Custom homes,
designed for your parcel.

What we mean by custom home builder.

• C-01 · Full-custom architect-led home

  Size

  2,400 – 6,500 sqft

  All-in

  $650 – $1,200 / sqft

  Schedule

  14 – 20 months build

  Site-specific massing, custom envelope, custom millwork, and a fully engineered MEP program. Pre-construction is longer than production builds because every detail is drawn, modeled in Title 24, and priced against named manufacturers.

• C-02 · Hillside custom home

  Size

  Site-dependent

  All-in

  $800 – $1,400 / sqft

  Schedule

  18 – 28 months build

  Hillside Compliance Review, geotechnical caisson or pier-and-grade-beam foundations, retaining and drainage strategy, and (when applicable) Wildland-Urban Interface assembly detailing. Schedule risk lives in plan check, not framing.

• C-03 · Coastal custom home

  Size

  Site-dependent

  All-in

  $850 – $1,500 / sqft

  Schedule

  20 – 30 months build

  Coastal Zone projects add a Coastal Development Permit, ESHA / bluff setback analysis, and corrosion-rated materials. Permitting drives the critical path; we schedule the build around the entitlement window, not the other way around.

• C-04 · Semi-custom on stock structure

  Size

  1,800 – 3,200 sqft

  All-in

  $550 – $850 / sqft

  Schedule

  10 – 16 months build

  Owners who want a custom finish program on a more standardized envelope. Cost certainty earlier, design development shorter, finish quality identical to full-custom.

The permit path.

Custom homes are permitted as new construction at the local building department (LADBS in City of LA, county or city building department elsewhere). Plan check is longer than production builds because the structural and Title 24 packages are bespoke; expect two to four correction cycles and four to eight months of plan-check turnaround in jurisdictions like LA, San Francisco, or Oakland.

• Building permit (architectural + structural)
• Title 24 energy compliance package per CEC 2022 code
• CALGreen worksheet (residential mandatory measures)
• Mechanical, electrical, plumbing permits
• Grading permit when cut/fill exceeds 50 cubic yards
• Hillside Compliance Review (LA hillside) or local equivalent
• Coastal Development Permit in the Coastal Zone
• WUI assembly review in Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones

What the schedule actually looks like.

1. Step 01

   Programming + parcel diligence

   Site analysis, zoning envelope, geotech scoping, program with owner.

   3 – 6 weeks
2. Step 02

   Schematic + design development

   Massing through detailed plans, materials, structural strategy.

   10 – 18 weeks
3. Step 03

   Construction documents

   Full permit set incl. Title 24, CALGreen, civil, MEP.

   8 – 14 weeks
4. Step 04

   Plan check + permit

   Two to four correction cycles in dense jurisdictions.

   16 – 32 weeks
5. Step 05

   Sitework + foundation

   Demo (if any), grading, utilities, foundation.

   8 – 16 weeks
6. Step 06

   Framing → dry-in

   Framing, sheathing, roof, windows, weather barrier.

   10 – 18 weeks
7. Step 07

   MEP + finishes

   MEP rough, insulation, drywall, cabinetry, tile, flooring, trim.

   20 – 32 weeks
8. Step 08

   Commissioning + CofO

   HVAC start-up, solar interconnection, final inspections, Certificate of Occupancy.

   4 – 8 weeks

Frequently asked.

What is the difference between a custom home and a production home?

A custom home is designed for one parcel and one owner — every plan, elevation, MEP layout, and finish detail is drawn for the project. A production home is built from a plan library with site-specific modifications. Custom costs more per square foot and takes longer in design, but matches the parcel and the owner. We build both.

How long does a custom home actually take from contract to keys?

For a flat lot in a moderate jurisdiction, plan on 12–18 months pre-construction (programming + design + plan check) followed by 14–20 months of build — about 26–38 months total. Hillside or coastal sites add 6–12 months because of geotech, Hillside Compliance Review, Coastal Development Permit, or WUI assembly review.

Why is design-build cheaper than design-bid-build for custom homes?

Under design-build, the team pricing the project is the team building it, which removes the bid-gap risk that drives change orders. The architect, structural engineer, and contractor coordinate during design rather than after the bid. In our experience that compresses the schedule 8–16 weeks and reduces change orders 30–50% on ground-up residential.

Do you offer fixed-price custom contracts?

Yes — once construction documents are 95% complete and the engineering is final, we lock the contract sum with named subcontractors and owner allowances for finishes still being selected. We do not lock a number on schematic-level drawings; doing so would force us to bury contingency you cannot see.

Who owns the design at the end?

You own the executed home. The architectural drawings remain the architect's intellectual property under standard AIA contracts — common practice across California design-build — but you have unlimited rights to use them on your parcel for the project they were drawn for.

What permits does a custom home require?

A building permit (covering architectural and structural), mechanical/electrical/plumbing permits, a Title 24 energy compliance package, a CALGreen worksheet, and — depending on the lot — a grading permit, Hillside Compliance Review, Coastal Development Permit, or WUI assembly review. The local building department issues the building permit; the Coastal Commission or local LCP handles coastal projects.

How do I verify your license before signing?

Look up our CSLB record at cslb.ca.gov — license number, classification (B for general building), bond, workers' comp, and complaint history are all public. Verify the license is active before you sign any contract.

Start with a feasibility memo.

Tell us about the parcel and the program. We'll come back with a written feasibility memo before any design work starts.