Professional Custom Home Builders | General Contractor Portland
As a custom home builder for Greater Portland, we put the whole house on paper before ground breaks: the lot, the drawings, every selection and one fixed price. A written report follows every week, so the builder you paid never goes quiet.
- (207) 613-8565
- 680 Gray Rd, 1st Floor, Gorham
- [email protected]
- 5-year workmanship warranty, in writing
- Free estimate requests
- 22 towns, Portland to Raymond
- The lot judged before you buy it
- Plans and one price signed before ground breaks
- A written progress report every week
This page explains how General Contractor Portland builds new houses on owners' land across Greater Portland, from judging a lot before it is bought to the last walk through the finished rooms.
It is written for people who own a lot, or are close to buying one, and want the whole house settled before money goes into concrete. Every build gets 4-6 weeks of design, one fixed price in writing and an owner who reviews each phase himself.
The figure to keep: turnkey construction averages $315 to $490+ per square foot by finish tier, land excluded, and a typical build runs 10-14 months from foundation to final walkthrough.
Why Price a Custom Home in Full Before Ground Breaks?
A custom home should be priced in full before ground breaks because a price grows wherever a decision stays open, and that is where change orders become a business model. We close them on paper, then sign one number.
- Drawings and selections settled first
- One fixed price, site work on its own lines
- Progress in writing, weekly
What else can we build on your property?
Home AdditionsA new room, a primary suite or a second story tied into the house you already own.See Home Additions
GaragesDetached or attached, unfinished or finished, framed on the 4-foot grid.See Garages
Kitchen RemodelingFrom a cosmetic refresh to a full gut with a new layout.See Kitchen Remodeling
Where do we build custom homes?
- South PortlandCumberland County1 mi
- FalmouthCumberland County5 mi
- Cape ElizabethCumberland County4 mi
- WestbrookCumberland County6 mi
- ScarboroughCumberland County6 mi
- GorhamCumberland County9 mi
- CumberlandCumberland County10 mi
- YarmouthCumberland County11 mi
- Old Orchard BeachYork County11 mi
- North YarmouthCumberland County12 mi
- WindhamCumberland County12 mi
- SacoYork County14 mi
- BuxtonYork County14 mi
- BiddefordYork County15 mi
- StandishCumberland County16 mi
- FreeportCumberland County16 mi
- GrayCumberland County16 mi
- PownalCumberland County17 mi
- HollisYork County17 mi
- DaytonYork County18 mi
- RaymondCumberland County20 mi
What Shapes a Custom Home From Lot to Keys?
Three things shape a custom home more than any finish: the ground, the paper and how the build is run.
Why the Lot Comes Before the Floor Plan
The lot sets the budget before the house does. Ledge raises foundation cost, and a lot off public water and sewer needs a well plus a septic system sized to the bedroom count on the state's HHE-200 form.
Joe's Maine real estate license lets him judge a lot's ground with you before you buy. Price the dirt before you sign for it.
4-6 Weeks of Plans, Then One Fixed Price
We spend 4-6 weeks on planning and design before anyone digs: drawings, selections and a phase-by-phase schedule.
That paper becomes the fixed-price contract, with the well, septic and site work on their own lines.
10-14 Months, Reported Every Week
A typical custom home takes 10-14 months, first footing to final walkthrough. We limit ourselves to 4-6 active builds by design, which keeps crews and oversight on your house.
The company's owner checks each phase before the next trade moves in, so nothing gets covered up unseen.
What Custom Home Services Do We Offer?
Our own crews run the whole build, from site visit to punch list.
Every house we build stands on poured concrete with footings below frost. Portland, like any Maine town past 4,000 residents, is bound by MUBEC, the state's building and energy code, so we pull the permit and leave approval to the town's Code Enforcement Officer.
- Lot evaluation and site planning
- Foundation, framing and full mechanical systems
- Exterior and interior finish through the walkthrough
How to Build a Custom Home With Us, Phase by Phase
First, a walk on the lot.
Before any number is written, we study access, slope, drainage and where the house could sit.
Drawings first, then one signed price.
The full drawing set goes into the contract, which 10 MRSA ยง1487 requires in writing above $3,000, with an opening payment no larger than one third.
Built in sequence, then handed over.
Reports come weekly, and on the last day we tour the finished house together and hand you our 5-year written warranty.
When Is a Custom Home Builder the Right Hire?
A custom home builder is the right hire when you own a good lot, or can buy one, and every house for sale nearby would need a gut or an addition to suit you.
It is the wrong hire if you must move in within a year, or if the budget only works when the land is cheap and the site work easy.
In Portland's older neighborhoods, a sound house plus an addition is often the better money, as our home additions page explains.
Who Builds Custom, Where, and When Should You Start?
Something else to ask? Call (207) 613-8565, any hour.
Who usually builds a custom home with us?
The people who usually build a custom home with us own land around Portland, or soon will, and want a house drawn for that lot.
Where do custom homes run into extra rules?
Custom homes run into extra rules near water: shoreland zoning reaches 250 feet back from great ponds, rivers, tidal waters and coastal wetlands, with setbacks the town enforces.
When should planning start?
Planning should start a season before you hope to dig, since design, permit and site work all come before a foundation poured once the frost is out.
How Much Does a New Custom Home Run Per Square Foot?
A new custom home in Greater Portland runs $315 to $490+ a square foot, turnkey, land excluded, and the finish tier decides where yours lands. Treat each band as an average of many past builds, never a quote.
| Finish tier | What it usually means | Average per sq ft |
|---|---|---|
| Simple | simple footprint, standard finishes | $315 to $365 |
| Mid | more rooflines, upgraded cabinets and tile | $365 to $435 |
| High | complex design, custom millwork, stone | $435 to $490+ |
Averages for the house itself. Site work, the well and septic are budgeted on their own.
How much does the lot's site work add?
The lot's site work adds its own budget lines, since no two lots cost the same. On average, the drilled well comes to $15,500 to $26,500, the septic system to $17,500 to $44,000, cleared-lot site work with well, septic and power $77,000 to $105,000, and where trees, ledge or a long driveway are involved the total can pass $165,000.
What does a whole custom home usually total?
A whole custom home with us usually totals between four hundred thousand and two million dollars, sometimes more. Size and finish explain the spread, so we price your drawings, not a guess.
What moves a house from one tier to the next?
A house moves up a tier through design and finish: more corners and roof planes, taller ceilings, custom cabinetry and stone. The mid tier averages $365 to $435 per square foot.
What Does a First Visit to Your Lot Cost?
A first visit to your lot costs nothing: ask for a free estimate, and we walk the land with you and say what it means for your house.