New & Custom Home Builders in La Mesa, CA
Build your custom home in La Mesa, CA
How much does it cost to build a home in La Mesa, CA?
The cost to build a custom home in San Diego County will vary based on many different factors. Lot location and size, permits and fees, and specific design choices will all impact the all-in cost to build a custom home in La Mesa. We estimate that the cost to build a home in La Mesa is approximately $400 - $500 per square foot, including some modest allocations for improvements and soft costs. If you’re interested in learning more about the cost breakdown, you can read our article about how much it costs to build a home in San Diego. If you would like an estimate for your project, use our Land/Build Calculator.
How much does land cost in La Mesa, CA?
Located east of San Diego, La Mesa has many different neighborhoods, each with different land/lot prices. On Mount Helix, you’ll find big view properties from .15 - 1.0 acres, while in long-established communities like Fletcher Hills you can find in-fill lots from 0.25 to 1.5 acres. You’ll find large estate lots to the North and East, and smaller in-fill lots in established communities closer to Highway 78 and the coast. La Mesa is a great place to build a home that’s centrally located with big views of the coast. We estimate that a straightforward lot with minimal improvements will cost somewhere in the range of $250,000 - $500,000. This price is largely dependent on the lot’s size and views.
Land in La Mesa includes the following zip codes: 91941, 91942, 91943, 91944
If you would like an estimate for your project, use our Land/Build Calculator.
Why La Mesa, CA is a great place to live
La Mesa is a suburb in the northern part of San Diego with a population of just over 60,000. Due to its proximity to the city of San Diego, La Mesa offers residents a mix of urban and suburban feels. La Mesa offers residents a wide variety of amenities, including multiple parks, a diverse population, and highly-rated public schools. La Mesa is also a reasonable drive from downtown San Diego, making it a wonderful place for young professionals as well as families. In La Mesa, there are also plenty of great entertainment and dining options that are bound to satisfy anybody’s taste.
Things to do in La Mesa, CA
In addition to being a reasonable commute from downtown San Diego and the beach, La Mesa has plenty of local history and culture to explore. The Pacific Southwest Railway Museum is dedicated to preserving the legacy, historical context, cultural landscape, and experience of railroad transportation. At the museum you can view educational exhibits and choose from a variety of historical train rides that are available.
If you want more local history, check out the La Mesa History Center featuring walking tours of a 1908-built historical landmark, the Rev. Henry A. McKinney House Museum and Center Archives. The museum also offers educational programs and special events to inform about local history and culture.
For another piece of local culture, stop by the San Pasqual Winery for a glass. Their La Mesa Tasting Room is a cozy spot in the heart of La Mesa where you can relax with friends and meet new people. All of the wine available is locally sourced from their vineyards throughout California.
If you’re looking for a fun activity for the whole family, have a picnic at one of several parks in the area, such as La Mesita Park. In addition to the picnic area, this 12-acre park offers four lighted tennis courts, a skate park, two football fields, and much more. This is the perfect place to bring your family for a weekend afternoon, whether you like sports or just want to relax in the fresh air.
What's the process to build a custom home in La Mesa, CA?
The process of building your custom home with Buildable is straightforward when working with our team and our dialed process. We break down the process into 3 phases: Locate, Design, and Build.
Locate Phase
During the locate phase, we will be finding the perfect location for your dream home. Our real estate team will provide you with a shortlist of options right for the project.
There are more properties than what you see on the web. Through Buildable’s proprietary Active Search process, we reach out to vacant landowners to create off-market opportunities. At any given time we may have 5-10 of these Buildable exclusive lots.
Once in contract, we will perform due diligence on the property to reduce risk and identify challenges. This includes the creation of a Land Report, which contains a 28-point audit to ensure you have all the relevant information to proceed with confidence. This step will also inform the land negotiation process.
Design Phase
During the design phase, we will procure the right designer and customize the home around all of your must-haves. We will identify the home requirements and develop a thorough plan and estimate to ensure we stay within the budget and on time.
There are many options when designing a home, and you don’t always need an Architect. We will help develop a strategy that fits your needs.
Build Phase
We will be building your dream home to your exact specifications. The building process is straightforward but will require decisions at key times during the journey. Buildable aims to make the process smooth, easy, and adaptable to the level of effort and attention you desire.
How long does it take to build a custom home in La Mesa, CA?
Typically, in La Mesa, CA, building a home requires about 12 months, but that’s only the construction of 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 La Mesa can take around 24 months when you factor in finding the land, designing the home, and building it. If you want to learn more about the time it takes to build a custom home, read our article How Long Does It Take To Build A Custom Home in San Diego?
How to choose the best custom home builder in La Mesa, CA?
Finding a quality builder in La Mesa can be challenging because customers have trouble vetting them. At the beginning of a project, you won’t have the scope of the home tightly defined enough for an accurate estimate. Most builders will provide you with cost estimate ranges by square footage. The other complication is that you also need to include the improvement costs that are specific to the lot, as that will be a unique driver of cost. Buildable is an A & B licensed General Contractor and will guide you through the design to achieve your budget.
Once you have plans, you can bid out your project to get a real sense of costs. Ignore the builders who provide a “foot in the door” price far lower than other bids. You must know everything that's part of the bid, including your fixtures, finishes, and appliance specifications. That’s the only way to make an apples-to-apples comparison between bids.
If you would like to learn more about picking a homebuilder, read our article on how to Hire a builder.
Build your home with Buildable
Building a home in La Mesa 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 La Mesa.
How is Buildable different from other custom home builders?
Buildable manages the process from start-to-finish. First, we help you locate and purchase the land ensuring that it’s capable of supporting your vision. Second, we help you design your home through a variety of cost-effective options. The most important part is having our experienced engineering team guiding you through the design process to ensure a cost-effective balance to meet your goals. Third, we bring your dream home to life by assembling quality craftsman/women to build your vision.
We are the innovators of this approach — no one else offers a similar guided process from start-to-finish.
Our Service Areas in San Diego
Buildable operates within 60 miles of San Diego proper, but we do consult nationally. If you would like to learn more about where we work, simply check out our service area.
Nearby service areas in San Diego include: