Typically, in San Diego, building a home requires about 12 months, but that’s only construction your home. The custom home construction timeline also includes finding the land, designing the home, developing plans, and permitting.

So, how long does it take to build a custom home accounting for all the steps? Building a custom home in San Diego, CA can take around 24 months when you factor in finding the land, designing the home, and building it.

Other considerations can impact the custom home construction timeline, including the location, permitting, and weather. This article describes some of the common variables that can positively or negatively affect the overall timeline, including:

Towards the end of the article, you’ll find additional information on:

Factors That Determine How Long It Takes To Build A Home

Clients commonly ask Buildable how long it will take to construct their dream home. But, of course, every client wants to build quickly so they can settle into their dream house and begin living in the home in which they’ve long envisioned themselves.

We need to answer in general terms because every project and lot is inherently unique. Our team has over 30 years of home building experience with more than 1,000 San Diego homes. Buildable has constructed everything from multi-unit developments to modest custom homes to multi-million dollar mansions, and each project has unique factors that impact the timeline.

Sometimes, people spend up to a year house hunting for a pre-existing home without finding what they want, or settling for a home they don’t want. The best time to start your search for land and a custom home is today. With Buildable, you’re making an investment in a home designed uniquely for your family - so many of our clients view the time it takes as an investment in the perfect home.

The Location

The home's location is critical in determining how long it takes to build a custom home. Two critical factors influence the building time in the San Diego region.

First, what is the topography of the lot, locations of all the utilities, easements, and dozens of other risk factors. The necessary improvements can directly impact the build timeline. As a rule of thumb, the more straightforward the lot, the quicker the build.

Second, every city or county processes building permits on a different schedule. This means that building in San Marcos might take more or less time to obtain permits than building Poway or Del Mar. You cannot start construction until you’ve obtained the necessary permits and the timeline of this process is largely out of your control.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the permitting process took about 16 weeks. During COVID, it took about six months to a year. Each city in California has adjusted to the pandemic processes differently. Those that embraced remote work maintained timelines more effectively. Those that did not embrace it bogged down their process. We anticipate permitting times to normalize the further away we get from the COVID shutdowns.

The Design Approach

Buildable also often hears the question, “How long does it take to design a house?” Many factors affect design time, including your design team’s availability, the concept, the features, the 3rd parties that need to be engaged, and complexity. Typically, we estimate this phase to take 3-6 months.

The design team’s approach to bringing your home to life influences how long it will take to build a custom home. Your choice of architect, architectural designer, or draftsman affects the process because each will be subject to a different timeline. If you have your heart set on a specific architect, their availability is also a factor.

Project complexity has a significant impact on the timeline. Things like building on difficult terrain, building an oversized home of 5,000 square feet or more, etc., could affect the speed of the build.

The design phase of the home typically requires 3-6 months. This includes the following:

Conceptual explorations
Site layout development
Elevations (exterior design)
Civil Engineering
Grading Plan & Stormwater Management
Landscaping plan and septic plans (if required by the municipality)
Structural Engineering
Permit submissions

There are ways to tremendously reduce the concepting time of the project, specifically if you desire to replicate an existing home, look and feel, or layout. You don’t need to buy pre-existing plans, but exploring existing designs can help you cut to the chase and find a home design you like that we can build for you.

3rd Party Requirements

Sometimes, third parties require additional review and approval of home plans or the building approach. This can include design reviews, additional permits, or a change to construction sequencing. Let’s look at the three most common situations.

1) Home Owners Association

Many HOAs require specific design parameters or reviews, impacting the schedule. They can require your home design to align with the general aesthetic guidelines of the community. This review can add to the design timeline because the HOA can require changes to your design to receive approval.

2) Planned Communities

Some areas, such as The Covenant in Rancho Santa Fe, require a particular approach to aesthetics, landscaping, and construction approach. The Covenant, for example, requires a review by their association to ensure it meets the aesthetics and architecture requirements defined by the community. Buildable alerts its clients when they consider a lot in an area with additional requirements, so that you can avoid the added build time and costs, or we can assist you in navigating the process efficiently.

3) Special Permit Zones

In San Diego, many areas lie within the coastal areas, requiring a Coastal Development Permit from the California Coastal Commission (CCC). The CCC protects shoreline public access and recreation, marine habitats, and scenic coastline. Permitting may require you to improve the area during or after construction. The Buildable team will help identify if your planned home site sits within the coastal zone and appraise you of the impacts.

The Weather

Unfortunately, no one can truly control the weather. San Diego typically experiences a mild climate and dependable good weather, but unexpected weather can arise. Rains, droughts, high winds, etc., can delay building, especially during the initial construction phase.

At Buildable, we know the custom home building process. Our expertise in building homes of every size and style in the San Diego metropolitan area can benefit you by speeding up your custom home build timeline. We won’t rush, so you obtain the best quality home possible, but we’ll always move thoughtfully because our ability to deliver with speed and quality is our reputation, which is supremely important to us. Schedule a time with us today to discuss your unique situation, and we can get into the process.

An example of the time it takes to build a custom home with Buildable

Buildable is the only company that helps you find land, design your home, and build it. That means, that we start right from the very beginning, so we have visibility on how long the entire process should take in totality. Our objective is to provide full visibility and transparency to our clients, so that being said, we’ve outlined the process for you below.

