Raw structured export
This appendix is a literal markdown-wrapped export of the structured content extracted from the HTML map. Source IDs resolve via Source index.
{
"hero_title": "The operating system of a new U.S. single-family home build",
"hero_lede": "This map treats a home build as an information network, not just a physical jobsite. The same project is seen differently by the Census, by the architect, by the builder, by trade contractors, and by the authority having jurisdiction (AHJ). The goal here is to make those viewpoints legible and connected.",
"hero_stats": [
{
"value": "73.1%",
"text": "of 2024 single-family starts were built for sale, so the default map uses the production / built-for-sale lane.",
"sources": [
"S2",
"S1"
]
},
{
"value": "17.5%",
"text": "were custom homes in 2024, so the custom / owner's-land lane is shown as a second operating model.",
"sources": [
"S2",
"S1"
]
},
{
"value": "2 clocks",
"text": "run at once: the statistical clock (authorized → started → completed) and the delivery clock (programming → design → procurement → construction → closeout).",
"sources": [
"S1",
"S3",
"S4"
]
},
{
"value": "Many AHJs",
"text": "adopt model codes by law and may amend them; planning, building, fire, utilities, and public works may all touch one project.",
"sources": [
"S11",
"S12",
"S13"
]
}
],
"hero_notes": [
{
"text": "Analyst's note: U.S. “new home sales” statistics are mostly a production-builder lens. Census counts new houses sold when a contract or deposit is taken, and excludes owner-built houses and houses built by a general contractor on the owner's land.",
"sources": [
"S1"
]
},
{
"text": "How to read this map: dark-blue source tags point to the evidence library below. “National” sources are stronger for generalization; “Local example” sources are used to show how the fragmented permitting and inspection system looks in practice.",
"sources": [
"S11",
"S12",
"S13",
"S30",
"S31"
]
}
],
"insights": [
{
"title": "1. The “owner” changes meaning by delivery model",
"text": "In a custom home, the human homeowner is usually the active owner from day one. In a built-for-sale project, the builder-developer often plays that role through land, design, permits, and early construction; the end buyer may join later through a sales contract and option selections.",
"sources": [
"S1",
"S2",
"S3"
]
},
{
"title": "2. Documents are the real handoff points",
"text": "Needs become sketches; sketches become design development; that becomes construction documents; then permit sets, bid packages, subcontracts, RFIs, change orders, inspections, pay applications, waivers, and closeout records. Most delay and rework comes from document handoffs going fuzzy, late, or out of sync.",
"sources": [
"S3",
"S4",
"S5",
"S7",
"S8",
"S9",
"S10"
]
},
{
"title": "3. Residential is local by law, fragmented by workflow",
"text": "Model codes are national, but adoption and amendment happen by jurisdiction. That means one homebuilding process exists in principle, but many local versions exist in practice. Permit portals, checklists, plan review comments, and inspection scheduling are typically local.",
"sources": [
"S11",
"S12",
"S13",
"S30",
"S31"
]
}
],
"section_intros": [
{
"id": "",
"title": "Three structural ideas to keep in mind",
"text": "These are the mental shortcuts that make the rest of the map easier to navigate.",
"sources": []
},
{
"id": "ecosystem",
"title": "Ecosystem map",
"text": "Click any actor to jump to a deeper actor card. The center is the project itself: one house moving from idea to legal approval to physical completion to owner use.",
"sources": []
},
{
"id": "actors",
"title": "Actors and the people inside them",
"text": "Emphasis is on people who process information and make decisions, while still naming hands-on field roles.",
"sources": []
},
{
"id": "process",
"title": "Process flow",
"text": "The swimlane below is the delivery clock. It is intentionally different from the Census statistical clock, which tracks authorized / started / under construction / completed. Use the model toggle above to see where the “owner” and buyer differ.",
"sources": [
"S1",
"S3",
"S4"
]
},
{
"id": "flows",
"title": "Information flows",
"text": "What travels is usually some mix of scope, risk, money, design intent, compliance evidence, schedule commitments, and proof of completion.",
"sources": []
},
{
"id": "frictions",
"title": "Where the system loses time, money, and trust",
"text": "These are the most recurrent friction points found across the sources. Some are structural to construction; some are especially acute in single-family housing.",
"sources": []
},
{
"id": "glossary",
"title": "Glossary",
"text": "The quickest way to learn the industry vocabulary used in the rest of the map.",
"sources": []
},
{
"id": "sources",
"title": "Source library",
"text": "Grouped by evidentiary role so you can tell what is a national definition, what is professional-practice guidance, what is a local example, and what is an industry or policy analysis.",
"sources": []
}
],
"project_core": {
"title": "One new single-family home",
"text": "What matters most is not just who does work, but who approves, prices, interprets, coordinates, and records it."
},
"node_notes": [
{
"id": "owner",
"title": "Owner / sponsor",
"text": "",
"mini": "scope • budget • approvals"
},
{
"id": "design",
"title": "Architecture + consultants",
"text": "Translate goals into drawings, specs, and permit/bid packages; interpret them during construction.",
"mini": "design intent • permit set"
},
{
"id": "builder",
"title": "Builder / general contractor",
"text": "",
"mini": "precon • schedule • field coordination"
},
{
"id": "authority",
"title": "City / county / state authorities",
"text": "Adopt and enforce local rules, review plans, issue permits, inspect work, and sign off occupancy/use.",
"mini": "zoning • permits • inspections"
},
{
"id": "vendor",
"title": "Vendors / suppliers",
"text": "Turn scopes and selections into quotes, lead times, product data, deliveries, and warranty records.",
"mini": "materials • deliveries • product data"
},
{
"id": "trades",
"title": "Subcontractors / trades",
"text": "Execute specialized scopes such as framing, MEP, roofing, drywall, finishes, and site utilities.",
"mini": "estimate • crew • install"
}
],
"model_content": {
"production": {
"summary": "<strong>Built-for-sale / production:</strong> the dominant U.S. path. The builder typically controls land, standard plan choices, permit strategy, purchasing, trade relationships, and early schedule. The end buyer may appear later and can legally count as a sale before the house is finished. <span class='sources-inline' data-sources='S1,S2'></span>",
"ownerNode": "Usually the builder-developer until a buyer signs. The end customer often enters midstream.",
"builderNode": "Often both sponsor and constructor: land, plan package, procurement, trades, schedule, warranty.",
"coreMeta": "Default lens: production / built-for-sale",
"processPhases": [
{
"title": "Land + product plan",
"summary": "Builder-developer decides lot, home type, target buyer, budget band, and community/plan strategy.",
"terms": [
"built for sale",
"spec home",
"community",
"lot"
],
"owner": "Builder-developer defines product and market fit.",
"design": "May start from standardized plans and adapt to lot or jurisdiction.",
"builder": "Preconstruction, land-development, and purchasing teams frame scope and cost.",
"authority": "Subdivision, zoning, design standards, utility and code constraints shape what can be built.",
"trades": "Usually not deeply engaged yet except for pricing intelligence.",
"vendor": "Early input on long-lead items and standard packages.",
"sources": [
"S1",
"S2",
"S11",
"S27"
]
},
{
