Cob house timeline

Below is the timeline of my cob house construction, from designing to actually moving in. For more details about the actual cost of the home, and a ‘recipe for building a cob house’, please read my You Can Build This Cob House for $3000.

The Year of Mud timeline

Over the winter of 2007-08, I decided I would build my own cob house.

By April 2008, I had a finalized design. The spiral-shaped house would be a single room dwelling, with a reciprocal living roof, a rocket stove connected to a heated cob bed, and earthen floor. I would install a single electrical outlet, but would forgo having a power system. The building would be constructed using materials obtained as locally and cheaply as possible. Few synthetic or manufactured materials would go into the building.

On April 19 of 2008, I began digging a drainage trench, and then setting the urbanite foundation.

On May 19, the first batches of cob were mixed and applied.

On August 31, building the cob walls was completed.

On September 18, the reciprocal roof frame was built.

By October 30, the cob walls met the roof, the door and windows were installed, and the earthen floor was started.

2009

In March, the exterior finish plaster was put on the walls.

In April, the rocket stove was built along with a cob bed and bench.

In May, the living sod roof was completed, and the finish interior earthen plaster was applied.

In June , the finish earthen floor was completed.

And on July 11, I moved into GOBCOBATRON.

This is my first house. This is the year of mud. Follow this cob building resource with my home’s progress documentation, building announcements, and how-tos about working with cob. The adventure continues.