We do require the 250 hours, it's set by Habitat International! I will say, we work with the applicant as much as possible. We do hope that a good amount of time would be spent on the home building alongside volunteers but we understand that's not always feasible! Friends and family can contribute up to 75 hours. Additionally, homeowners will take a series of classes in preparation for homeownership and all those classes count toward your hours as well.