"title": "Design + permit package",
"summary": "Plans are adapted or prepared for the lot and jurisdiction, then assembled into a permit-ready package.",
"terms": [
"schematic design",
"DD",
"construction docs",
"permit set"
],
"owner": "Builder approves product choices and budget moves.",
"design": "Architect/drafter produces detailed drawings and specs for pricing, permits, and construction.",
"builder": "Estimator and PM check constructability, budget, and schedule risk.",
"authority": "AHJ reviews adopted-code compliance and local requirements.",
"trades": "May price key systems or flag practical conflicts.",
"vendor": "Product approvals, selections, energy or code-related data may be needed.",
"sources": [
"S3",
"S4",
"S6",
"S11",
"S13",
"S30"
]
},
{
"title": "Pricing + trade buyout",
"summary": "Internal estimating becomes committed scopes, subcontracts, and purchase orders.",
"terms": [
"estimate",
"buyout",
"PO",
"subcontract"
],
"owner": "Approves target margin and selling assumptions.",
"design": "Clarifies scope questions and updates drawings when needed.",
"builder": "Estimator, buyer, PM, and purchasing negotiate scopes and procurement timing.",
"authority": "Still reviewing plans in many jurisdictions.",
"trades": "Submit quotes and commit labor windows.",
"vendor": "Submit prices, lead times, and product alternatives.",
"sources": [
"S15",
"S18",
"S24",
"S27"
]
},
{
"title": "Permitting + corrections",
"summary": "Plan review comments, resubmittals, and inter-agency coordination continue until permit issuance.",
"terms": [
"AHJ",
"plan check",
"resubmittal",
"approval"
],
"owner": "Watches carrying cost and schedule exposure.",
"design": "Responds to review comments and revises plans.",
"builder": "Tracks portal status, fees, conditions, and start timing.",
"authority": "Planning/building/fire/public works may all review depending on locality.",
"trades": "Mostly waiting, but sometimes provide revised calculations or declarations.",
"vendor": "Product data or deferred items may be requested.",
"sources": [
"S11",
"S12",
"S13",
"S30",
"S31"
]
},
{
"title": "Mobilize + rough-in construction",
"summary": "Site prep, foundation, framing, and rough trades advance with scheduled inspections.",
"terms": [
"start",
"under construction",
"rough-in",
"inspection"
],
"owner": "May now have an end buyer making selections or watching progress.",
"design": "Answers field questions; may issue clarifications.",
"builder": "Superintendent runs sequence, inspections, quality, and trade coordination.",
"authority": "Inspectors check work in phases and document findings.",
"trades": "Foremen and crews install specialized scopes.",
"vendor": "Release materials to match build sequence and site readiness.",
"sources": [
"S1",
"S17",
"S24",
"S25",
"S32"
]
},
{
"title": "Finish work + changes",
"summary": "Finishes, fixtures, punch items, buyer selections, and field changes converge late in the cycle.",
"terms": [
"RFI",
"ASI",
"change order",
"selection"
],
"owner": "Buyer-facing changes can create downstream cost and schedule effects.",
"design": "Issues responses or minor clarifications when required.",
"builder": "Controls changes, quality, and final sequence across trades.",
"authority": "Final or near-final inspections continue.",
"trades": "Return trips and rework become expensive if late changes stack up.",
"vendor": "Finish-package deliveries become timing sensitive.",
"sources": [
"S7",
"S9",
"S25",
"S27"
]
},
{
"title": "Completion + turnover",
"summary": "Substantial completion, punch list work, final inspections, warranty start, and handoff records close the loop.",
"terms": [
"substantial completion",
"punch list",
"CO",
"warranty"
],
"owner": "End buyer closes, receives home, and starts warranty relationship.",
"design": "May support final completeness review on more formal projects.",
"builder": "Handles punch, closeout, final payment paperwork, and warranty initiation.",
"authority": "Occupancy/use approvals and final inspections are critical signoffs.",
"trades": "Resolve punch items and close open scope.",
"vendor": "Warranty data and manuals may pass forward.",
"sources": [
"S10",
"S17",
"S25",
"S31"
]
},
{
"title": "Warranty + feedback",
"summary": "Production builders often formalize post-close service because volume and reputation make the feedback loop economically important.",
"terms": [
"warranty",
"service",
"customer care"
],
"owner": "Reports defects or service issues.",
"design": "Lessons may feed future standard plans.",
"builder": "Warranty or customer-care staff triage and dispatch fixes.",
"authority": "Mostly out unless a code or complaint issue reopens review.",
"trades": "Return for repairs or callbacks.",
"vendor": "Product warranties and replacement logistics matter now.",
"sources": [
"S25",
"S27"
]
}
]
},
"custom": {
"summary": "<strong>Custom / owner's land:</strong> the owner is active from the beginning, often hiring the architect early and choosing a builder later through bid, negotiation, or preconstruction services. Census separates contractor-built and owner-built houses inside this lane. <span class='sources-inline' data-sources='S1,S2,S3,S33,S34'></span>",
"ownerNode": "Usually a homeowner with land, budget, and design preferences from the start.",
"builderNode": "Often enters after some design work, though preconstruction collaboration can start earlier.",
"coreMeta": "Alternative lens: custom / owner's land",
"processPhases": [
{
"title": "Programming + feasibility",
"summary": "Owner and architect test needs, budget, site conditions, and what the land can support.",
"terms": [
"programming",
"budget",
"site",
"feasibility"
],
"owner": "Defines room count, lifestyle needs, aesthetic goals, and budget tolerance.",
"design": "Tests fit between goals, land constraints, and probable cost.",
"builder": "May not be selected yet; sometimes consulted informally.",
"authority": "Zoning, setbacks, overlays, or design review may immediately constrain options.",
"trades": "Minimal early role except local know-how.",
"vendor": "Selections are usually not fixed yet.",
"sources": [
"S3",
"S12",
"S33"
]
},
{
"title": "Schematic design",
"summary": "Rough sketches and site arrangement establish the broad concept and owner signoff path.",
"terms": [
"schematic design",
"massing",
"concept"
],
"owner": "Approves direction and tradeoffs.",
"design": "Creates rough sketches/models and explores site arrangement.",
"builder": "May provide rough pricing if engaged preconstruction.",
"authority": "May require early conversations in complex jurisdictions.",
"trades": "Little direct role.",
"vendor": "Little direct role.",
"sources": [
"S3",
"S4",
"S33"
]
},
{
"title": "Design development",
"summary": "The concept becomes a more resolved house with material assumptions and system choices.",
"terms": [
"design development",
"outline specs",
"selections"
],
"owner": "Makes increasingly consequential scope and finish decisions.",
"design": "Refines drawings, major materials, and system logic.",
"builder": "If engaged, improves estimating and constructability input.",
"authority": "Local requirements continue to shape the design.",
"trades": "May price specialty scopes or structural realities.",
"vendor": "Selections start to solidify.",
"sources": [
"S3",
"S4",
"S15"
]
},
{
"title": "Construction documents",
"summary": "Detailed drawings and specifications are prepared for permit, pricing, and actual building.",
"terms": [
"construction documents",
"specs",
"permit set"
],
"owner": "Approves the package that will drive price and execution.",
"design": "Produces the drawings and specs that become part of the contract.",
"builder": "Uses documents to establish cost and execution plan.",
"authority": "Will review this set for permit issuance.",
