Building a home is one of the most significant investments many buyers make — and in markets like Myrtle Beach and the Grand Strand, it’s increasingly common for buyers to explore new-build options online before ever contacting a builder. But those projected build timelines you see on popular websites rarely match reality. That can lead to frustration, planning headaches, and unrealistic expectations about move-in dates. In this article, we explain why those timelines often fall short of reality and why builders don’t promise specific completion dates — drawing from national construction data and industry insights updated for 2026.
Understanding New Residential Construction Data
Before digging into timelines, it helps to know where construction data originates. The U.S. Census Bureau’s New Residential Construction (NRC) program tracks housing units authorized, started, under construction, and completed across the country. Census.gov
These figures are invaluable for understanding broad trends — such as how many homes are entering the pipeline — but they don’t certify how long your specific home will take from groundbreaking to move-in. That’s because averages and starts don’t reflect the variability in site conditions, local approvals, material availability, labor capacity, and buyer-driven changes.
Why Published Timelines Often Miss the Mark
Many online listings and planning tools publish idealized build periods — say, “8–10 months” — but these assume a perfect path. In real-world residential construction, that path is rarely linear. Common reasons projected timelines don’t match reality include: New Home Source+1
Weather and Site Conditions
Outdoor construction is subject to weather delays — heavy rain, tropical systems, heat events, or unseasonable cold can halt work for days or weeks. Soil conditions or unexpected subsurface obstacles also impact schedules.
Permits and Approvals
Before any physical work begins, builders must secure county or municipal permits and inspections. These processes vary greatly by jurisdiction and can add unplanned time if revisions or additional documentation are required.
Supply Chain and Material Lead Times
Even after the planning stages are complete, the building process depends on thousands of materials — lumber, windows, fixtures, appliances, etc. Fluctuations in supply availability — especially for specialty or imported items — can stretch delivery times and stall progress. New Home Source
Labor and Subcontractor Scheduling
A builder’s ability to schedule framing crews, plumbers, electricians, roofers, and finishing trades is tied to the local labor market. Shortages in skilled labor — a persistent structural issue for the construction industry — can slow progress. New Home Source
Changes During Construction
Design revisions or selections made after work begins normally require new orders or permit adjustments. These changes almost always extend timelines beyond initial estimates.
How National Industry Conditions Shape Timelines
Industry data from builder surveys and housing economics groups shows that timelines have widened and become more unpredictable in recent years. While exact build times vary by region and home type, the average single-family home build period typically spans many months of phased activity — from permit to completion. NAHB
Additionally, industry confidence metrics — such as the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) — reflect continuing headwinds in materials and labor conditions — factors that indirectly affect construction pacing. Recent NAHB data through late 2025 showed builder sentiment improving slightly but remaining below long-term norms due to ongoing cost and supply challenges. NAHB
Because these conditions vary month-to-month and year-to-year, builders cannot reliably guarantee a timeline anchored to external forecasts or national averages, especially when local permitting and site-specific factors come into play.
Why Builders Avoid Promising Specific Dates
Given all this variability, most reputable builders don’t commit to exact move-in dates up front for these reasons:
Uncontrollable Variables: Weather, supply chain delays, inspection cycles, and material orders are largely outside a builder’s control.
Contractual Risk: Promising a date and failing to meet it can expose builders to claims, contractual penalties, or dissatisfied buyers.
Dynamic Sequencing: Construction activities must occur in a specific sequence (site work → foundation → framing → mechanicals → finishes). Delays in early phases cascade down the schedule.
Instead of fixed dates, builders often provide range estimates — and update those estimates as the project progresses and contingencies resolve.
How Buyers Can Think About Timelines Realistically
If you’re considering a new-build home in the Myrtle Beach area:
1. Expect Flexibility in Dates
Treat initial timelines as planning guides, not guaranteed move-in dates.
2. Ask for Milestone Schedules
Request a breakdown of major phases (permit, foundation, framing, rough-ins, finishes) so you know where common bottlenecks may occur.
3. Factor in Local Approvals
County and city permitting offices on the Grand Strand have their own backlogs and review times.
4. Build Contingency into Your Plans
Allow for extra weeks or months in your personal moving and financing timeline to absorb typical variability.
Conclusion
Online tools and listing platforms give broad timelines that look neat on a page, but they simplify a complex process full of moving parts. Because of the many variables — weather, supply chains, regulatory timing, and more — builders typically avoid promising specific dates and instead manage expectations with range estimates and progress-based updates. By understanding why those timelines are fluid and how to plan around that fluidity, buyers can approach new-build projects with confidence and clarity.
FAQS
Why do new construction timelines vary so much?
New-build timelines vary because residential construction depends on multiple factors that rarely move in a straight line. Weather conditions, permit review cycles, inspection availability, subcontractor scheduling, and material delivery windows all affect progress. Even when a project starts smoothly, delays in one phase can push back every phase that follows. This is why early estimates are typically expressed as ranges rather than fixed dates.
Can builders guarantee a specific completion date?
Most builders avoid guaranteeing exact completion dates because many parts of the process are outside their control. Permit approvals, inspections, weather events, and supply chain disruptions can all affect schedules. Promising a hard date too early creates risk for both the builder and the buyer. Instead, builders usually provide milestone-based updates as construction progresses and uncertainties narrow.
How long does it usually take to build a new home in 2026?
National construction data shows that single-family homes commonly take many months from permit issuance to completion, with timelines varying by region and home type. In coastal markets like Myrtle Beach, factors such as soil conditions, storm season, and local inspection volume can extend schedules. Buyers should plan for flexibility rather than relying on best-case online estimates.
Why do online new-build timelines seem shorter than reality?
Online timelines often assume ideal conditions with no interruptions. They typically don’t account for permitting delays, material backorders, labor availability, or buyer-requested changes. These tools are meant to provide a general planning snapshot, not a guaranteed schedule. Real-world construction almost always includes pauses that online calculators don’t reflect.
What should buyers ask builders about timeline expectations?
Buyers should ask about major construction phases, typical bottlenecks, how schedule updates are communicated, and what factors most commonly cause delays in the local area. Understanding the process is more helpful than focusing on a single move-in date. A transparent discussion early on helps set realistic expectations throughout the build.
