Now that you have the foundation of your house all set, it's time to set up the bones!

That's right . . . here's where you house really starts to take shape! At this point, your house's framing and rough systems will be done. The first thing you want to do, of course, is review your plans with your contractor. The working drawings will show exactly where the framing and things like electrical and plumbing will go.

At this stage, your contractor is the one who is most likely responsible for coordinating the subs and determining the order of the jobs. Your duties at this point, should you choose to accept them, include making sure your contractor keeps you in the loop. While you don't want to nag your contractor, you certainly don't want to see delays happen as a result of poor scheduling. To this end, ask your contractor what the schedule is. In which order will everything be completed, and how long should each task take? If you know the answer to this up front you'll know if things fall off schedule.

Framing

There are a number of materials that home's are made of, and we don't know which one you and your contractor have chosen. But regardless of whether you have chosen to frame your home in wood, steel, or log, the process is the same. This section should give you a good working knowledge of how a home is framed, so you can converse intelligently with your contractor and keep up with progress.

Framing begins with subfloors, which are those base floors that are placed on top of your foundation but beneath your carpet or wood or whatever other flooring surface you choose. The subfloor also serves as a platform for building walls and to attach flooring. Building a subfloor is mostly done using wood, and will be done by a framer or a contractor.

Subfloors comprise girders and joists, which provide support. Other things that will be used during the subflooring process include a seal, which is a metal strip that protects the wood framing from bugs and moisture; a sill plate, which is a pressure-treated piece of wood anchored to the foundation; and the subfloor itself, which is plywood that is laid perpendicular to the floor joists.

Did you know? There are different grades of plywood? The best grade to use for subflooring is CDX, or CD exterior, which can better handle the elements such as rain.

The next part of the framing process will consist of erecting load-bearing walls. Just like they sound, these are the walls are designed to support weight, and are designated in your working drawings. After the load bearing walls are framed, the additional walls will be framed. Exterior walls are generally framed first, followed by interior walls. Bottom stories are framed before top stories.

Your plan may call for 2 x 4s or it may call for 2 x 6s, but regardless the process will be the same. A bottom plank called the sole plate is the base for a series of studs that are placed 16 inches apart. Lumber matching this sole plate, which is called a top plate, caps these studs. A tie plate above the top plates ties the walls together at junctions.

During this process the area where your doors and windows will be will also be framed. A header, which is a piece of lumber that distributes the wall's weight away from the window or door opening, will be used to ensure that the openings don't compromise wall strength. Trimmers, which are side supports that transfer the weight from the header to the sole plate, are also used.

Did you know? If you have really large fixtures such as special bathtubs or a Jacuzzi for 10, your contractor may have your plumber install them before the framing process is finished. A general rule is, anything that won't fit through your door openings should be installed now!

If your house has more than one story your contractor will use either platform framing or balloon framing for the second story. With platform framing, the ceiling joists of the first floor do double duty and serve as the floor joists for the next story. After installing the subfloor, framing of the walls is done just like it was on the first story. Balloon framing, by contrast, uses continuous studs running from the sole plate at the base of the house up to the roof.

During the framing process things like fireplaces, dormers, decks, and soffits will also be accommodated and will begin to take shape.

The last thing to be framed is the roof. Your contractor may use individual rafters, or he may decide to use prebuilt trusses and I-beams. Your roof will be structured according to the house's basic design, as well as what kind of roofing materials you chose. Slate or clay, which are heavier, for example, have different framing requirements than lighter asphalt. In the end, your working drawings will have a lot to say about how your roof is framed.

Installing the Rough Systems

Once the framing is complete, it is time to add the elements of your home that make it livable. This means water, heat, air conditioning if you choose it, and electricity.

You will already have a plan as to where these things will go and how they will get to your house. Just check out your working drawings. But it's still a good idea to sit down with your contractor at this stage to talk about who is doing the installation, and the order in which the tasks will be completed. Again, ask two simple questions that will help you keep on top of whether the process is going according to plan. In what order will the jobs be done? How long will each job take?

Did you know? Now is a great time to check in with your suppliers to make sure all the electrical and plumbing appliances you ordered are in stock and will be ready when it's time for them to be installed. You don't want to hold up your project because the chandelier you picked out for your dining room in on back order!

Plumbing

During the plumbing stage, your contractor will mark all of the locations, according to your working drawings, of your plumbing fixtures. It's a good idea to take a walk through your home with your contractor after the markings are made, to make sure they are indeed where you want them. If you want to make any changes, it's now or never!

The plumber will then install the water supply, the sewer system, and the vent system. The water may come from a public utility, or, if you live in a more rural area, you may have well dug on your property. In either case, hot and cold water pipes will be laid in the framed walls and crawl spaces in your house, and will go to every place where you are going to need water. Your plumber will also install a water heater to ensure your showers are toasty warm! But wait! Before you are able to turn on your water supply the plumber will test it using air pressure and then water. If no leaks are detected, then you are good to go! If leaks are detected, your plumber will fix them before connecting the system to the water supply.