"trades": "Base quotes and means on what is shown and written.",
"vendor": "Provides product data for chosen systems.",
"sources": [
"S3",
"S4",
"S5",
"S6"
]
},
{
"title": "Builder selection",
"summary": "Owner chooses builder by bid, negotiation, or preconstruction-to-construction handoff.",
"terms": [
"bid",
"negotiation",
"home builder",
"award"
],
"owner": "Selects a builder based on trust, price, scope clarity, and delivery fit.",
"design": "May help prepare bid instructions and evaluate proposals.",
"builder": "Turns estimate into contract price and staffing plan.",
"authority": "Permit path may continue in parallel.",
"trades": "Bid their portions through the builder.",
"vendor": "Quote packages start becoming committed buys.",
"sources": [
"S3",
"S15",
"S33",
"S34"
]
},
{
"title": "Permits + start",
"summary": "Plan review, corrections, fees, declarations, and issuance clear the project to start.",
"terms": [
"authorization",
"permit",
"owner-builder",
"contractor declaration"
],
"owner": "May also sign owner-builder or agent forms where applicable.",
"design": "Responds to plan check comments.",
"builder": "Coordinates declarations, fees, and start timing.",
"authority": "Reviews and authorizes construction.",
"trades": "Submit specialty items where required.",
"vendor": "Provide any requested approvals or technical data.",
"sources": [
"S1",
"S11",
"S13",
"S30",
"S31"
]
},
{
"title": "Construction administration",
"summary": "The architect, owner, and builder interpret the documents while the builder controls means and methods in the field.",
"terms": [
"construction administration",
"RFI",
"pay app",
"inspection"
],
"owner": "Approves changes and watches cost drift closely.",
"design": "Site visits, clarifications, and review of payment applications may occur.",
"builder": "Responsible for means, methods, schedule, and field execution.",
"authority": "Inspectors review staged work for compliance.",
"trades": "Foremen and crews install the physical work.",
"vendor": "Deliveries must match field sequence and approved selections.",
"sources": [
"S3",
"S7",
"S8",
"S17",
"S24",
"S25"
]
},
{
"title": "Closeout",
"summary": "Final inspections, punch list completion, final payment, and occupancy/use readiness end the main project.",
"terms": [
"substantial completion",
"final completion",
"punch list"
],
"owner": "Takes possession of a nearly or fully complete house.",
"design": "May assist in determining completeness and entitlement to final payment.",
"builder": "Closes open items and compiles closeout records.",
"authority": "Final approvals are required for legal completion/use.",
"trades": "Return for punch work and corrections.",
"vendor": "Warranty data and final product information are assembled.",
"sources": [
"S3",
"S10"
]
},
{
"title": "Occupancy + warranty",
"summary": "The house shifts from project to home, but service work and latent issues can still trigger structured follow-up.",
"terms": [
"occupancy",
"warranty",
"callback"
],
"owner": "Lives with the result and reports service issues.",
"design": "May remain a trusted adviser for later changes.",
"builder": "Handles warranty obligations and dispatch.",
"authority": "May re-enter only for later modifications or complaints.",
"trades": "Perform callbacks as needed.",
"vendor": "Product warranties matter more than install sequencing now.",
"sources": [
"S10",
"S25"
]
}
]
}
},
"actors": [
{
"id": "owner",
"title": "Owner / sponsor",
"kind": "Who sets goals and approves the big moves",
"blurb": "This actor defines success: what gets built, how much risk is acceptable, how much change is tolerated, and when to spend more to solve a problem. In production housing this may be the builder-developer for much of the process; in custom work it is usually the homeowner from the beginning.",
"tag": "scope, budget, approvals, risk appetite",
"sources": [
"S1",
"S2",
"S3",
"S33",
"S34"
],
"personas": [
{
"name": "Homeowner / client",
"type": "Info + decisions",
"text": "Sets needs, budget, aesthetics, and tradeoffs; approves design, builder choice, and changes."
},
{
"name": "Builder-developer principal",
"type": "Info + decisions",
"text": "In built-for-sale projects, often acts as the effective owner during land, plan, permit, and early construction stages."
},
{
"name": "Sales / options manager",
"type": "Hybrid",
"text": "Common in production building; translates buyer selections into purchasable scope and potential change exposure."
},
{
"name": "Owner-builder",
"type": "Hybrid",
"text": "A legally distinct custom-home path in which the owner acts as general contractor on the owner's land."
}
],
"inputs": [
"Market or lifestyle goals",
"Budget and financing constraints",
"Design options and cost implications",
"Permit conditions and schedule risk",
"Change-order pricing and closeout readiness"
],
"outputs": [
"Program / brief",
"Approvals",
"Contracts",
"Selection decisions",
"Change authorizations",
"Final acceptance"
],
"decisions": [
"What to build",
"How much to spend",
"Which builder / architect to hire",
"Whether to change scope midstream",
"When the project is 'good enough' to close"
]
},
{
"id": "design",
"title": "Architecture firm + consultants",
"kind": "Who turns intent into buildable information",
"blurb": "Design firms convert owner intent into drawings, specifications, and permit/bid packages. They are central information processors: they gather constraints, resolve ambiguities, and produce the documents everyone else prices, approves, and builds from.",
"tag": "design intent, drawings, specs, clarifications",
"sources": [
"S3",
"S4",
"S5",
"S6",
"S16",
"S19",
"S33"
],
"personas": [
{
"name": "Principal / owner of the firm",
"type": "Info + decisions",
"text": "Frames fee, client relationship, design standards, and key approvals on riskier issues."
},
{
"name": "Project architect",
"type": "Info + decisions",
"text": "Coordinates the design package, consultants, permit comments, and field clarifications."
},
{
"name": "Architectural designer",
"type": "Info + decisions",
"text": "Develops layouts, elevations, and design solutions through schematic design and DD."
},
{
"name": "Drafter / BIM or CAD technician",
"type": "Info processing",
"text": "Prepares detailed drawing sets and sheet organization that the field and AHJ rely on."
},
{
"name": "Structural / civil / MEP consultants",
"type": "Info + decisions",
"text": "Provide engineering logic, calculations, and discipline-specific compliance documents."
}
],
"inputs": [
"Owner program and budget",
"Site/zoning/code constraints",
"Engineer calculations and reports",
"Builder constructability feedback",
"Permit-review comments"
],
"outputs": [
"Schematic design",
"Design development",
"Construction documents",
"Permit set",
"Bid / procurement documents",
"Clarifications (RFIs, ASIs, sketches)"
],
"decisions": [
"How to satisfy owner intent within code and site constraints",
"How much detail is necessary in the documents",
"Which clarifications are minor vs. scope-changing",
"Whether a proposed field change is reasonable"
]
},
{
"id": "builder",
"title": "Builder / general contractor",
"kind": "Who assembles the execution machine",
"blurb": "The builder or GC turns a document package into a sequence of real work. This actor is the main scheduler, coordinator, cost-and-time gatekeeper, and the party that holds the field together while trade contractors, vendors, and inspectors interact around the house.",
"tag": "estimate, buyout, schedule, field control",
"sources": [
"S3",
"S8",
"S14",
"S15",
"S18",
"S24",
"S25",
"S34"
],
"personas": [
{
"name": "Owner / president",
"type": "Info + decisions",
"text": "Sets delivery model, margin targets, subcontractor strategy, and warranty standards."
