How Much Does It Cost to Build a Custom Home in the Mat-Su Valley?

Pricing a home is tricky, especially for a custom home builder, as every build is different.

But "it depends" isn't a useful answer either! So here's our attempt to provide helpful information regarding costs:

Most of the homes we build in Palmer, Wasilla, Eagle River, Big Lake and the surrounding areas fall between $750,000 and $2.5 million. A reasonable working average is around $325 per square foot for the house, plus around $160 per square foot for garages.

A few additional things to consider:

Size doesn't necessarily scale the way you'd think.

Every home carries "fixed costs" no matter how big it is. The well and well pump, waterline and septic system, lot line surveys, dumpsters and porta cans, builders risk insurance, inspections, engineering, getting a crew and equipment on site — none of that gets cheaper because the house got smaller. Smaller homes usually run higher cost per square foot and larger homes run lower. (An 1,800 square foot home won't cost half what a 3,600 square foot home does)

The lot matters more than most people expect.

Budgets that look good on paper don't always look good once a lot is selected. And this can usually be recognized before anyone purchases the land or breaks ground.

Two lots in the same subdivision can have different site costs, and that's true whether you're looking in Palmer, Wasilla, Big Lake or Eagle River. Topography, well depths, gravel source, bedrock, groundwater and utilities may play a significant role in Site Specific costs.

2 examples of this: Years ago someone came to us after buying a parcel with no permanent power in the area. They owned land they couldn't build on. Another client bought a lot that needed about $100,000 of imported gravel before it was workable. Neither cost shows up in a per-square-foot number, and both were the sort of thing a builder would have caught while walking the property.

If you are looking at land to build a home on, we will provide a free consultation before you purchase it. It's a lot cheaper to find this out early.

Why we set the budget early.

Most people design a home first and find out what it costs afterward. That order sets up a rough moment — you may find out you've gotten attached to something you can't afford.

Because we design and build, that conversation happens before the design starts. We know what construction costs because we're the ones writing the checks. At the first meeting we go through a five-part cost analysis covering the total cost of whatever package you're imagining, not just the house itself. It isn't always what people are hoping to hear, but sharing what we believe to be true rather than what's comfortable is a "Core Value" at Falcon.

What about timeline?

From design to move-in often takes 12 - 16 months. What shifts it: whether you already own your lot, whether you're paying cash or working with a construction loan, project complexity, what season you start in, and what's already on our schedule.

Come talk to us

We build in Palmer, Wasilla, Big Lake, Eagle River, Chugiak, Anchorage, and the surrounding areas.

If you're trying to figure out whether building a custom home makes sense for you, or whether a particular lot will align with your vision, don't hesitate to reach out. The first consultation is free with nothing attached. Even if you don't build with us, it will probably be the most useful hour you spend on the subject - at least that's what we often hear from folks!

Call 907-745-3865 or reach out online!