Your plumber will also deal with your sewage system. Your sewer line will either deliver waste to a city treatment plant, or to a septic tank on your property. Because sewer systems work according to gravity, the sewer line that leaves your home must be lower than the lowest source of water-sink, toilet, drain, etc.-leaving your home.

Finally, your plumber will install the vent system. The vent system ensures that the water in your home moves in a steady flow. The vents allow air and gases to escape, and your plumbing lines to breathe.

At this point, your plumber is done. You may wonder why the pipes are still uncovered at this point. Well, chances are the town or city building inspector needs to check them out and sign off on the plumbing. Make sure you are available for this visit so that you can be made aware of any problems.

HVAC

Your HVAC system will allow air to be circulated in your home for heating, cooling, and circulating purposes. How does the air circulate? In all cases, via ductwork. Your HVAC duct work system will allow air to be delivered and returned throughout your home via passageways.

How many HVAC units will your home have? That depends greatly upon the complexity and design of your home. At any rate, these choices will have already been made during the design phase of your project.

There will be openings in your walls, called registers, that will allow for air supply and air return. Many times these openings are put near doors and windows to compensate for heat or cold loss. At any rate, your engineer will determine where your registers are placed so that your HVAC system is as efficient as possible.

Each room will have at least one supply duct and one return duct. For heat, the supply will be placed low and the return will be placed high. For cooling systems the opposite is true-the supply will be placed low and the return will be placed high.

You'll need a little extra in rooms like kitchens and bathrooms, and basically any other room in which you want to install an exhaust fan. These rooms will need power ventilation ducts, which are basically ducts that require electricity as well as ventilation to the outside.

Ducts are usually made of two materials. Insulating fiberglass ducting can be cut with a knife and has greater insulation. This translates into a lower installation cost overall, and a quieter airflow. Sheet metal ducting is noisier, as temperature changes can cause it to contract and expand. You'll often find sheet metal ducting in older homes but it is becoming less popular in newer homes, because it is more difficult to work with and not as cost-effective.

Electrical

Your electrician will make a careful review of the working drawings before beginning on your home's electrical work. It is important to note that everything must be installed to code.

At this point it's a good time to walk around the house with your electrician to tell them exactly where you want outlets, light switches, etc. Again, code will dictate how many of these are installed, but you'll want to figure out where to put them so they are most convenient. At this point you'll also want to decide whether you want extras like dimmer switches or outside electrical outlets, and if so where you are going to put them. If you have special systems like a security system, smoke alarm, sound system, cable television, or central vacuum, these should also be taken into consideration.

So, how do you get the lights to turn on? Well, your electrician will run cable or conduits throughout the house in different circuits. The circuits are responsible for distributing the electrical load, which will then tie back into circuit breakers at the main panel. Your electrician may install subpanels. Either way, each circuit will be marked so you know which breaker goes to which outlet.

At this point, you may also want to talk to your contractor about wiring your home for technology. Be careful to allow for future technology, and don't spend too much money on today's technology. Technology changes quickly, so keep in mind that whatever you install may become obsolete.

Sheathing and Flashing

Sheathing and flashing are two of the last things you do before adding the finish work to your custom home. By definition, sheathing and flashing are when you enclose the framing with a covering material to the outside. Sheathing adds strength to the walls, allows you a place to attach the siding, and stabilizes and protects the studs from the load as well as from weather.

What is sheathing made of? Well, the most common and least expensive is made of asphalt-soaked fiberboard. At first glance sheathing seems to have a fragile outer shell, but your contractor will use a special type of nails, combined with protective plates, to keep from harming the sheathing when it is being attached to the studs.

After your contractor nails the sheathing to the studs about every foot or so, a permeable vapor barrier will be attached to the sheathing. This barrier will sit between the sheathing and the siding, and will allow the air to pass while keeping moisture out. During this phase, your contractor and his crew will wrap all the windows with window wrap, and will tape all seams.

Your roof will need to be sheathed as well, but the material used to sheath your roof is different. Roof sheathing is usually made of weatherproof plywood, and is nailed to the roof rafters or trusses about every eight inches or so. When sheathing the roof, your contractor will leave holes and spaces for any planned vents, ducts, or skylights. And here's where the flashing part comes in. All of these holes and spaces must have flashing. What is flashing? Flashing is metal stripping that is nailed around the perimeters of these holes, then sealed or caulked, to prevent water leakage.

Once the sheathing and flashing has been completed on your roof, your contractor will most likely stack the roofing material on it until that part of the construction phase is ready to be undertaken. Stacking the roofing material here is not only convenient, it prevents the plywood sheathing from warping, expanding, and contracting.

Insulation

Now that your home is enclosed, it is time to insulate it. Good insulation will help keep your home nice and warm in the winter, and will also keep it cooler in hot weather.

The type of insulation you are using will most likely have been decided upon in the design phase of your home. Most insulation comes in a blanket-like form, and these can easily be rolled out into the walls and ceilings.