},
{
"name": "Estimator / preconstruction lead",
"type": "Info + decisions",
"text": "Converts scope into cost by gathering quotes, assumptions, labor, and material needs."
},
{
"name": "Purchasing manager / buyer",
"type": "Info + decisions",
"text": "Evaluates suppliers, negotiates pricing, and sequences procurement against schedule and availability."
},
{
"name": "Project manager",
"type": "Info + decisions",
"text": "Owns time, budget, cross-party coordination, and many change / payment / risk decisions."
},
{
"name": "Superintendent",
"type": "Hybrid",
"text": "Runs the jobsite sequence, quality, safety, inspection timing, and trade handoffs from planning through warranty."
},
{
"name": "Warranty / customer care",
"type": "Hybrid",
"text": "Common in production builders; turns post-close issues into repair dispatch and feedback to operations."
}
],
"inputs": [
"Construction documents",
"Trade bids and vendor quotes",
"Permit status and conditions",
"Inspection results",
"Owner change requests",
"Delivery lead times"
],
"outputs": [
"Estimate and buyout",
"Subcontracts and POs",
"Schedules",
"RFIs and change requests",
"Pay applications / invoices",
"Punch and closeout packages"
],
"decisions": [
"Who gets each scope",
"When materials are released",
"How sequence is adjusted when constraints hit",
"What a change should cost and how it affects time",
"When the project is ready for inspection / turnover"
]
},
{
"id": "trades",
"title": "Subcontractors / trade contractors",
"kind": "Who supply specialized knowledge and labor",
"blurb": "Trade contractors are where much of the physical building expertise lives. They also do plenty of information work: estimating, interpreting drawings, proposing scope clarifications, sequencing crews, and documenting what was installed.",
"tag": "specialized scope, crews, field execution",
"sources": [
"S15",
"S20",
"S21",
"S22",
"S23",
"S32"
],
"personas": [
{
"name": "Trade estimator",
"type": "Info + decisions",
"text": "Prices a specific scope by reading documents and converting them into labor, materials, and exclusions."
},
{
"name": "Trade project manager",
"type": "Info + decisions",
"text": "Coordinates procurement, schedule commitments, and problem resolution for the trade firm."
},
{
"name": "Foreman / first-line supervisor",
"type": "Hybrid",
"text": "Allocates crews, reads plans, solves field issues, documents progress, and communicates with GC and inspectors."
},
{
"name": "Carpenter",
"type": "Hands-on",
"text": "Builds frameworks and structural / finish elements from plans and dimensions."
},
{
"name": "Electrician / plumber",
"type": "Hands-on + licensed scope",
"text": "Install core building systems that are frequently inspected and regulated."
},
{
"name": "Laborer / helper",
"type": "Hands-on",
"text": "Moves material, supports trades, and keeps work areas functioning."
}
],
"inputs": [
"Bid packages and drawings",
"Subcontracts and site schedule",
"Field instructions / clarifications",
"Inspection timing",
"Material release dates"
],
"outputs": [
"Quotes",
"Crew plans",
"Installed work",
"Change requests",
"Inspection-ready scope",
"Punch completion"
],
"decisions": [
"What is included / excluded in trade price",
"How to crew the work",
"When to ask for clarification",
"How to recover when sequence slips"
]
},
{
"id": "vendor",
"title": "Vendors / suppliers / distributors",
"kind": "Who translate selections into products at the right time",
"blurb": "This actor is easy to underestimate. A large share of project uncertainty sits in quoted price validity, product availability, substitutions, lead times, delivery windows, product data, and warranty information. In practice, procurement quality can make or break schedule reliability.",
"tag": "quotes, lead times, deliveries, product data",
"sources": [
"S18",
"S27",
"S13"
],
"personas": [
{
"name": "Sales rep / account manager",
"type": "Info + decisions",
"text": "Translates builder scope into quoted products, substitutions, and commercial terms."
},
{
"name": "Inside sales / quoting",
"type": "Info processing",
"text": "Turns plans, takeoffs, or schedules into product counts and prices."
},
{
"name": "Project coordinator / dispatch",
"type": "Hybrid",
"text": "Schedules deliveries, tracks releases, and reacts when jobsites or inspections slip."
},
{
"name": "Warehouse / delivery staff",
"type": "Hands-on",
"text": "Physically stage, load, and deliver material to match site readiness."
}
],
"inputs": [
"Selections and specifications",
"Takeoffs and release schedules",
"Lead-time risk",
"Approved product requirements"
],
"outputs": [
"Quotes",
"Product data / approvals",
"Delivery commitments",
"Warranty information",
"Substitution options"
],
"decisions": [
"Which product satisfies the request",
"Whether quoted lead times are realistic",
"How deliveries are staged against changing schedules"
]
},
{
"id": "authority",
"title": "City / county / state authorities (AHJ and related agencies)",
"kind": "Who make the build legal",
"blurb": "Authorities set the legal envelope for what can be built, how it must be documented, and when it is approved for construction and use. The key term is AHJ: authority having jurisdiction. In practice, planning, building, fire, public works, utilities, and state-level code or licensing frameworks may all matter.",
"tag": "code adoption, review, permits, inspections",
"sources": [
"S11",
"S12",
"S13",
"S17",
"S21",
"S22",
"S31"
],
"personas": [
{
"name": "Planner / zoning reviewer",
"type": "Info + decisions",
"text": "Determines whether the proposal fits land-use rules, setbacks, notice requirements, and discretionary review paths."
},
{
"name": "Permit technician / intake staff",
"type": "Info processing",
"text": "Checks completeness, fees, forms, and routing into the right review workflow."
},
{
"name": "Plan reviewer",
"type": "Info + decisions",
"text": "Reviews documents for adopted-code and local-rule compliance and issues correction comments."
},
{
"name": "Building inspector",
"type": "Hybrid",
"text": "Inspects staged work in the field, documents findings, and can issue violations or stop-work orders."
},
{
"name": "State code / licensing layer",
"type": "Info + decisions",
"text": "Often shapes code adoption/amendment and occupational licensing rules for certain trades."
