New & Custom Home Builders in Rancho Santa Fe, CA
Build your custom home in Rancho Santa Fe, CA
How much does it cost to build a home in Rancho Santa Fe, 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 Rancho Santa Fe. We estimate that the cost to build a home in Rancho Santa Fe is approximately $400 - $600 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 Rancho Santa Fe, CA?
Rancho Santa Fe is a very affluent area, so home and land prices will be higher than most areas in San Diego. The area has a mix of large and secluded estate lots, fantastic view lots towards the East, and a few small infill lots close to the center of town. A typical lot will range from 1-10 acres. We estimate that a straightforward lot with minimal improvements will cost somewhere in the range of $800,000 - $1,500,000.
Land in Rancho Santa Fe includes the following zip codes: 92014, 92067, 92091, 92127
If you would like an estimate for your project, use our Land/Build Calculator.
Why Rancho Santa Fe, CA is a great place to live
Rancho Santa Fe is one of the most secluded and luscious areas in San Diego. With less than 4,000 people living in Rancho Santa Fe, the area gives off a rural feel while still being fully and beautifully developed. There is an abundance of orchards, parks, rolling hills, and Eucalyptus trees in Rancho Santa Fe — making it a desirable place to live for those who love a quieter, more serene lifestyle. As a result, the majority of residents in Rancho Santa Fe are retired. In Rancho Santa Fe, there is also a variety of fine dining options and leisurely activities like spas, libraries, golf courses, and tennis courts. The public schools in Rancho Santa Fe are also very highly rated and excellent options for families who can afford to live in the area.
Things to do in Rancho Santa Fe, CA
Rancho Santa Fe has many upscale community spaces where you can spend quality time with your family, friends, and neighbors. For the athletic resident, Rancho Santa Fe offers many sports amenities including the tennis courts at Rancho Valencia Resort. This luxury resort “provides a world-class player’s experience” with their quality courts and professional tennis instruction. They even host one of the best summer camps in San Diego for kids and adults to improve their tennis skills.
If tennis isn’t exactly your passion, test out your swing on the Rancho Santa Fe Golf Course. This exclusive golf club is open only to homeowners within the boundaries of The Covenant, making it a great place to meet and socialize with your new neighbors. After a friendly game, grab a casual dinner at the clubhouse restaurant. In fact, owning land within The Covenant will give you exclusive access to a membership at this course.
For a more relaxed weekend afternoon, support local artists and arts education by visiting the Rancho Santa Fe Art Guild. The gallery showcases artwork by local and visiting artists, and all proceeds go to funding arts education and outreach programs within the local community.
On Sundays, you can stock up your fridge for the week with local produce and artisanal foods at the Rancho Santa Fe Farmers Market. The market was designed to be a central town-square where residents of Rancho Santa Fe can gather to nourish their bodies and spirits. At the market you can meet your local farmers and connect with your neighbors while listening to live local musical artists.
What's the process to build a custom home in Rancho Santa Fe, 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 Rancho Santa Fe, CA?
Typically, in Rancho Santa Fe, 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 Rancho Santa Fe can take around 24 months when you factor in finding the land, designing the home, and building it. If your lot is in The Covenant, you may need to add another year on top of that due to design reviews and other Covenant-specific process requirements. 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 Rancho Santa Fe, CA?
Finding a quality builder in Rancho Santa Fe 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.
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.
Build Your Home With Buildable
Building a home in Rancho Santa Fe 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 Rancho Santa Fe.
We’ve built many homes in Rancho Santa Fe. Check out or gallery of our most recent example.
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: