diff --git a/doc/conf.py b/doc/conf.py
index 7da9c955ed..36a50d7f1c 100644
--- a/doc/conf.py
+++ b/doc/conf.py
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ extensions = [
     'sphinx.ext.viewcode',
     'sphinx.ext.inheritance_diagram',
     'sphinx.ext.coverage',
+    'sphinx.ext.graphviz',
 ]
 coverage_statistics_to_report = coverage_statistics_to_stdout = True
 templates_path = ['_templates']
diff --git a/doc/extdev/builderapi.rst b/doc/extdev/builderapi.rst
index 5c5a52583d..648431dd33 100644
--- a/doc/extdev/builderapi.rst
+++ b/doc/extdev/builderapi.rst
@@ -3,15 +3,66 @@
 Builder API
 ===========
 
-.. todo:: Expand this.
-
 .. currentmodule:: sphinx.builders
 
 .. class:: Builder
 
    This is the base class for all builders.
 
-   These attributes should be set on builder classes:
+   It follows this basic workflow:
+
+   .. graphviz::
+      :caption: UML for the standard Sphinx build workflow
+
+      digraph build {
+         graph [
+            rankdir=LR
+         ];
+         node [
+            shape=rect
+            style=rounded
+         ];
+
+         "Sphinx" [
+            shape=record
+            label = "Sphinx | <init> __init__ | <build> build"
+         ];
+         "Sphinx":init -> "Builder.init";
+         "Sphinx":build -> "Builder.build_all";
+         "Sphinx":build -> "Builder.build_specific";
+         "Builder.build_update" [
+            shape=record
+            label = "<p1> Builder.build_update | Builder.get_outdated_docs"
+         ];
+         "Sphinx":build -> "Builder.build_update":p1 ;
+
+         "Builder.build_all" -> "Builder.build";
+         "Builder.build_specific" -> "Builder.build";
+         "Builder.build_update":p1 -> "Builder.build";
+
+         "Builder.build" -> "Builder.read";
+         "Builder.write" [
+            shape=record
+            label = "<p1> Builder.write | Builder._write_serial | Builder._write_parallel"
+         ];
+         "Builder.build" -> "Builder.write";
+         "Builder.build" -> "Builder.finish";
+
+         "Builder.read" -> "Builder.read_doc";
+         "Builder.read_doc" -> "Builder.write_doctree";
+
+         "Builder.write":p1 -> "Builder.prepare_writing";
+         "Builder.write":p1 -> "Builder.copy_assets";
+         "Builder.write":p1 -> "Builder.write_doc";
+
+         "Builder.write_doc" -> "Builder.get_relative_uri";
+
+         "Builder.get_relative_uri" -> "Builder.get_target_uri";
+      }
+
+   .. rubric:: Overridable Attributes
+
+   These attributes should be set on builder sub-classes:
 
    .. autoattribute:: name
    .. autoattribute:: format
@@ -22,24 +73,39 @@ Builder API
    .. autoattribute:: supported_data_uri_images
    .. autoattribute:: default_translator_class
 
-   These methods are predefined and will be called from the application:
+   .. rubric:: Core Methods
+
+   These methods are predefined and should generally not be overridden,
+   since they form the core of the build process:
 
-   .. automethod:: get_relative_uri
    .. automethod:: build_all
    .. automethod:: build_specific
    .. automethod:: build_update
    .. automethod:: build
+   .. automethod:: read
+   .. automethod:: read_doc
+   .. automethod:: write_doctree
 
-   These methods can be overridden in concrete builder classes:
+   .. rubric:: Overridable Methods
+
+   These must be implemented in builder sub-classes:
 
-   .. automethod:: init
    .. automethod:: get_outdated_docs
-   .. automethod:: get_target_uri
    .. automethod:: prepare_writing
    .. automethod:: write_doc
+   .. automethod:: get_target_uri
+
+   These methods can be overridden in builder sub-classes:
+
+   .. automethod:: init
+   .. automethod:: write
+   .. automethod:: copy_assets
+   .. automethod:: get_relative_uri
    .. automethod:: finish
 
-   **Attributes**
+   .. rubric:: Attributes
+
+   Attributes that are callable from the builder instance:
 
    .. attribute:: events
 
diff --git a/sphinx/builders/__init__.py b/sphinx/builders/__init__.py
index 096fb8f718..c620a1c91b 100644
--- a/sphinx/builders/__init__.py
+++ b/sphinx/builders/__init__.py
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ import codecs
 import pickle
 import time
 from os import path
-from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Any, Literal
+from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Any, Literal, final
 
 from docutils import nodes
 from docutils.utils import DependencyList
@@ -245,12 +245,14 @@ class Builder:
 
     # build methods
 
+    @final
     def build_all(self) -> None:
         """Build all source files."""
         self.compile_all_catalogs()
 
         self.build(None, summary=__('all source files'), method='all')
 
+    @final
     def build_specific(self, filenames: list[str]) -> None:
         """Only rebuild as much as needed for changes in the *filenames*."""
         docnames: list[str] = []
@@ -281,6 +283,7 @@ class Builder:
         self.build(docnames, method='specific',
                    summary=__('%d source files given on command line') % len(docnames))
 
+    @final
     def build_update(self) -> None:
         """Only rebuild what was changed or added since last build."""
         self.compile_update_catalogs()
@@ -294,6 +297,7 @@ class Builder:
                        summary=__('targets for %d source files that are out of date') %
                        len(to_build))
 
+    @final
     def build(
         self,
         docnames: Iterable[str] | None,
@@ -367,6 +371,7 @@ class Builder:
         # wait for all tasks
         self.finish_tasks.join()
 
+    @final
     def read(self) -> list[str]:
         """(Re-)read all files new or changed since last update.
 
@@ -473,6 +478,7 @@ class Builder:
         tasks.join()
         logger.info('')
 
+    @final
     def read_doc(self, docname: str, *, _cache: bool = True) -> None:
         """Parse a file and add/update inventory entries for the doctree."""
         self.env.prepare_settings(docname)
@@ -507,10 +513,11 @@ class Builder:
 
         self.write_doctree(docname, doctree, _cache=_cache)
 
+    @final
     def write_doctree(
         self, docname: str, doctree: nodes.document, *, _cache: bool = True,
     ) -> None:
-        """Write the doctree to a file."""
+        """Write the doctree to a file, to be used as a cache by re-builds."""
         # make it picklable
         doctree.reporter = None  # type: ignore[assignment]
         doctree.transformer = None  # type: ignore[assignment]
@@ -539,6 +546,7 @@ class Builder:
         updated_docnames: Sequence[str],
         method: Literal['all', 'specific', 'update'] = 'update',
     ) -> None:
+        """Write builder specific output files."""
         if build_docnames is None or build_docnames == ['__all__']:
             # build_all
             build_docnames = self.env.found_docs
diff --git a/sphinx/builders/gettext.py b/sphinx/builders/gettext.py
index 274179b988..b91252ebfb 100644
--- a/sphinx/builders/gettext.py
+++ b/sphinx/builders/gettext.py
@@ -257,7 +257,7 @@ class MessageCatalogBuilder(I18nBuilder):
                 msg = f'{template}: {exc!r}'
                 raise ThemeError(msg) from exc
 
-    def build(
+    def build(  # type: ignore[misc]
         self,
         docnames: Iterable[str] | None,
         summary: str | None = None,