}
],
"inputs": [
"Applications and forms",
"Plan sets and calculations",
"Agency referrals",
"Inspection requests",
"Correction responses"
],
"outputs": [
"Approvals / permits",
"Review comments",
"Inspection results",
"Conditions of approval",
"Final signoffs / occupancy permissions"
],
"decisions": [
"Whether the proposal can proceed",
"What must be corrected",
"Whether field work complies with approved plans and code",
"Whether legal completion / use is allowed"
]
}
],
"flow_cards": [
{
"title": "Owner ↔ design team",
"text": "The owner sends needs, priorities, and approvals. The design team sends options, drawings, specifications, cost-sensitive design choices, and permit-ready documents.",
"items": [
[
"What moves",
"Program, budget assumptions, sketches, DD, construction documents, selection approvals"
],
[
"Why it matters",
"This is where fuzzy wants become buildable commitments"
],
[
"Typical failure mode",
"Budget and design drift apart; the owner approves a concept without absorbing downstream cost and schedule effects"
]
],
"sources": [
"S3",
"S4",
"S5",
"S33"
]
},
{
"title": "Design team ↔ builder / GC",
"text": "This is the core interpretation loop. The builder prices and builds from the documents; the design team explains or adjusts what those documents mean.",
"items": [
[
"What moves",
"Bid packages, construction documents, RFIs, ASIs, sketches, change pricing, payment review"
],
[
"Why it matters",
"Even small ambiguities can multiply across multiple trades and inspections"
],
[
"Typical failure mode",
"Late clarifications arrive after procurement or rough-in, causing change orders and rework"
]
],
"sources": [
"S3",
"S7",
"S8",
"S9"
]
},
{
"title": "Builder / GC ↔ trades",
"text": "The builder turns the full project into tractable scopes and timing. Trades turn those scopes into quotes, crew plans, field execution, and exceptions.",
"items": [
[
"What moves",
"Bid invites, subcontracts, schedule updates, field directives, inspection timing, punch items"
],
[
"Why it matters",
"Most handoffs on the house are trade-to-trade, not owner-to-trade"
],
[
"Typical failure mode",
"Low-bid scope gaps, sequencing misses, and return trips that nobody priced"
]
],
"sources": [
"S15",
"S24",
"S25",
"S32"
]
},
{
"title": "Builder / trades ↔ vendors",
"text": "Procurement quality determines whether the field gets the right material at the right moment with the right documentation.",
"items": [
[
"What moves",
"Quotes, product data, lead times, release schedules, substitutions, deliveries, warranty records"
],
[
"Why it matters",
"A house can be physically ready but still stall on one missing or late component"
],
[
"Typical failure mode",
"Schedule assumes material certainty that the supply chain does not actually support"
]
],
"sources": [
"S18",
"S27"
]
},
{
"title": "Project team ↔ AHJ / agencies",
"text": "This is the legality loop: what can be built, when it can start, how it is inspected, and when it can be signed off.",
"items": [
[
"What moves",
"Applications, forms, plans, calculations, review comments, fees, inspection requests, signoffs"
],
[
"Why it matters",
"The project may be technically buildable but legally blocked until the record is complete"
],
[
"Typical failure mode",
"Incomplete submittals, local-rule surprises, slow corrections, or inspection timing mismatches"
]
],
"sources": [
"S11",
"S12",
"S13",
"S17",
"S30",
"S31"
]
},
{
"title": "Builder / owner ↔ money and closeout",
"text": "Payments are information-rich: they encode percent complete, change history, retainage, waivers, and readiness for final turnover.",
"items": [
[
"What moves",
"Invoices or pay applications, schedule of values, waivers / releases, punch lists, warranty records"
],
[
"Why it matters",
"Closeout is where legal, financial, and physical completion must line up"
],
[
"Typical failure mode",
"People think the house is done physically but paperwork, punch, or inspections are not actually closed"
]
],
"sources": [
"S8",
"S9",
"S10"
]
}
],
"flow_matrix": [
[
"Owner → architect",
"Program, budget, priorities, site goals, approvals",
"Meetings, email, drawings, annotated PDFs, contracts"
],
[
"Architect → owner",
"Concepts, DD package, construction documents, bid guidance, payment review, closeout support",
"Drawings/specs, PDFs, email, meetings"
],
[
"Architect → AHJ",
"Plan set, calculations, reports, application materials, correction responses",
"Permit portal uploads, PDFs, forms, sometimes hard copy"
],
[
"AHJ → architect / builder",
"Correction comments, conditions, fees, issuance, inspection requirements",
"Portal notices, email, approval letters, online records"
],
[
"Builder → trades",
"Bid packages, scope sheets, schedule windows, site rules, inspection timing",
"Email, estimating systems, subcontracts, site meetings, text/phone"
],
[
"Trades → builder",
"Quotes, exclusions, crew plans, field questions, change requests, completion notices",
"Quotes, markup PDFs, phone/text, email, site logs"
],
[
"Builder ↔ vendor",
"POs, submittal-like product data, lead times, release schedules, deliveries, warranty data",
"ERP / purchasing systems, email, PDFs, dispatch calls"
],
[
"Builder ↔ owner",
"Status, cost impacts, change orders, payment package, punch list, warranty information",
"Meetings, email, portal / CRM, pay forms"
],
[
"Builder / licensed contractor ↔ inspector",
"Inspection requests, permit number, approved-plan reference, site readiness, correction closure",
"Web portals, online scheduling, phone, text, in-person field inspection"
],
[
"Project records at closeout",
"Substantial/final completion record, punch completion, waivers/releases, warranty items",
"Forms, PDFs, digital binders, final signoffs"
]
],
"frictions": [
{
"title": "Jurisdictional variance and approval drag",
"heat": "High structural friction",
"text": "Residential construction is governed locally enough that the same basic house can face materially different planning, permit, review, and inspection workflows depending on jurisdiction. In some places planning approval is a separate gate before building permit review even starts.",
"why": "Why it happens",
"whyText": "Model codes are adopted by AHJs and can be amended. Local planning, public notice, or hearing requirements create extra handoffs.",
"consequence": "What it does",
"consequenceText": "Adds schedule uncertainty, resubmittals, carrying costs, and strategy overhead for every participant.",
"watch": "Watch for",
"watchText": "Separate planning and building steps, specialty permits, or multiple agency signoffs.",
"sources": [
"S11",
"S12",
"S13",
"S26",
"S31"
]
},
{
"title": "Fragmented documents and version-control failure",
"heat": "High recurring friction",
"text": "The project depends on consistent interpretation of drawings, specifications, product data, and field clarifications. But construction commonly runs on mixed media: portals, PDFs, CAD files, email threads, marked-up prints, phone calls, and jobsite memory.",
"why": "Why it happens",
"whyText": "Standardized document systems exist, but adoption is voluntary and practice varies widely by firm and project size.",
"consequence": "What it does",
"consequenceText": "Old revisions stay in circulation, assumptions diverge, and the field installs yesterday's answer.",
"watch": "Watch for",
"watchText": "Multiple PDFs, unclear sheet naming, late ASIs / RFIs, or unresolved review comments when work starts.",
"sources": [
"S5",
"S6",
"S7",
"S9",
"S30"
]
},
{
"title": "Change orders as a cascade, not an event",
"heat": "High downstream cost",
"text": "A change rarely affects one line item only. It can alter contract sum, contract time, material releases, inspection timing, trade return trips, and owner expectations all at once.",
"why": "Why it happens",
"whyText": "Changes arise from owner decisions, unforeseen conditions, omissions, substitutions, or schedule events; they often begin as RFIs, ASIs, or proposal requests.",
