As indicated at the beginning, cob may seem very similar to adobe, however, unlike adobe, cob does not require pre-molded bricks or blocks or a subsequent ashlar on which the bricks sit (since these do not exist in cob).

In turn, the difference with rammed earth is the compaction process, which in cob is more rustic, since the mixture is compacted in the ground, while in rammed earth the earth is formed and compacted "in situ" on the wall itself.

Traditionally cob is a mixture of clay with straw and water established on solid dug foundations (preferably on a soil with a rocky subsoil). To homogenize and compact such a mixture, oxen were used to trample it (a practice called cobbing). Later, when the mass became sufficiently consistent and homogeneous, the workers raised and modeled the walls. The elevation of the walls progresses according to the pre-drying time of the mixture (if it is too wet it is not useful; if it is too dry neither: it must have a moldable but not deliquescent consistency). After drying and sufficient consolidation of the walls, the next step is the "fitting" or tightening of such walls. Indeed, the walls adjust to (relatively) few structural elements, such as jambs and lintels with which the doors are made, placed as structuring or consolidation elements, through which the walls take their definitive shapes. In Great Britain (with a very humid, quite windy climate, almost never high temperatures and little sun) the walls of the old cob buildings had thicknesses of more than 50 cm (approximately 24 inches = 60.96 cm), once the walls were built, the windows were conveniently excavated (the opening or empty space of the windows should not be too large, although it was advisable that it be oriented towards the points most illuminated by the sun, for example in the shape of Trombe wall) giving homes the sheltered internal appearance that is characteristic of them.

The material and thickness of these walls with a high thermal insulation value ensure that the temperatures inside remain quite stable: quite cool in summer or during hot days, and warm on cold days.

What is striking about cob is that despite the materials it is made of, it remains perfectly firm in very humid and rainy climates.

Although not essential, cob is usually finished with plaster or lime, depending on traditional customs or personal tastes. Artistic reliefs can easily be made on the walls, as long as these are not very deep bas-reliefs that could weaken the structure.

Nowadays the work of oxen for cobbing is easily replaced by machines, although instead such cobbing is usually carried out by human beings in a cooperative manner.

In the Northeast Pacific region of North America there has been a resurgence of cob construction as a practical and desirable form of housing, primarily in the Gulf Islands of British Columbia, Canada, where cooperative work groups have been formed.

When Kevin McCabe built his two-story, four-bedroom house in 1944, it was the first cob construction in England for seventy years. The method he used was very traditional; The only innovations were the use of a tractor instead of oxen to mix, and the addition of sand or shillet (a slate gravel "Slate (rock)") to reduce possible shrinkage of the material as it dried.

More modern is the process known as Oregon cob (Oregon Cob) devised by Welsh architect Ianto Evans and researcher Linda Smiley in the 1980s. In this system, the molding of walls made of a single cob block is mixed with mud, sand and straw (that is, with parts similar to adobe bricks), giving the whole a style of curvilinear shapes that tend to make it structurally more resistant.[1][2]​.

At present, cob homes usually include ecological and self-sustaining heating, lighting, etc. systems; for example solar panels, and openings (doors and windows) oriented towards the point of greatest sunlight if the place has cold seasons. For example, in the Southern Hemisphere the orientation of the openings is preferably towards the north or better yet towards the northeast; while in the Northern Hemisphere the orientation is towards the south and southeast. In warm areas, construction is proposed with high ceilings, preferably in a barrel vault (since such a design facilitates ventilation while reinforcing the structure) and the openings oriented biased with respect to the angle of incidence of sunlight, ensuring that there is good ventilation (if possible by convection), placing the bedrooms on the upper floors. In warm areas, the external walls or, at least, the contours of the windows and doors are also usually whitened.

As indicated at the beginning, cob may seem very similar to adobe, however, unlike adobe, cob does not require pre-molded bricks or blocks or a subsequent ashlar on which the bricks sit (since these do not exist in cob).

In turn, the difference with rammed earth is the compaction process, which in cob is more rustic, since the mixture is compacted in the ground, while in rammed earth the earth is formed and compacted "in situ" on the wall itself.

Traditionally cob is a mixture of clay with straw and water established on solid dug foundations (preferably on a soil with a rocky subsoil). To homogenize and compact such a mixture, oxen were used to trample it (a practice called cobbing). Later, when the mass became sufficiently consistent and homogeneous, the workers raised and modeled the walls. The elevation of the walls progresses according to the pre-drying time of the mixture (if it is too wet it is not useful; if it is too dry neither: it must have a moldable but not deliquescent consistency). After drying and sufficient consolidation of the walls, the next step is the "fitting" or tightening of such walls. Indeed, the walls adjust to (relatively) few structural elements, such as jambs and lintels with which the doors are made, placed as structuring or consolidation elements, through which the walls take their definitive shapes. In Great Britain (with a very humid, quite windy climate, almost never high temperatures and little sun) the walls of the old cob buildings had thicknesses of more than 50 cm (approximately 24 inches = 60.96 cm), once the walls were built, the windows were conveniently excavated (the opening or empty space of the windows should not be too large, although it was advisable that it be oriented towards the points most illuminated by the sun, for example in the shape of Trombe wall) giving homes the sheltered internal appearance that is characteristic of them.

The material and thickness of these walls with a high thermal insulation value ensure that the temperatures inside remain quite stable: quite cool in summer or during hot days, and warm on cold days.

What is striking about cob is that despite the materials it is made of, it remains perfectly firm in very humid and rainy climates.

Although not essential, cob is usually finished with plaster or lime, depending on traditional customs or personal tastes. Artistic reliefs can easily be made on the walls, as long as these are not very deep bas-reliefs that could weaken the structure.

Nowadays the work of oxen for cobbing is easily replaced by machines, although instead such cobbing is usually carried out by human beings in a cooperative manner.

In the Northeast Pacific region of North America there has been a resurgence of cob construction as a practical and desirable form of housing, primarily in the Gulf Islands of British Columbia, Canada, where cooperative work groups have been formed.

When Kevin McCabe built his two-story, four-bedroom house in 1944, it was the first cob construction in England for seventy years. The method he used was very traditional; The only innovations were the use of a tractor instead of oxen to mix, and the addition of sand or shillet (a slate gravel "Slate (rock)") to reduce possible shrinkage of the material as it dried.

More modern is the process known as Oregon cob (Oregon Cob) devised by Welsh architect Ianto Evans and researcher Linda Smiley in the 1980s. In this system, the molding of walls made of a single cob block is mixed with mud, sand and straw (that is, with parts similar to adobe bricks), giving the whole a style of curvilinear shapes that tend to make it structurally more resistant.[1][2]​.

At present, cob homes usually include ecological and self-sustaining heating, lighting, etc. systems; for example solar panels, and openings (doors and windows) oriented towards the point of greatest sunlight if the place has cold seasons. For example, in the Southern Hemisphere the orientation of the openings is preferably towards the north or better yet towards the northeast; while in the Northern Hemisphere the orientation is towards the south and southeast. In warm areas, construction is proposed with high ceilings, preferably in a barrel vault (since such a design facilitates ventilation while reinforcing the structure) and the openings oriented biased with respect to the angle of incidence of sunlight, ensuring that there is good ventilation (if possible by convection), placing the bedrooms on the upper floors. In warm areas, the external walls or, at least, the contours of the windows and doors are also usually whitened.