Cloverdale: A Custom Home Build in Escondido

Cloverdale is a 3,200 SF modern custom home built on a 2.5-acre hillside lot in Escondido, completed in 2023 over a 13-month build. The project is a little different from most of what we share on this site: this is co-founder Nick Parisi's own home. Nick designed it himself, lived the process from land acquisition through move-in, and now lives there with his family.

Building on a hillside parcel in this part of Escondido came with the kinds of constraints that shape the whole project. The site sits within a fire setback zone, which dictates how close the structure can sit to the property edges, what materials can be used on the exterior, and how vegetation has to be managed around the home. The grading and foundation work had to account for the slope, and the design had to thread between view preservation, defensible space requirements, and the family's program for the house.

The 13-month timeline reflects a full ground-up custom build: lot evaluation, design, permitting, grading, foundation, framing, MEP, finishes, and final inspection. The result is a five-bedroom modern home built for a family of three with room to grow, featuring an open floor plan, 18-foot garage door, a see-through fireplace, a movable wall system, and a whole-home Sonos audio system.

google maps overview
land and view 3
side of house render
Modern two-story house with white and wood exterior, black garage door, and driveway in a rural setting with hills and blue sky in the background.
Modern house entrance with a wooden front door, black accents, and landscaping including a small patch of soil, green grass, and concrete walkway.
Interior view of a hallway with light-colored wood flooring, white walls, and a wooden front door with black accents at the end of the hallway.
Minimalist white interior ceiling with a skylight window and a modern black and white clock
Empty living room with large windows, white walls, wooden floor, a modern fireplace, and potted plants.
Empty living room with large glass sliding doors showing mountainous landscape outside, white walls, wood flooring, a modern fireplace, a ceiling fan, and a potted plant.
Interior of a modern, empty room with light wood flooring, white walls, a ceiling fan, large sliding glass doors, and windows showing scenic mountains and greenery outside. The room has two potted plants.
Empty living room with large floor-to-ceiling windows showing mountains and greenery outside, light wood flooring, white walls, modern black fireplace, ceiling fan, and chandelier.
Empty modern living room with large sliding glass doors showing a mountain view, light wood flooring, white walls, ceiling fan, and ceiling lights.
Empty room with white walls, wooden floor, large window showing outdoor greenery and hills, modern chandelier hanging from ceiling.
Empty room with white walls, wooden flooring, large window showing mountains and greenery, and a modern chandelier.
Modern kitchen with light wood cabinets, a white island, black pendant lights, and a black marble backsplash.
Modern kitchen with light wood cabinets, a white kitchen island, black pendant light, and built-in fridge.
Modern kitchen with white island, black pendant lights, wooden cabinets, black faucet, and large window showing green trees outside.
Modern kitchen with light wood cabinets, a white marble island, black pendant lights with yellow interiors, and a window showing a hillside landscape.
Modern kitchen with light wood cabinets, black marble backsplash with white veining, stainless steel stove, white countertop, and warm lighting.
Modern kitchen with light wood cabinets, built-in wine fridge, coffee machine, white countertop, and black faucet. Open shelving with glassware and bottles, and a potted plant to the left.
Modern bathroom with white walls, small marble vanity with black faucet, wall-mounted black accessories, frosted glass door, and walk-in shower with rainfall showerhead and handheld shower.
Modern bathroom with a vessel sink, black faucet, oval mirror, white toilet, and a walk-in shower with glass partition, beige tiles, black fixtures, and a door with frosted glass
Modern bathroom with a white rectangular vessel sink, a black faucet, and a black-framed oval mirror on the white wall. There is a marble countertop and a wooden vanity with open storage. A pendant light hangs from the ceiling and there are light swi
Empty room with white walls, light wood flooring, and a large window showing mountains and greenery outside.
Interior view of a stairway landing with white walls, wooden railing, a pendant light fixture, a rectangular window, and a skylight.
Interior view of a modern, minimalist white living space with a wooden pendant light and a large window featuring a geometric chandelier
Interior view of a staircase landing with a large black-framed window, with a modern hanging clock and a glass safety railing, wooden railings, white walls, and beige carpet.
Empty room with white walls, beige carpet, black-framed window, ceiling fan, and a view of a bathroom area with glass shower doors and wooden vanities.
Empty room with white walls, black window frames, beige carpet, two wall-mounted black lights, a ceiling fan, and large windows showing a mountain landscape outside.
Empty room with white walls, beige carpet, black-framed windows, modern wall sconces, a ceiling fan, and a large mirror door
Modern bathroom with double vanity, marble countertops, black fixtures, glass-enclosed walk-in shower, white walls, grey tile flooring, and minimalist decor.
Modern white textured wall with three black electronic devices mounted, including a circular device at the top, a long rectangular device in the middle, and a similar device at the bottom, with an empty niche in the center.
Empty white walk-in closet with black hanging rods on the sides and a beige carpeted floor.
Empty room with white walls, beige carpet, a large window showing a scenic view of hills and greenery, and a ceiling fan.
Modern bathroom with white marble vanity, large mirror, bathtub, showerhead, small window, and neutral marble and tile walls.
Empty room with white walls, wooden flooring, two black framed windows showing a scenic hillside view, and ceiling lights.

Project Specifications:

  • Location: Escondido, CA

  • Build type: New custom home, ground-up build on raw land

  • Year completed: 2023

  • Build timeline: 13 months

  • Lot size: 2.5 acres (hillside, view lot)

  • Home size: 3,200 SF

  • Bedrooms: 5

  • Style: Modern

  • Site considerations: Fire setback zone, hillside grading, view preservation

  • Notable design features: Open concept layout, 18-foot extra-large garage door, see-through fireplace, movable wall system, exterior entry bathroom, 28 SF walk-in shower

  • Smart home: Whole-home Sonos sound system, integrated coffee system

  • Exterior: Outdoor living areas, hillside views from main living spaces

  • Designed by: Homeowner

Why clients build in Escondido

Escondido offers something rare in San Diego County: large lots, real views, and the privacy of a more rural setting, all within driving distance of the coast. The tradeoffs are real, though. Hillside properties bring grading and foundation work that flat lots don't. Fire setback zones dictate exterior materials and defensible space requirements. Well water, septic systems, and longer utility runs can apply on parcels outside dense neighborhoods.

We've completed multiple custom builds in Escondido and across North County San Diego, including this one. We know what these projects actually look like from a planning, permitting, and construction standpoint, and we can walk you through what to expect before you make an offer on a lot.

Building in Escondido or North County?

If you're thinking about a custom home on land in Escondido, Valley Center, Ramona, or anywhere across North County San Diego, we'd like to hear about your project. We can walk you through the lot evaluation process, what hillside and fire setback constraints mean in real terms, and what a build like Cloverdale actually involves.

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