Building a Custom Home

The Sequence

• Land acquisition with appropriate due diligence.
• Builder selection — references, licensing, and contract type.
• Design — architect or design-build, and HOA review if required.
• Site investigation — survey, soils, septic, drainage, access.
• Budget development with clear allowances and contingency.
• Permitting with the applicable jurisdiction.
• Construction, inspections, and change-order management.
• Completion, certificate of occupancy, and warranty.

Budgets, Allowances, and Contingency

Allowances are placeholders for items you have not selected yet. If they are set low, the budget grows. A contingency covers the unknowns — especially site conditions. Ask how both are set and managed.

We do not publish cost-per-square-foot figures as local quotes. Any example in our planner is illustrative with editable assumptions.

Permits and Inspections

Permitting authority depends on the parcel's jurisdiction. In Mecklenburg County, building permits and inspections are handled through county code enforcement; zoning approvals come from the applicable town or county.