3 Selections That Can Blow Your Custom Home Budget in North Central Florida

When families plan a custom home on their land in Alachua, Marion, Columbia, Bradford, Union or Gilchrist County, the biggest budget surprises usually aren't the house itself. They're three selections people fall in love with before they know the price. None of these are bad choices. You just need to know the cost first, so your budget goes where you want it most.

1. Foundation: mono slab vs. stem wall

A stem wall runs about $3 to $4 more per square foot than a monolithic slab, and that's before any brick or stone to dress it up. Sometimes your lot requires a stem wall (flood zones and sloped lots are common reasons). Sometimes it's just a look.

2. Roof: shingle vs. standing seam metal

A shingle roof on a standard house runs around $10,000. The same roof in standing seam metal can be $25,000 or more.

3. Flooring: LVP and tile vs. wood and marble

A house finished in LVP and porcelain tile can come in under $25,000, labor and material. Go with real wood floors and marble, and you can easily triple that.

How this affects your price per square foot

Our homes typically run $130 to $170 per square foot of total area under roof, including typical site work. Most of that swing comes from exactly these selections. Every home we build is priced from real subcontractor bids and delivered as a fixed-price, turnkey contract, so you know the number before you start.

Ready to build on your lot? Call (352) 776-7188 for a free site walk on your land.