Again I wanted to have a baseline overview of the stages of a larger housing development once the development actually starts to be built – again a non-residential development would follow a similar route. This will dovetail with the permission administration overview. It also dovetails with my posts on post permission of your planning permission and building warrant.
| Phase | Key trades on site | What they do |
|---|---|---|
| 01 | Pre-start & Enabling | • Land & topo surveyors• Ecologists & archaeologists (if required)• Setting-out engineers |
| 02 | Bulk earthworks & roads | • Groundworkers with heavy-plant operators• Soil-stabilisation crews |
| 03 | Main civil infrastructure | • Groundworks crews• Drainage & utility installers (water, gas, BT/Openreach, power, district fibre)• Kerb-laying gangs |
| 04 | Plot foundations & sub-structure | • Foundation groundworkers & concrete pump operatives• Steel fixers (for pile caps/raft, if used)• Building-control inspectors |
| 05 | Superstructure frame | • Brick- & block-layers or timber-frame erectors• Scaffolders (first lift) |
| 06 | Roof structure & covering | • Roof carpenters/truss installers• Roofers/tilers/slaters• Fascia, soffit & gutter teams |
| 07 | External windows & doors | • Window & external-door fitters |
| 08 | First-fix MEP & internal carpentry | • Electricians, plumbers, gas & HVAC engineers (first fix)• Carpenters (stairs, internal studwork)• Cavity-insulation installers |
| 09 | Insulation, dry-lining & plaster | • Insulation fitters (loft & rigid board)• Dry-liners / plaster-board tackers• Plasterers / tape-&-joint crews |
| 10 | Floor screed & underfloor heating (if specified) | • UFH installers• Screeders |
| 11 | Second-fix & fit-out | • Carpenters (skirtings, internal doors, trim)• Electricians (sockets, lights, consumer unit)• Plumbers (sanitaryware, radiators, boilers)• Kitchen & bathroom fitters• Tilers |
| 12 | Decoration & floor finishes | • Painters & decorators• Carpet / timber / LVT flooring layers |
| 13 | External façades & cladding (if not already complete)** | • Renderers, cladders, brick cleaners |
| 14 | Hard & soft landscaping | • Driveway & path pavers / tarmac gangs• Fencers & landscapers |
| 15 | Commissioning & handover | • MEP commissioning engineers• Independent testers (air-tightness, SAP, electrical, gas safety)• Professional snagging & cleaning teams |
A few practical notes
- Overlap is inevitable – on volume sites you may have Plots 1-10 at roof, Plots 11-20 on foundations, and infrastructure crews still working on the spine road. Good sequencing is about zoning and buffering activities so that trades aren’t tripping over each other.
- Scaffolders act almost like a roving trade — erecting, lifting and striking scaffold at several milestones.
- Survey/setting-out engineers often return before every major pour or wall lift to check tolerances.
- Quality gateways (warranty or building-control inspections) are baked in at foundations, pre-plaster, pre-handover etc.; missing one will halt the following trade.