The Time It Takes To Locate Land (0 - 2 Months)

Many people ask “how long does it take to find land to build a custom home?”, and the answer is that it varies by the requirements and location. Some of our clients have found their dream lot on the first day of review, some have taken more time. However, at Buildable, 83% of clients in 2021 found a lot within five months. Here’s a typical timeline:

Kick-Off & Develop Build Strategy Kick-Off
Find the right lot - 1- 2 Months
Escrow - 1 Month
Land Report Creation / Due Diligence - 1 Month (Concurrent)
Take Possession of Lot

The Time It Takes To Design A Custom Home (3 - 6 Months)

Many people ask “how long does it take to design a custom home?”, and we estimate that it will take three and six months. However, this timeframe can be longer or shorter depending on our client's requirements and desires. Here’s a rough -basic overview of the design schedule.

Source Designers - 1 Month
Design (style, floor plan, options, selections, Civil, Structural, Geotechnical) – 3 to 5 months
Documents (plans, specs, bids, and contracts) – 2 months (concurrent)
Loan approval - 2 months (concurrent)

The Time It Takes To Get Building Permits (4 - 9 Months)

Many people ask “how long does it take to receive building permits?”, the reality is that each city or county processes building permits on a different schedule. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the permitting process took about sixteen weeks. During COVID, it took about six months to a year. Each city in California has adjusted to the process differently. Those that embraced remote work maintained timelines more effectively. Those that did not embrace it bogged down their process. We anticipate permitting times to normalize the further away we get from the COVID shutdowns. Here’s a rough and generalized overview of the permit schedule.

Submission of construction documents for permit
Pre-Check – 1-2 Months
Plan Review - 3 - 9 Months
Permits Issued

The Time It Takes To Build A Custom Home (10 - 12 Months)

Many people ask “how long does it take to build a custom home?”, and we estimate that the build phase alone will take ten to twelve months. This includes everything from site preparation to move-in. Below, we’ve outlined some of the major tasks that will be covered in the 10-12 months, but note that some of these activities occur concurrently and not individually.

Site prep (clear, grade, level, and stake)
Foundation (pour footings and foundation)
Rough carpentry (frame walls, floors, roof; install sheathing)
Rough plumbing, electrical, audio/video, security
Rough HVAC
Exterior stucco siding/brick/trim, windows, doors
Insulation and drywall
Prime and paint
Cabinets and trim
Doors and Hardware
Tile
Countertops
Finish electrical, plumbing and HVAC
Flooring
Final Cleaning, punch list, closing

Other Common Questions When Building A Custom Home

As you can imagine, we receive the gambit of questions from our clients about the custom home building process. Below are some typical questions and answers. You can always use our land build calculator if confused about the costs of building in certain areas.

Try our Land/Build calculator and we can send you an estimate.

Can you speed up the time it takes to build a home?

The simple answer is yes, there are multiple ways to speed up the design of the home:

Be decisive when it comes to providing your feedback or making decisions. This can save you some time will add up.
No Change Orders. Changes after approval can lead to compounding delays. Do everything in your power to consolidate feedback and be decisive. With Buildable, you have experts with you to guide your decisions, so you can leverage our experience and knowledge to make the right choice at the beginning.

How Much Does It Cost To Build A Custom Home?

The cost to build a house in San Diego will vary since you are in control of the lot cost, design, size, and other factors that will heavily impact the price. The average cost to build a house in San Diego for Buildable’s clients is, all-in, $1.4M including land. However, we have many clients who have $1.0M all-in budgets, and we can also create amazing custom homes for them.

We provide a complete breakdown in this article if you want to learn more about the costs of particular components of your project. Use our cost calculator below to get a free new home construction cost estimate.

How Do You Find Land For Your Home Build?

In San Diego, only 2% of real estate transactions are land, so it’s critical to have experts working with you right from the beginning. At Buildable, we are a home builder who integrated land acquisition into our company process. The land is one of the most important factors in realizing your vision for the perfect home. There is a wide variety of land types, including lots on the coast, lots with a view, lots in existing neighborhoods (“infill lots”), rural lots, and more.

Once we have a sense of what kind of land that would be right for you, we deploy our proprietary Active Search process to gather as many land opportunities as possible, some of which you won’t see anywhere else. The first step of our Active Search process involves creating marketing campaigns aimed at applicable areas that are right for you. We also directly reach out to our robust network of developers, real estate agents, and wholesalers to find lots that are not visible on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) to find opportunities that aren’t available to everyone.

We provide a full breakdown in this article if you want to learn more about the process of finding land and what to look for.

When’s The Best Time To Build A House?

In San Diego, and Southern California, in general, any time is a great time to start to build a house. Of course, there are busy periods (i.e., the spring and summer) and slower periods, with winter that you’ll need to work around. Other than that, there’s no time like the present.

Build Your Home in San Diego With Buildable

Building a home in San Diego takes an immense amount of time and effort, and can appear overwhelming to those who start the journey alone. However, building a home can be straightforward when you approach the process with experts by your side who can guide you through every step.

At Buildable, all of the people you need to have a stress-free home build will work with you to create the home of your dreams. Read about our team, talk to us, and get the answers to questions you may have about starting the custom home building process in San Diego.

How Long Does it Take to Build a Custom Home in San Diego, CA?