Windows and sliding doors
Typically 10 to 14 weeksSized from the permit set, in frames made for salt air.
Clock two: the container
Lead times for what we order
Counted from the day we place the order to the day it reaches your lot. These are samples, and your written quote lists each one for your plan.
Made to order from your plans
These can't be ordered until the plans are final, and many can't be changed once they are.
Entry and interior doors
Typically 4 to 10 weeksStandard sizes are quicker than custom.
Kitchen and bath cabinets
Typically 8 to 12 weeksBuilt after the layout is signed.
Roof trusses and engineered beams
Typically 6 to 10 weeksEngineered to your plan and your wind rating.
Stocked here, but supplied by sea
Usually on a shelf. Not always.
Framing lumber and plywood
Typically 1 to 3 weeksTreated for termites where the plans call for it.
Roofing
Typically 2 to 6 weeksCommon profiles on hand, special colors by order.
Flooring and tile
Typically 2 to 6 weeksCommon styles on hand, specials by order.
Plumbing and electrical fixtures
Typically 2 to 8 weeksBasics on hand. A particular finish may come by sea.
Appliances
Check the model before the plans are final: sizes differ.
Cooktop, refrigerator and water heater
Typically 2 to 6 weeksChosen from what's available when you decide.
Made here
No container to wait for.
Concrete, rebar and site work
Days, not weeksScheduled around the pour and the inspector.
Sample lead times. Mills, sailing schedules and demand change them, so we confirm each on your written quote.
Why it runs long
The boat is the short part
A window for a house on Oahu starts as an order on the mainland. It waits for a production slot, is built, is crated, waits for a booking on a ship, sails, clears the harbor and is trucked to your lot. The sailing is the shortest step in that list.
That's why we don't tell you a build date until we have your lead times in writing. The build can't start on the unit's frame until the trusses are on site, and the shell can't be weather-tight until the windows are.
We would rather give you a long, honest range than a short one we'd have to take back.
What we do about the wait
Six ways we plan around the container
Order long-lead items first
Windows, cabinets and trusses go first. At your risk, they can go before approval. We say which ones are worth it.
Stage deliveries
Materials arrive when the crew can use them, so nothing sits in the rain.
Cover and store on site
Lumber and cabinets are kept dry and off the ground, away from termites.
Leave a cushion
We put two weeks between a delivery and the job that needs it.
Substitute in writing
If an item is late, we offer alternatives with their lead times and their price. Nothing changes without your signature.
Tell you when a date moves
You hear from us the day we hear from the supplier.
Trusses and beams
Made after the plans are final
Trusses are engineered to your roof, your wind rating and the loads on them. That makes them the first item on the list and the hardest to change.
If the city asks for a change to the roof in review, a truss order already placed has to be remade. That's why we hold trusses for approval unless you tell us to order at risk.
Questions
About lead times
Can you hold a price while the permit is reviewed?
Your estimate says how long its numbers hold. After that date, items ordered later are priced on the day of the order, and we tell you before we place it.
What if a shipment is late?
We tell you the day we hear. If the late item holds up other work, we show you the options, and the cost of each, in writing.
Can I supply my own windows or cabinets?
Yes, in many cases. You take on the lead time and the sizes. We need them in hand, or at least confirmed, before we frame the openings.
Why not order everything at signing?
Because plans change in review. An item made to the old plan is yours to pay for. We order what's safe early and hold the rest.
See the lead times for your plan
After a lot visit you get a sheet like this one, written for your unit.