"consequence": "What it does",
"consequenceText": "Strains relationships, increases coordination burden, and creates hidden rework and morale loss.",
"watch": "Watch for",
"watchText": "Late finish changes, field-discovered conflicts, and unresolved scope gaps before procurement.",
"sources": [
"S7",
"S9",
"S10"
]
},
{
"title": "Labor shortage and field-capacity mismatch",
"heat": "High market-wide friction",
"text": "Even when documents and approvals are ready, the work still depends on the availability of skilled crews and frontline supervisors. Labor scarcity lengthens build times and raises carrying costs.",
"why": "Why it happens",
"whyText": "Single-family construction depends on specialized trade capacity and experienced field coordination that cannot be scaled overnight.",
"consequence": "What it does",
"consequenceText": "Longer schedules, missed start windows, and fewer houses completed than demand would support.",
"watch": "Watch for",
"watchText": "Repeated schedule slips between framing and rough MEP, inspection misses due to crew shortages, or long callback cycles.",
"sources": [
"S20",
"S21",
"S22",
"S23",
"S28",
"S32"
]
},
{
"title": "Procurement and supply-chain unreliability",
"heat": "Medium-high friction",
"text": "A residential project is full of release decisions: windows, trusses, switchgear-equivalent items, finish packages, appliances, doors, cabinets. If procurement timing or data quality is weak, schedule reliability collapses.",
"why": "Why it happens",
"whyText": "Construction supply chains are fragmented and often less digitally coordinated than manufacturing-style systems.",
"consequence": "What it does",
"consequenceText": "Just-in-time turns into just-too-late; crews arrive before material or material arrives before the site can receive it.",
"watch": "Watch for",
"watchText": "Quotes with uncertain lead times, late product approvals, or delivery dates disconnected from current field reality.",
"sources": [
"S18",
"S27"
]
},
{
"title": "Misaligned incentives in contracting and handoffs",
"heat": "Medium-high friction",
"text": "The project wants collaboration, but the commercial structure often rewards local optimization: lowest initial price, risk transfer, or minimum scope commitment. Residential work frequently inherits this tension even when parties are trying to cooperate.",
"why": "Why it happens",
"whyText": "Fragmentation and transactional contracting make it harder to share risk, data, and problem-solving incentives.",
"consequence": "What it does",
"consequenceText": "Scope gaps, defensive behavior, and cost/schedule disputes that consume management attention.",
"watch": "Watch for",
"watchText": "Quotes with aggressive exclusions, unresolved assumptions, or 'not in my scope' debates late in the build.",
"sources": [
"S27",
"S15",
"S24"
]
},
{
"title": "Late-stage closeout mismatch",
"heat": "Medium friction",
"text": "A house can look finished before it is contractually, legally, and financially complete. Final inspections, punch items, payment paperwork, waivers, and warranty handoff all have to converge.",
"why": "Why it happens",
"whyText": "Physical readiness, substantial completion, and final completion are related but not identical milestones.",
"consequence": "What it does",
"consequenceText": "Occupancy delays, retained funds, incomplete turnover, and warranty confusion.",
"watch": "Watch for",
"watchText": "Open punch lists, pending approvals, or missing waiver / release paperwork at turnover.",
"sources": [
"S8",
"S10",
"S17"
]
},
{
"title": "Regulatory cost accumulation",
"heat": "Contextual but important",
"text": "Regulation affects projects both directly (fees, studies, design requirements, code changes) and indirectly through time and process complexity. The effect is real, but precise cost measurement is difficult and varies by locality.",
"why": "Why it happens",
"whyText": "Rules, implementation, and delay costs combine; some studies rely on developer surveys, while HUD emphasizes that implementation effects are hard to isolate cleanly.",
"consequence": "What it does",
"consequenceText": "Raises cost to produce new housing and can favor larger or better-connected firms that navigate the system more easily.",
"watch": "Watch for",
"watchText": "Repeated fees, mandated studies, design standards beyond baseline, and long review cycles.",
"sources": [
"S26",
"S29"
]
}
],
"glossary": [
{
"term": "AHJ (Authority Having Jurisdiction)",
"def": "The government body that adopts and enforces the applicable code or rule set for a project. It may be a city, county, state, or another regulator depending on the issue.",
"sources": [
"S11"
]
},
{
"term": "Authorization",
"def": "Census term for local approval to proceed, usually by building or zoning permit.",
"sources": [
"S1"
]
},
{
"term": "Built for sale",
"def": "A house built on the builder's land with the intention of selling house and land together. This is the dominant new single-family lane in current U.S. data.",
"sources": [
"S1",
"S2"
]
},
{
"term": "Contractor-built house",
"def": "A house built for owner occupancy on the owner's land under supervision of a single general contractor.",
"sources": [
"S1"
]
},
{
"term": "Owner-built house",
"def": "A house built for owner occupancy on the owner's land with the owner acting as general contractor.",
"sources": [
"S1"
]
},
{
"term": "Programming",
"def": "The earliest project-definition phase, where owner and architect test needs, budget, room count, function, and site fit.",
"sources": [
"S3"
]
},
{
"term": "Schematic design",
"def": "Rough sketches or early concepts that show general arrangement of rooms and the site before full technical detail exists.",
"sources": [
"S3",
"S4"
]
},
{
"term": "Design development (DD)",
"def": "The phase where the concept becomes more detailed and major materials, systems, and room relationships are refined.",
"sources": [
"S3",
"S4"
]
},
{
"term": "Construction documents (CDs)",
"def": "Detailed drawings and specifications used for permitting, pricing, and building. They become part of the building contract.",
"sources": [
"S3",
"S4"
]
},
{
"term": "Permit set",
"def": "The drawing and calculation package submitted to the AHJ to obtain approval to build. Local content requirements vary.",
"sources": [
"S11",
"S12",
"S13",
"S30"
]
},
{
"term": "Plan check / review comments",
"def": "The AHJ's review process and written corrections or conditions that must be answered before permit issuance or final signoff.",
"sources": [
"S12",
"S13",
"S17"
]
},
{
"term": "Procurement / buyout",
"def": "The conversion of an estimate into committed subcontracts and purchase orders.",
"sources": [
"S4",
"S18",
"S24"
]
},
{
"term": "RFI (Request for Information)",
"def": "A standardized request for clarification during construction when a party needs more information to proceed confidently.",
"sources": [
"S7"
]
},
{
"term": "ASI (Architect's Supplemental Instruction)",
"def": "A directive from the architect that adds information or makes minor changes within the contract documents without adjusting contract sum or time, in the architect's view.",
"sources": [
"S9"
]
},
{
"term": "CCD (Construction Change Directive)",
"def": "A directive that tells the contractor to proceed with changed work before cost/time are fully agreed, with formal contract incorporation to follow.",
"sources": [
"S9"
]
},
{
"term": "Change order",
"def": "A written agreement among the relevant parties describing a change in work and its effect on contract sum and/or contract time.",
"sources": [
"S9"
]
},
{
"term": "Pay application / application for payment",
"def": "A progress-payment request that records work completed to date, prior payments, retainage, and current amount requested.",
"sources": [
"S8"
]
},
{
