Many Checks, Much Progress—What’s It All Cost?

Our “Sunday House“ is taking shape rapidly at the Black Sheep Ranch just outside of Boerne, Texas. One of the fascinating parts of this project is the perspective it gives me. Over 20 years ago, Julie and I built our home in Carlsbad, California, so I’m pretty well-tuned into what permitting and construction costs look like out West.

Comparing the two is a complete shock. It puts the reality of building in Carlsbad into sharp contrast with building a home here in Boerne.

I constantly hear soundbites coming out of California claiming, "We want to make housing affordable!" Well, I don’t know who’s in charge or what decisions they’re making, but I can tell you they’re doing it all ass-backwards.

Interestingly, in Texas, you don’t hear politicians constantly talking about affordable housing—yet new three-bedroom homes on a third of an acre start around $250,000.

The Project:

Texas vs. California

What we are building is a heavy-timbered, 1,200-square-foot custom two-bedroom home with soaring ceilings and a full glass wall on the gable end. To give you an idea of the scale, the sliding glass door alone is 18 feet wide by 9 feet tall.

In California: Building this high-end, custom 1,200-square-foot house on your own lot would cost a builder between $600,000 and $800,000.

In Texas: Using a builder on your own land, the exact same house costs approximately $300,000.

I want to emphasize that this does not include land costs! Of course, coastal land in Carlsbad is going to be vastly more expensive. This is strictly the cost of materials and labor to construct the home.

Somehow, California has managed to make it 2.5 to 3 times more expensive to build the exact same structure. Why? That is the absolute opposite of "affordable housing."

Family, Progress, and the Numbers

We are incredibly fortunate that Butch and Betina—the owners of the ranch, as well as our daughter and son in-law —are pool builders with Liquid Art Pools in Bergheim, Texas. Butch is acting as the contractor on the job site, arranging the subcontractors and purchasing materials.

The house is now almost completely framed, with the final stucco work and the roof going on next week. It’s an amazing accomplishment to see this house rise out of the ground. It is absolutely beautiful. We can already picture the day when the gorgeous pool in front of that massive sliding glass door becomes the final piece of the puzzle.

For those of you in the construction trades back in California, I thought I’d share a few rough numbers of what our costs look like so far:

Permitting: $500

Site preparation and grading: $600

On-site septic system: $11,500

Foundation & slab (including rough-in plumbing): $14,000

Framing labor and materials: $26,000

Windows and doors: $28,000

Santa Barbara stucco: $13,000

Standing-seam metal roof: $12,500

Ceiling insulation & T&G pine ceiling (with stain): $5,500

Wall insulation: $2,500

Total to Date: Roughly $114,000

We still have a ways to go, but I’m striving to keep the remaining costs around $40,000. I’d love to bring this house across the finish line under $150,000, but even with a sizable cushion, it will definitely be under $160,000.

The pool cost and outdoor kitchen? Well, that’s on Butch and Betina‘s dime!

A Change of Pace

Boerne and the Texas Hill Country are absolutely stunning in their beauty and culture. It’s incredible to be on a ranch with horses, sheep, dogs, chickens, and even a pig running around. It’s a world away from our beach home in Carlsbad, California, but it is truly something special.