*. Occupational Outlook Handbook. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/construction-and-extraction/electricians.htm

<a id="source-5"></a>

5. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2026, August 27). *Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters*. Occupational Outlook Handbook. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/construction-and-extraction/plumbers-pipefitters-and-steamfitters.htm

<a id="source-6"></a>

6. N.C. Gen. Stat. § 160D-1116. https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_160D/GS_160D-1116.html