"term": "Schedule of values",
"def": "A breakdown of the contract sum into portions of work so progress payments can be tracked against completion.",
"sources": [
"S8"
]
},
{
"term": "Retainage",
"def": "An amount held back from payment until later in the project, often released in part at substantial completion and fully at final completion.",
"sources": [
"S8",
"S10"
]
},
{
"term": "Substantial completion",
"def": "The stage when the project is ready for its intended use, even though minor work may remain.",
"sources": [
"S10"
]
},
{
"term": "Punch list",
"def": "The list of minor incomplete or corrective items that remain after the project is substantially complete.",
"sources": [
"S10"
]
},
{
"term": "Final completion",
"def": "The stage when all work, including punch items, is complete and the contractor's obligations for the contracted scope are fully satisfied.",
"sources": [
"S10"
]
},
{
"term": "Occupancy / use signoff",
"def": "Local approval that the project is legally ready to be occupied or used, after required inspections and conditions are satisfied.",
"sources": [
"S10",
"S17",
"S31"
]
},
{
"term": "NCS (National CAD Standard)",
"def": "A voluntary U.S. standard for organizing drawing information to support more consistent communication across project teams.",
"sources": [
"S6"
]
},
{
"term": "Plan reviewer",
"def": "An authority-side professional who examines submitted documents for code and local-rule compliance.",
"sources": [
"S17"
]
},
{
"term": "Superintendent",
"def": "The builder-side field leader who manages sequencing, site coordination, inspection readiness, quality, and many daily handoffs.",
"sources": [
"S25"
]
},
{
"term": "Estimator",
"def": "A role that converts the project into expected labor, material, time, and cost requirements.",
"sources": [
"S15"
]
},
{
"term": "Built-for-rent",
"def": "A builder-land single-family house intended for rental rather than sale. It exists in Census data but is outside the main scope of this map.",
"sources": [
"S1",
"S2"
]
},
{
"term": "Under construction",
"def": "One of the Census project phases between start and completion.",
"sources": [
"S1"
]
},
{
"term": "Specialty permits",
"def": "Local permits or approvals that may be separate from the main building permit, such as electrical, plumbing, HVAC, side sewer, or fire-related items, depending on jurisdiction.",
"sources": [
"S12",
"S31"
]
}
],
"sources": {
"S1": {
"title": "U.S. Census Bureau — Survey of Construction definitions",
"url": "https://www.census.gov/construction/soc/definitions.html",
"kind": "National definition",
"group": "National definitions and statistics",
"note": "Defines built-for-sale, contractor-built, owner-built, authorization, new residential construction phases, and when a new house is counted as sold."
},
"S2": {
"title": "NAHB Eye on Housing — Custom Home Building Share Declines in 2024",
"url": "https://eyeonhousing.org/2025/10/custom-home-building-share-declines-in-2024/",
"kind": "Industry analysis",
"group": "Industry analyses and policy",
"note": "Uses Census Survey of Construction data to show 2024 mix: custom, built-for-sale, built-for-rent."
},
"S3": {
"title": "AIA East Tennessee — Design to Construction",
"url": "https://www.aiaetn.org/find-an-architect/design-to-construction/",
"kind": "Professional practice",
"group": "Professional practice and standardized documents",
"note": "Seven-phase owner/architect construction process, including bidding, construction administration, and closeout."
},
"S4": {
"title": "AIA Contract Documents — B201 basic services",
"url": "https://help.aiacontracts.com/hc/en-us/articles/1500010130741-Instructions-B201-2017-Standard-Form-of-Architect-s-Services-Design-and-Construction-Contract-Administration",
"kind": "Professional practice",
"group": "Professional practice and standardized documents",
"note": "Traditional five architect service phases: schematic design, design development, construction documents, procurement, construction."
},
"S5": {
"title": "Construction Specifications Institute — Project Delivery Practice Guide",
"url": "https://www.csiresources.org/learning/practice-guides/pdpg",
"kind": "Professional practice",
"group": "Professional practice and standardized documents",
"note": "Frames project success as moving owner intent and information through design team to jobsite."
},
"S6": {
"title": "Construction Specifications Institute — National CAD Standard",
"url": "https://www.csiresources.org/standards/ncs",
"kind": "Professional standard",
"group": "Professional practice and standardized documents",
"note": "Shows standardized drawing organization and that NCS adoption is voluntary."
},
"S7": {
"title": "AIA Contract Documents — G716 Request for Information (RFI)",
"url": "https://help.aiacontracts.com/hc/en-us/articles/1500009325281-Instructions-G716-2004-Request-for-Information-RFI",
"kind": "Standard document",
"group": "Professional practice and standardized documents",
"note": "RFI as a standard form for owner, architect, and contractor to request further information during construction."
},
"S8": {
"title": "AIA Contract Documents — G702/G703 payment forms",
"url": "https://aiacontracts.com/documents/g702-1992",
"kind": "Standard document",
"group": "Professional practice and standardized documents",
"note": "Payment application, continuation sheet, retainage, prior payments, change orders, and coordinated waiver documents."
},
"S9": {
"title": "AIA Contract Documents — Change orders fundamentals",
"url": "https://learn.aiacontracts.com/articles/6378493-the-fundamentals-of-change-orders-in-construction/",
"kind": "Professional practice",
"group": "Professional practice and standardized documents",
"note": "Defines change orders and shows common initiators such as ASI, CCD, and RFI."
},
"S10": {
"title": "AIA Contract Documents — Substantial vs. final completion",
"url": "https://learn.aiacontracts.com/articles/substantial-completion-vs-final-completion-understanding-key-construction-milestones/",
"kind": "Professional practice",
"group": "Professional practice and standardized documents",
"note": "Explains substantial completion, punch list items, occupancy, warranties, and final completion."
},
"S11": {
"title": "International Code Council — Code adoption resources",
"url": "https://www.iccsafe.org/advocacy/code-adoption-resources/",
"kind": "National code governance",
"group": "National definitions and statistics",
"note": "Explains that an AHJ adopts model codes by law and may amend them."
},
"S12": {
"title": "SF Planning — Homeowners",
"url": "https://sfplanning.org/homeowners",
"kind": "Local example",
"group": "Local permitting and plan-review examples",
"note": "Shows that planning approval may precede building permit and that review may include zoning, public notice, or hearing steps."
},
"S13": {
"title": "Sacramento County — Building Permits & Inspection Division",
"url": "https://development.saccounty.gov/us/en/building-permits-inspection.html",
"kind": "Local example",
"group": "Local permitting and plan-review examples",
"note": "Shows portal-based permitting, production-home and owner-builder applications, electronic submittals, status, fees, resubmittals, and approved documents."
},
"S14": {
"title": "BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook — Construction managers",
"url": "https://www.bls.gov/ooh/Management/Construction-managers.htm",
"kind": "National occupation",
"group": "Occupations and personas",
"note": "Construction managers plan, coordinate, budget, and supervise projects from start to finish."
},
"S15": {
"title": "BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook — Cost estimators",
"url": "https://www.bls.gov/ooh/business-and-financial/cost-estimators.htm",
"kind": "National occupation",
"group": "Occupations and personas",
"note": "Estimators assess time, money, materials, and labor."
