The Time Required for Framing a House

Size of House

• Generally, the larger the house, the more time it takes to frame. Large houses have more and longer walls. They also have larger roofs, with longer rafters, which take more time to set and frame. However, a large house with a simple, open design can take take less than time than a small house that restricts workers' movements.

Architectural Details

• It takes more time to frame intricate architectural details than it takes to frame simpler features. Dormers, bay windows, alcoves and other details require more time to frame than flat roofs and straight walls with standard windows.

Power vs. Manual Tools

• A crew working with power drills, circular saws and nail guns can frame a house in a fraction of the time it would take a larger crew working with manual tools. A worker using a power tool can hold a piece of lumber steady in one hand while he nails it or cuts it with a nail gun or power saw in the other. In contrast, when working with manual tools, one person often must hold a board in place while another worked nails it with a hammer.

Crew Experience

• An experienced crew typically produces a higher quality product in less time than an inexperienced crew of the same size. Experienced framers are able to anticipate problems during the planning stage and avoid them during framing, while their inexperienced counterparts waste time redoing incorrect work.

Crew Size

• The more workers on a framing crew, the faster the works get done. Larger crews are able to divide work to maximize efficiency. For example, a large crew might assign several members to moving wood and equipment around the job site while other workers focus on tasks requiring more skill. On smaller crews, workers are often forced to multitask, thereby reducing efficiency and increasing the time required to frame the house.