Custom Home Building in San Diego
Ground-up custom & semi-custom homes and down-to-studs rebuilds across San Diego County, led personally by Dave Romero with fixed-bid pricing and one point of contact from lot to keys.
- Licensed CSLB #1004363
- Fixed written pricing
- Owner-led since 2014
- Workmanship warranty
Get a Free Custom Home Consultation
Tell us about your lot and your vision. Our team will review the details and walk you through the design-build process, realistic timeline, and what a fixed bid looks like for your project.
CSLB #1004363
45 Google reviews
Across San Diego County
Owner-led, fixed-bid
Building a custom home is the biggest project most people ever take on, and you deserve a contractor who treats it that way. San Diego Custom Home, Bathroom & Kitchen Remodeling has built and rebuilt homes across San Diego County since 2014, and custom home construction is right there in our name. Owner Dave Romero leads every build personally, so you always know who is accountable. We handle custom and semi-custom homes, hillside and canyon lots, and major down-to-studs rebuilds, managing design, permitting, and construction under one fixed-bid contract. Licensed (CSLB #1004363), bonded, and insured, we keep the process honest, the budget clear, and the communication direct from your first call to final walkthrough.
Our Custom Home Building Services
Whether you own a lot and want to build from the ground up or you have a tired house worth saving down to the studs, we build it the right way the first time. Every project runs through one fixed-bid contract and one point of contact, so nothing falls through the cracks.
- Fully custom homes: ground-up new construction designed around your lot, your lifestyle, and your budget.
- Semi-custom homes: proven floor plans tailored with the finishes, layout tweaks, and upgrades you want for a faster, more predictable build.
- Down-to-studs rebuilds: major teardowns and structural rebuilds that keep what works and replace everything that doesn’t.
- Hillside & canyon lot builds: foundations, grading, and engineering for the challenging slopes and view lots San Diego is known for.
Our Design-Build Process
We run a true design-build process, which means design, budget, and construction stay under one roof and one accountable team. That keeps surprises down and keeps your fixed bid honest, because the people pricing the work are the people building it.
- Consultation & lot review: we walk the property, evaluate access, slope, soils, and zoning, and talk through your goals.
- Design & budget: we develop plans alongside a real budget, then lock it into a fixed-bid contract so you know the number before we break ground.
- Permitting: we manage City and County of San Diego submittals, plan checks, and corrections, including coastal and hillside reviews where they apply.
- Construction: one crew, one schedule, and regular updates from our team as the home takes shape.
- Final walkthrough: we punch the list together and don’t consider it done until you do.
Building Custom Homes in San Diego
San Diego County is a beautiful place to build and a demanding one. Coastal lots, canyon slopes, wildfire zones, and strict energy code all shape what gets approved and what gets built. We’ve worked inside these realities since 2014, so we plan for them up front instead of getting blindsided mid-project.
- City & County permitting: we navigate San Diego jurisdictions, plan check, and the coastal zone review process where your lot requires it.
- Title 24 energy code: every build is designed to meet California’s current energy efficiency standards, from insulation to HVAC to solar-ready requirements.
- Fire-hardening: for wildfire-zone lots, we build with ignition-resistant materials, ember-resistant venting, and defensible-space-friendly detailing.
- Hillside & canyon lots: engineered foundations, retaining, and drainage built for San Diego’s slopes, soils, and views.
Why Build With Us
A custom home is a long relationship, not a quick transaction. People build with us because we’re straight with them about cost, timeline, and tradeoffs, and because the same person who quotes the job sees it through to the end.
- Fully licensed: CSLB #1004363, bonded and insured, so you’re protected from the first day to the last.
- Fixed-bid pricing: you get a clear, committed number before construction starts, not a moving target.
- One point of contact: owner Dave Romero leads your build personally, so you’re never chasing answers.
- Serving San Diego since 2014: 10+ years building, rebuilding, and remodeling homes across San Diego County.
The difference is in the contract
| What matters | San Diego Custom Remodeling | Typical contractor |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed written bid before any work starts | Always | Often vague or hourly |
| One accountable team, never subcontracted out | Yes | Frequently subbed |
| Licensed, bonded & insured (CSLB #1004363) | Yes | Not always |
| Permits pulled and inspections coordinated | Every job | Sometimes skipped |
| Written workmanship warranty | Yes | Rarely |
Project gallery
One written price. No surprise change orders.
After we walk your space, you get a single itemized bid for the agreed scope. If it is not in the contract, you do not pay for it. Every project is backed by a written workmanship warranty and the work of a licensed, bonded, and insured San Diego team.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to build a custom home in San Diego?
Most custom homes take roughly 12 to 24 months from first consultation to move-in, with design and permitting often taking as long as construction. San Diego permitting, coastal or hillside review, and lot complexity all affect the timeline. We give you a realistic schedule up front and keep you updated as the build progresses, we’d rather set honest expectations than promise a date we can’t hold.
Can you build on my lot, or do you do teardowns and rebuilds?
Both. If you already own land, we’ll evaluate the lot for access, slope, soils, and zoning, then design a home that fits it. If you have an existing house, we also do major down-to-studs rebuilds and teardowns, keeping what’s worth saving and rebuilding the rest. A site visit with our team is the fastest way to know what your property can support.
What’s the difference between a custom and a semi-custom home?
A fully custom home is designed from scratch around your lot and your priorities, giving you the most control over layout, materials, and detail. A semi-custom home starts from a proven floor plan that we tailor with your finishes and select changes, usually faster and more predictable on budget. We help you choose the path that fits your timeline, lot, and goals.
How does custom home pricing work?
We build on fixed-bid pricing. After we’ve developed your plans and scope, we provide a committed contract price so you know the number before we break ground, rather than an open-ended estimate that creeps. Custom home costs vary widely with size, lot conditions, finishes, and site work, so the consultation and design phase is where we pin down a budget you can rely on.
Do you handle the permits and design, or do I need an architect first?
We handle both. As a design-build general contractor, we manage design and budgeting together and run the permitting through City or County of San Diego, including coastal and hillside reviews where they apply. You don’t need to line up an architect, plans, and permits before calling us, bringing us in early actually keeps the design realistic and the budget accurate.