The reality is more complicated than it appears but I've observed a bunch of construction projects near Millbrae CalTrain station and they finish the buildings extremely fast. A bunch of metal frames go up, then some pipes, then some wires, and then some concrete walls.
The project planning and construction is done by a single company, Truebeck Construction, and they seem to know what they're doing.
I don't know what Patrick's list is trying to illustrate but most construction projects in the US happen very fast.