diff --git a/.gitmodules b/.gitmodules
index 7b062654..72203f96 100644
--- a/.gitmodules
+++ b/.gitmodules
@@ -13,3 +13,9 @@
 [submodule "tools/firrtl"]
 	path = tools/firrtl
 	url = https://github.com/freechipsproject/firrtl
+[submodule "riscv-tools"]
+	path = toolchains/riscv-tools
+	url = https://github.com/riscv/riscv-tools.git
+[submodule "esp-tools"]
+	path = toolchains/esp-tools
+	url = https://github.com/ucb-bar/esp-tools.git
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 53d1ab70..8f07c855 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 # RISC-V Project Template
 
+**THIS BRANCH IS UNDER DEVELOPMENT**
+**IT CURRENTLY HAS MANY SUBMODULES**
+**PLEASE RUN ./build.sh TO UPDATE SUBMODULES, UNLESS YOU WANT TO SPEND A LONG TIME WAITING FOR SUBMODULE TO CLONE** 
+
 This is a starter template for your custom RISC-V project. It will allow you
 to leverage the Chisel HDL and RocketChip SoC generator to produce a
 RISC-V SoC with MMIO-mapped peripherals, DMA, and custom accelerators.
diff --git a/build.sh b/build.sh
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..27005cbb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/build.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+
+# exit script if any command fails
+set -e
+set -o pipefail
+
+unamestr=$(uname)
+RDIR=$(pwd)
+
+# ignore riscv-tools for submodule init recursive
+# you must do this globally (otherwise riscv-tools deep
+# in the submodule tree will get pulled anyway
+git config --global submodule.riscv-tools.update none
+git config --global submodule.esp-tools.update none
+git config --global submodule.experimental-blocks.update none
+git submodule update --init --recursive #--jobs 8
+# unignore riscv-tools,catapult-shell2 globally
+git config --global --unset submodule.riscv-tools.update
+git config --global --unset submodule.experimental-blocks.update
diff --git a/scripts/build-toolchains.sh b/scripts/build-toolchains.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..ddf9b462
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/build-toolchains.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+
+# exit script if any command fails
+set -e
+set -o pipefail
+
+unamestr=$(uname)
+RDIR=$(pwd)
+
+if [ $# -ne 0 ]; then
+  TOOLCHAIN=$1
+  if [ $1 == "riscv" ]; then
+    TOOLCHAIN="riscv-tools"
+  elif [ $1 == "hwacha" ]; then
+    TOOLCHAIN="esp-tools"
+  fi
+else
+  TOOLCHAIN="riscv-tools"
+fi
+
+INSTALL_DIR="$TOOLCHAIN-install"
+mkdir -p "$(pwd)/$INSTALL_DIR"
+
+RISCV="$(pwd)/$INSTALL_DIR"
+
+# install risc-v tools
+export RISCV="$RISCV"
+git submodule update --init --recursive toolchains/$TOOLCHAIN #--jobs 8
+cd "toolchains/$TOOLCHAIN"
+export MAKEFLAGS="-j16"
+./build.sh
+cd $RDIR
+
+echo "export RISCV=$RISCV" > env.sh
+echo "export PATH=$RISCV/bin:$RDIR/$DTCversion:\$PATH" >> env.sh
+echo "export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$RISCV/lib" >> env.sh
+echo "Toolchain Build Complete!"
diff --git a/toolchains/esp-tools b/toolchains/esp-tools
new file mode 160000
index 00000000..f2e562c0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/toolchains/esp-tools
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Subproject commit f2e562c0f9089746c6beb15f04b00fbb48f2e9ae
diff --git a/toolchains/riscv-tools b/toolchains/riscv-tools
new file mode 160000
index 00000000..962bc098
--- /dev/null
+++ b/toolchains/riscv-tools
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Subproject commit 962bc09873071aa7816d5f805c6e5797a3b5bcf7