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Home Building — 12-Week Self-Education Schedule

Phase 0 of the Mechanical Engineer's plan. 5–10 hours per week. The point is to be educated before you engage architects, engineers, or contractors — every hour spent here saves five hours in design.

What this schedule is for

This is not a build schedule. This is the 12 weeks before you commit to a site, an architect, or a budget. You're loading context. The actual build is years long, mostly waiting on others.

Week 1 — Frame the project

  • Day 1: Quickstart — write program brief; locate AHJ
  • Day 2: Read The Not So Big House (Susanka), chapter 1
  • Day 3: Tour 3 open houses (custom or builder-spec) in your area; note what you like
  • Day 4: Drive past 5 in-progress builds; observe construction methods
  • Day 5: Refine program brief based on what you saw

Week 2 — Patterns and design fundamentals

  • Day 1–4: Read 30 patterns from A Pattern Language; mark 10 relevant to your project
  • Day 5: Sketch your program with the 10 patterns in mind

Week 3 — Building science foundation

  • Day 1: Identify your IECC climate zone (climate map in IECC; or use climateaddict.com)
  • Day 2: Read the Building Science Corp Builder's Guide for your zone (free PDF at buildingscience.com)
  • Day 3: Read the Perfect Wall / Perfect Roof articles
  • Day 4: Sketch a wall section that meets IECC + adds continuous insulation
  • Day 5: Read about vapor profiles in your climate zone; mark hazards

Week 4 — Code immersion

  • Day 1: Read IRC Chapter 3 (Building Planning) — only sections in your project's scope
  • Day 2: Read IRC Chapter 4 (Foundations); note prescriptive options
  • Day 3: Read IRC Chapter 6 (Wall Construction); note prescriptive options
  • Day 4: Read IECC chapter for your climate zone (R-values, U-factors, ACH)
  • Day 5: Verify your wall section sketch from Week 3 against IECC requirements

Week 5 — HVAC fundamentals (your ME wheelhouse)

  • Day 1: Read Manual J primer (ACCA website or ACCA Manual J book)
  • Day 2: Run a Manual J on your existing house in CoolCalc (free residential)
  • Day 3: Compare result to existing HVAC nameplate; note over- or under-sizing
  • Day 4: Read Manual S primer (equipment selection from load)
  • Day 5: Read Manual D primer (duct design); think about why duct leakage matters

Week 6 — Project: site analysis exercise

  • If you have a site: walk it 4 times — different times of day, sun positions
  • If you don't: pick a hypothetical lot from real-estate listings
  • Document: orientation, slope, mature trees, prevailing wind, views, neighbors, utilities
  • Sketch the building footprint within setbacks
  • Identify 3 site-driven design decisions

Week 7 — Software fluency

  • Day 1: Install Chief Architect or Home Designer Pro (or SketchUp Pro)
  • Day 2: Tutorial — model your existing house's first floor
  • Day 3: Add walls, doors, windows; verify dimensions match reality
  • Day 4: Add roof; experiment with pitches
  • Day 5: Compare 3D model to real photos; what looks off?

Week 8 — Schematic design

  • Day 1: Open new project in CAD/BIM tool; place footprint per Week 6 site analysis
  • Day 2: Block out major rooms per program brief
  • Day 3: Refine wall positions for circulation and structural alignment
  • Day 4: Add roof; preliminary elevations
  • Day 5: Render or screenshot 3D model; print; mark up by hand

Week 9 — MEP planning

  • Day 1: Add electrical service location, panel, sub-panel locations
  • Day 2: Plan plumbing chases (align bath stacks, kitchen, laundry on plan)
  • Day 3: Mechanical room location; HVAC equipment footprints
  • Day 4: Run rough Manual J on schematic in CoolCalc
  • Day 5: Adjust envelope or equipment based on result

Week 10 — Energy and envelope

  • Day 1: Run REScheck on your schematic against IECC requirements
  • Day 2: If failing, identify cheapest upgrades to pass
  • Day 3: Run a basic BeOpt or BEopt-style sensitivity (envelope vs equipment)
  • Day 4: Decide: code-min, Pretty Good House, or Passive House target
  • Day 5: Update spec accordingly

Week 11 — Cost reality check

  • Day 1: Itemize hard costs by trade per examples.md cost ranges
  • Day 2: Add soft costs (15%), site costs (variable), contingency (20%)
  • Day 3: Compare total to your budget envelope from Week 1
  • Day 4: If over budget: scope cut. List 5 things you'd cut, ranked
  • Day 5: If still over: reset program. The brief is wrong, not the cost

Week 12 — Decision and engagement

  • Day 1: Decide go/no-go on the project as scoped
  • Day 2: If go: list architects + engineers in your area; check portfolios
  • Day 3: Initial calls / meetings with 3 architects
  • Day 4: Initial call with a structural engineer
  • Day 5: Quarterly review — update now.md with Phase 1 plan

After Week 12

You're now ready to enter Phase 1 of the ME plan. Site acquisition, formal program, schematic with an architect or self-designed.

The next 6 months are slower. You'll be: - Iterating with consultants. - Getting permits. - Bidding trades. - Lining up financing.

Use the journal heavily. Each design decision is a story you'll want to remember for the next house.