Build on your land
You already own the lot. That is most of what Randy does.
Building on land you already own is different from buying into a subdivision, and the difference is nearly all in the ground. Randy walks your site before he prices anything, because out here the lot decides more than the plan does.
The five things your lot decides
None of these are on the floor plan, and all of them are on the invoice.
Foundation
Blackland Prairie clay has a plasticity index around 40 to 60. It swells wet and shrinks dry, and that movement cracks slabs. A geotechnical report is not optional, and post-tension slabs or drilled piers are the norm rather than an upgrade.
Septic
Conventional drain fields fail on this clay. Aerobic systems with spray or drip irrigation are effectively the standard here, and across this part of Texas commonly run in the region of $10,000 to $20,000 depending on the lot and bedroom count.
Water
A municipal tap if you are close enough, a well if you are not. Which one you are is worth establishing before you price anything else.
Power
The distance from the nearest pole to your building site is somebody's bill, and on a big lot that somebody is you.
Dirt work
Slope, fill, drainage and getting a concrete truck to where the house goes. Flat and accessible is cheap. Neither of those is guaranteed.
Any builder who prices your house without walking your land is guessing at five figures of it. That is not a sales line, it is just what these five items add up to.
Do not own land yet?
He has lots, and he will look at other people's with you.
Randy has lots available on Addison Rowan Ct in the Howe school district. He will also walk a lot you are considering buying from somebody else and tell you what it will cost to build on before you commit to it.
Ask about a lotRandy walked the slab with me before the pour and explained every line on it. I’d never had a builder do that.
Mike C.O’Brien homeowner
Common questions
Before you call.
- I already own the land. Where do we start?
- Randy walks it with you before anything is priced. Slope, access, where the power is and what the soil does decide more about your budget than the floor plan does.
- How far will you travel?
- Grayson County and the towns around it. Call and ask about your specific location rather than assuming.
- What if my land has no utilities?
- Common out here. You are looking at a well or a water tap, an aerobic septic system, and a run for electricity. All three are real line items and all three depend on your lot.
- Do I need a perc test before I buy land?
- Yes, and before you fall in love with it. On Blackland clay the perc result decides what septic system you need, which is a five-figure swing.
Also worth reading
- Foundations on Blackland clayWhat the soil report is actually deciding.
- Aerobic septic systemsWhy a conventional drain field fails on this ground.
- Buying land in Grayson CountyIf you are still looking rather than settled.
- How to compare two builder bidsThe lot line items are where quotes diverge most.