},
"S16": {
"title": "BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook — Architects",
"url": "https://www.bls.gov/ooh/architecture-and-engineering/architects.htm",
"kind": "National occupation",
"group": "Occupations and personas",
"note": "Architects plan and design structures, coordinate with clients and engineers, and visit sites."
},
"S17": {
"title": "BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook — Construction and building inspectors",
"url": "https://www.bls.gov/ooh/construction-and-extraction/construction-and-building-inspectors.htm",
"kind": "National occupation",
"group": "Occupations and personas",
"note": "Inspectors review plans, monitor sites, and document compliance or violations."
},
"S18": {
"title": "BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook — Purchasing managers, buyers, and purchasing agents",
"url": "https://www.bls.gov/ooh/business-and-financial/purchasing-managers-buyers-and-purchasing-agents.htm",
"kind": "National occupation",
"group": "Occupations and personas",
"note": "Buyer/purchasing roles evaluate suppliers, negotiate contracts, and coordinate procurement."
},
"S19": {
"title": "BLS — Architectural and civil drafters",
"url": "https://www.bls.gov/oes/2023/may/oes173011.htm",
"kind": "National occupation",
"group": "Occupations and personas",
"note": "Drafters prepare detailed drawings of architectural and structural features."
},
"S20": {
"title": "BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook — Carpenters",
"url": "https://www.bls.gov/ooh/construction-and-extraction/carpenters.htm",
"kind": "National occupation",
"group": "Occupations and personas",
"note": "Carpenters construct, repair, and install frameworks and structures."
},
"S21": {
"title": "BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook — Electricians",
"url": "https://www.bls.gov/ooh/construction-and-extraction/electricians.htm",
"kind": "National occupation",
"group": "Occupations and personas",
"note": "Electricians install and repair electrical systems; most states require licensing."
},
"S22": {
"title": "BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook — Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters",
"url": "https://www.bls.gov/ooh/construction-and-extraction/plumbers-pipefitters-and-steamfitters.htm",
"kind": "National occupation",
"group": "Occupations and personas",
"note": "Plumbers install and repair piping systems; most states require licensing."
},
"S23": {
"title": "BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook — Construction laborers and helpers",
"url": "https://www.bls.gov/ooh/construction-and-extraction/construction-laborers-and-helpers.htm",
"kind": "National occupation",
"group": "Occupations and personas",
"note": "Laborers and helpers supply materials, handle tools, and clean work areas."
},
"S24": {
"title": "NAHB — Project Management",
"url": "https://www.nahb.org/education-and-events/education/on-demand-education-courses/project-management",
"kind": "Industry practice",
"group": "Occupations and personas",
"note": "Residential PM responsibility: get the project built on time and on budget."
},
"S25": {
"title": "NAHB — Basic Construction Management: The Superintendent's Job",
"url": "https://www.nahb.org/Other/BuilderBooks/Basic-Construction-Management-The-Superintendents-Job",
"kind": "Industry practice",
"group": "Occupations and personas",
"note": "Superintendent management spans planning through warranty work."
},
"S26": {
"title": "HUD — Eliminating Regulatory Barriers to Affordable Housing",
"url": "https://www.huduser.gov/portal//portal/sites/default/files/pdf/eliminating-regulatory-barriers-to-affordable-housing.pdf",
"kind": "Policy analysis",
"group": "Industry analyses and policy",
"note": "Summarizes research on how regulation and implementation costs affect housing supply and prices."
},
"S27": {
"title": "McKinsey — Improving construction productivity",
"url": "https://www.mckinsey.com/~/media/McKinsey/Industries/Capital%20Projects%20and%20Infrastructure/Our%20Insights/Improving%20construction%20productivity/Improving-construction-productivity.pdf",
"kind": "Industry analysis",
"group": "Industry analyses and policy",
"note": "Highlights fragmentation, regulation, weak design processes, supply-chain issues, and underinvestment in skills and innovation."
},
"S28": {
"title": "HBI + NAHB — Labor shortage study press release",
"url": "https://hbi.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Final-Joint-Press-Release-Labor-Shortage-Study-1.pdf",
"kind": "Industry analysis",
"group": "Industry analyses and policy",
"note": "Reports higher carrying costs, longer build times, and lost single-family production tied to skilled-labor shortages."
},
"S29": {
"title": "NAHB — Government regulation in the price of a new home (2021)",
"url": "https://www.nahb.org/-/media/NAHB/news-and-economics/docs/housing-economics-plus/special-studies/2021/special-study-government-regulation-in-the-price-of-a-new-home-may-2021.pdf",
"kind": "Trade-association study",
"group": "Industry analyses and policy",
"note": "Estimates regulatory cost shares in new single-family home prices; useful but should be read as a trade-association study."
},
"S30": {
"title": "City of Hayward — New single-family home checklist",
"url": "https://www.hayward-ca.gov/sites/default/files/documents/New-Single-Family-Home-Submittal-Checklist-071224.pdf",
"kind": "Local example",
"group": "Local permitting and plan-review examples",
"note": "Illustrates digital PDF plan sets, structural calcs, soils reports, and local plan-review packaging for a new home."
},
"S31": {
"title": "Seattle SDCI — New building permit for single-family residential or duplex",
"url": "https://seattle.gov/sdci/permits/permits-we-issue-%28a-z%29/construction-permit%C2%A0--new-building-single-family-residential%C2%A0or-duplex",
"kind": "Local example",
"group": "Local permitting and plan-review examples",
"note": "Shows specialty work and some reviews may be separate from the main building permit."
},
"S32": {
"title": "O*NET — First-line supervisors of construction trades",
"url": "https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/47-1011.00",
"kind": "National occupation",
"group": "Occupations and personas",
"note": "Useful for field-foreman and frontline-supervisor activities: coordinating work, scheduling, inspecting, documenting, and communicating."
},
"S33": {
"title": "AIA Contract Documents — B110 custom residential project",
"url": "https://help.aiacontracts.com/hc/en-us/articles/4411606018323-Instructions-B110-2021-Standard-Form-of-Agreement-Between-Owner-and-Architect-for-a-Custom-Residential-Project",
"kind": "Professional practice",
"group": "Professional practice and standardized documents",
"note": "Custom residential owner-architect agreement with residential-specific five phases."
},
"S34": {
"title": "AIA Contract Documents — A111 owner and home builder for a single-family home",
"url": "https://help.aiacontracts.com/hc/en-us/articles/4411619561491-Summary-A111-2021-Standard-Form-of-Agreement-Between-Owner-and-Home-Builder-for-Construction-of-a-Single-Family-Home",
"kind": "Professional practice",
"group": "Professional practice and standardized documents",
"note": "Single-family owner-home-builder agreement for relatively straightforward residential projects."
}
},
"footer_note": "This map is scoped to U.S. new single-family residential construction . Local permitting, planning, and inspection details vary widely by jurisdiction; local examples here are meant to show workflow shape, not to stand in for every city or county. Model codes and contract forms also do not mean every project uses the same exact paperwork."
}