Tesla timeline: A list of construction projects at gigafactory site so far

What's it like to get a $5 billion battery plant construction project up and running?

Following a story on Tesla gigafactory construction costs and the players involved, the Reno Gazette-Journal obtained all the permits available for the project from the Storey County Building and Planning Department.

Included in the permits are information on every project that has been started at the site since the ground was first cleared last May, when Nevada was still locked in a multi-state race for the lithium-ion battery plant.

During an appearance at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit last month, Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk stressed the importance of the gigafactory to his company's growth and future prospects.

"(The gigafactory) is a huge bet but I don't know of any other way to do it," Musk said. "The amount of batteries we need is so huge that somebody's got to build this thing and if we don't contribute a bunch of money to building it, I just don't see any other company doing that."

Nevada is no stranger to big bets and Storey County in particular is seeing solid gains from the gigafactory play. The county has already hired a new building inspector and a new fire inspector to keep up with the large-scale project, said Pat Whitten, Storey County manager. Then there's the halo effect from the project.

"Clearly, the media attention and spotlight of successfully attaining Tesla has brought interest (to Storey County) from all quarters of the country and even the world," Whitten said.

Here's a timeline of construction activity at the site so far based on permit data. Dates are based on projected start dates listed on the permits. The information will be updated as new permits come through:

May 19, 2014: F&P Construction of Reno clears and preps the gigafactory site. Clear and grub work wrapped up last November.

June 26, 2014: Sparks-based Granite Construction does pad work at the site through December 2014. Construction on twelve temporary work trailers begins as well.

July 14, 2014: Gopher Construction Inc. of Fernley starts work on a retention basin.

Sept. 4, 2014: Granite Construction starts work on Stormwater Pollution Prevention Pond (SWPPP) site retention ponds. Expected end date is March 1.

Sept. 18, 2014: Granite Construction starts building temporary job site trailers with a target date of March 18.

Oct. 1, 2014: Vasko Electric, Inc. of Sacramento works on the first phase of a temporary power project for trailer city construction.

Oct. 13, 2014: Sparks-based Quick Space starts installing commercial coaches.

Oct. 27, 2014: W.G. Yates & Sons Construction of Philadelphia begins work on the foundation with a target completion date of April 27.

Nov. 17, 2014: Second phase of temporary power project for trailer city construction starts.

Nov. 20, 2014: Modular Space Corp. of Berwyn, Pa. begins work on temporary construction trailers for Campbell, Calif.-based Largo Concrete.

Dec. 3, 2014: Rosendin Electric of San Jose, Calif., starts work on phase three of a temporary power project for trailer city construction.

Dec. 8, 2014: Phoenix-based Schuff Steel Co. begins first phase of structural steel erection. Target end date is June 8. Modular Space starts building temporary work trailers.

Jan. 7, 2015: Work begins on a 1,600-square-foot shell building. Listed contractors and subcontractors are Miles Construction of Carson City, Bonanno Concrete of Reno and J&M Steel Solutions of Lehi, Utah.

Feb. 5, 2014: Granite Construction works on mass grading for the southeast, southwest and Milan sites at the gigafactory compound. Grading is expected to be done by August.

March 27, 2015: Farr Construction Corp. is slated to start installation of a 1.5 million gallon welded steel water tank. The project is estimated to cost $600,000.

March 31, 2015: Schuff Steel Co. starts modifying the initial steel structure of the gigafactory at a cost of $2.1 million. The project is still part of the first phase of structural steel installation at the site.

April 10, 2015: Phoenix-based Suntec Concrete Inc., begins work on the gigafactory's switchyard concrete for its main substation. The concrete work will cost $585,000.

April 29, 2015: Tesla contracts with Suntec once again, this time for a concrete flatwork project on the site. The project has an estimated cost of nearly $9.3 million and is expected to be finished by late October.

May 18, 2015: Storey County approves permitting for switchyard structural steel work. Project cost is estimated at $235,000 with Reno Iron Works chosen as the contractor. Projected finish date is around mid-November.

May 26, 2015: Clayton Coating, Inc., of Scottsdale, Ariz., is tasked with fireproofing work on the gigafactory's steel structure. The $5 million job is expected to be finished by November.