AMOLDE
Short answer
Plan on six to twelve months of construction for a one- or two-story house of 120–300 m². Add one to three months beforehand to verify the land, adapt the project and get the municipal license.
For a one- or two-story house of 120–300 m² in the Guadalajara area or Morelia, plan on six to twelve months of construction. Add one to three months before the first shovel for the part most people forget: verifying the land, adapting the architectural project to the lot, and getting the municipal license. So a family that starts in January with clean paperwork on a lot that already has services is realistically walking through a finished house by the end of the year; one that starts with an inherited lot and no title work done is more likely looking at the following spring.
What is the timeline, stage by stage?
- Weeks 1–3: land study — notary review of title and liens, site visit, written construction budget. Three weeks in our process.
- Weeks 3–8: project adapted to the lot and construction license filed with the municipality. A stock model is delivered fast; custom design and municipal review set the pace.
- Months 1–2 of construction: site preparation and foundation. Soil conditions decide how long this takes.
- Months 2–5: structure, walls, slabs — the house takes shape and the payments are the largest.
- Months 5–9: installations, finishes, carpentry, paint. Finish level moves this the most; premium finishes take longer to source and place.
- Final weeks: inspection, corrections, delivery walkthrough, warranties in writing.
What actually causes delays?
Irregular money is the biggest one: when the next stage's payment arrives late, the crew moves to another job and comes back when it can. Second is paperwork that wasn't finished before construction — an unresolved inheritance on the lot, a license that assumed a different footprint. Third is change orders mid-build. Rain matters less than people think in Jalisco, where the wet season is predictable and builders plan around it. Crew size matters least: a bigger crew on a build with no money for materials just stands around faster.
What makes a build run on time?
A written budget with the stages and their payments defined before day one; funding released promptly when each stage is verified, so the crew never waits; a project frozen before the license is filed; and one person responsible for verification who is not the builder. That is the structure we run every build on, and it's why the calendar in the contract is a plan rather than a wish.
Want a timeline for your lot instead of a generic one? It starts with a free check of where the land is and what state its papers are in:
Get my timeline — freeFrequently asked questions
Can a house be built in 3 or 4 months?
A small single-story house on a clean lot with services at the street can be fast, but four months from foundation to keys is unusual for a full masonry home. Be skeptical of anyone promising it before they have seen the lot and the license.
Does building in the rainy season slow things down?
Some, mostly at the foundation and slab stages. Jalisco's rains run roughly June to September and builders schedule around them. A build that starts in the dry season usually gets its structure up before the rain.
How long does the construction license take?
It varies by municipality — a few weeks in some, longer in Zapopan or Tlajomulco when they're busy. The license needs a registered responsible professional's signature and a project that matches the lot, which is why the project comes before the filing.
What if I can't fund the whole house at once?
Milestone payments already spread the cost over the build. Some families build in phases — a first floor now, the second later — and a design planned for that from the start avoids rebuilding the roof twice.
General information from the AMOLDE Team — not legal, immigration or tax advice. Consular and municipal requirements vary and change; always confirm with the office that will handle your case. Price ranges are market references; your real quote comes from your land and your project.