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Custom Home Building in Northeast Florida

Ground-up custom homes, from land clearing through the final walkthrough, with one builder accountable the whole way.

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A custom home is the only construction project where the client lives inside the result of every decision for the next thirty years. That is why we build the schedule and the budget around your land and your priorities before we draw anything — the plan that works on a flat, dry, sewered lot is the wrong plan for a sloping lakefront parcel on well and septic, and finding that out during framing is expensive.

We handle the whole job: site work, foundation, structure, envelope, mechanicals, interior finish and the punch list. One contractor holds the permit, schedules the trades and answers the phone. That is not a marketing position — it is the only arrangement where the person responsible for the outcome has the authority to fix it.

What's included

01

Site evaluation and feasibility

Soil, drainage, access, utilities, setbacks and septic viability assessed before a plan is committed to — so the design is drawn to the lot, not adjusted to it later.

02

Plan development and selections

We work with your architect or designer, or bring one in, and stay involved through selections so the specification and the budget stay attached to each other.

03

Permitting and agency coordination

Building permits, septic and well approvals, water management district review and any architectural or historic board sign-off required for your jurisdiction.

04

Site work and foundation

Clearing, grading, pad construction, compaction testing, and slab or stem-wall foundation built to the elevation the site and flood map actually require.

05

Structure, envelope and systems

Framing, roofing, windows, exterior finish, then mechanical, electrical and plumbing rough-in — with the envelope closed before interior work starts.

06

Interior finish and closeout

Cabinetry, trim, flooring, fixtures, final grade and landscape tie-in, a walkthrough punch list worked to completion, and warranty documentation handed over.

How the work runs

  1. 01

    First conversation

    What you want to build, where, roughly what you're planning to spend, and when. If the three don't line up we say so at this stage, not after you've paid for plans.

  2. 02

    Site and budget reality check

    We walk the property, look at access, drainage, trees and utilities, and put real site-work numbers against the build so the budget includes the dirt, not just the house.

  3. 03

    Design and specification

    Plans developed and priced against a written specification, so 'finished' means the same thing to both of us before a contract is signed.

  4. 04

    Permitting

    We pull the permits and handle the agency reviews. In some jurisdictions this is two weeks; in others it is two months, and we tell you which one you're in.

  5. 05

    Construction

    Sequenced trades, a schedule you can see, and a weekly update. Change orders in writing before the work happens, not on the final invoice.

  6. 06

    Walkthrough and warranty

    A punch list you write, worked to zero, then a documented handover. We stay reachable afterward — several of our clients still call, years later.

What actually drives the cost

Site work is the swing factor
Two identical houses can differ by six figures based on clearing, fill, driveway length, and whether the septic system needs a mound. On a raw parcel, the dirt is priced before the house is.
Foundation type follows the flood map
A slab-on-grade and an elevated stem-wall foundation are not the same cost. Base flood elevation decides which one you're building, and it is not negotiable.
Utility distance
Power, water and sewer runs are priced by the foot. A homesite four hundred feet off the road carries costs a road-frontage lot does not.
Specification level, not square footage
Cost per square foot is a useless planning number on custom work. The same footprint varies enormously by window package, roof material, ceiling detail and cabinetry.
Jurisdiction
Coastal wind requirements, historic district review and springshed wastewater rules all add real cost. The same house is not the same price in two different counties.

Custom Home Building by area

We work across 7 counties from our base in Keystone Heights. Every locality below has its own page covering the conditions specific to building there.

Clay County

Duval County

St. Johns County

Putnam County

Bradford County

Union County

Alachua County

Related services

Land Clearing

Clearing, grading, driveways and drainage that get a property ready to build on.

Pole Barns & Metal Buildings

Post-frame and steel-frame barns, shops and equipment buildings engineered for Florida wind loads.

Home Additions

Room additions, second stories and in-law suites that tie into the original structure like they were always there.

Custom Home Building questions

Do I need to own land before I talk to a builder?

No, and it's often better if you don't. We'd rather look at a parcel with you before you buy it than explain afterward why it needs eighty thousand dollars of fill.

How long does a custom home take?

Typically ten to sixteen months from permit to move-in for a standard custom home, plus the design and permitting time in front of it. Site conditions and jurisdiction drive most of the variation.

Will you work with my architect?

Yes. We'd also rather be involved during design than handed a finished set of plans, because that's when cost problems are cheap to fix.

How do you handle change orders?

In writing, priced, and signed before the work is done. Nobody should find out what a change cost when the invoice arrives.

Are you licensed and insured?

Yes — Florida Certified Building Contractor CBC1265492, with general liability and workers' compensation coverage. We'll provide certificates on request.

Do you build on well and septic?

Regularly. Across most of our service area that's the norm rather than the exception, and the septic design usually constrains the floor plan more than people expect.

What kind of warranty comes with the house?

A one-year workmanship warranty, with manufacturer warranties on materials and equipment passed through to you documented at closeout.

Let's talk about your project

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