Nobody can price your house in an article - but the bands are real, and knowing what moves you between them is worth more than any per-square-foot quote.
The bands
South Florida custom homes land in wide bands driven by envelope quality, site conditions and finish level. A hurricane-rated envelope on a coastal lot with luxury finishes is a different project from an inland build with builder-grade interiors - even at identical square footage. Treat any single per-foot number you hear as a midpoint of a wide range, not a promise.
What moves the number
Structure and envelope move it most: impact glazing, roof system, elevation requirements in flood zones. Then sitework - soils, demolition, utilities. Then interiors, where ranges are widest and choices are most controllable. The cheapest month to change your mind is the one before drawings are finished.
The three forgotten numbers
Owners budget the build and forget: design and permitting fees, utility connections and impact fees, and a contingency that actually matches the age and condition of the site. We put all three in the first budget you see, because a surprise in month eight costs trust as well as money.
How to hold a budget
One team owning design and construction means the estimate and the drawings cannot drift apart quietly. That is the whole trick. The budget you sign is built from the drawings you approved - and change orders happen when you change something, not when we discover our own gap.
General information, not a quote: every lot, structure and permit history is different. For numbers that hold, ask about your project.
