What is the cost of building a home in Asheville?

Home costs vary depending on the style, size, and lot you're building on. Most custom home builders in Asheville start at $200 per square foot. Judd Builders is a high-end custom home builder and starts at $250 per square foot.

Cost of Building a Custom Home in Asheville

The question we get asked most often is a tricky one to answer. We get calls, emails, and DM’s everyday asking what the cost to to build a home in Asheville is. The answer? It depends on so many factors, but we’ll attempt to breakdown our cost per square foot. Keep in mind the overall cost of building a new home will depend on the lot, square footage, architectural style of the home, quality of materials used, and the cost of materials at the time you build. Lumber prices reached record highs in the spring of 2021, followed by some less dramatic spikes in 2022, and now they are below peak pandemic levels.

As a 100% custom home builder we don’t build from a portfolio of plans. Everything we build is unique to each client (read our custom home builder FAQ). Our clients work with architects or find plans online and we help them work through the process of customizing the plans so the new home will fit the needs for their family and lifestyle. Many of our clients find a house plan that works for their family in some ways, but maybe not others, so we’ll enlist an architect to make changes.

Land Costs

When you think about the cost of building a home in Asheville, first, do yourself a favor and remove the cost of land. Land can range anywhere from $20,000-millions. Judd Builders builds on all sizes of lots in western North Carolina. Typically when people ask how much it costs to build, we have to ask about their land. Is it steep? Will it require a lot of grading and/or clearing? Do you need a well and/or septic? How long will your driveway be? Will your neighborhood association require it to be paved or can it be gravel? Of course as custom builders, we can guide clients through all of these questions and consult with them on what will be best for the land, house orientation, and budget.

Be ready to pay a premium or expand your search outside of Asheville if you’re looking for a flat lot. If you’re willing to be further out (30+ minutes), you’re more likely to find lots that don’t require extensive grading for under $100,000. The closer you get to Asheville, the smaller and more expensive the lots get. Buyer beware of photos on the internet. Lot listing photos can be very deceiving. The photos may look a little hilly and the property description may say “rolling” when in reality, it’s a steep mountain lot that requires four-wheel drive to get to it. If you’re inquiring about a lot that you see online, ask if there is a topographic survey. A topographic survey will help you determine elevation changes and help identify the best placement for a home and driveway.

Cost Breakdown for Building a New Home in Asheville, NC

Now that we’ve talked about the costs associated with land, let’s discuss the cost associated with the custom home. The average cost to build a quality, custom home with Judd Builders is $450-$700+ per square foot (updated January 2024). There, we said it! Now let us further break down the costs. We’ll start by saying that our custom homes are built to the highest quality standards with the highest performing building materials. You have to weigh building cost vs. quality when determining your budget.

We aren’t for everyone, but there are many experienced home builders in Asheville, NC that offer different price and quality levels. There are builders in Asheville that can build for a lower cost per square foot. Do your research before choosing a custom home builder. Ask a lot of questions and ask for references. A home builder with a solid reputation will be happy to walk you through a home they’ve built and answer all of your questions. They will also provide you with contact information for past clients. Ask about any challenges that had to be overcome during the custom home building process. Glowing reviews are great, but learning how tough situations were handled can help you understand how the builder communicates and resolves problems.

Once you’ve chosen a home builder, be sure to have a solid understanding of the materials they’ll be using and make sure everything you mutually agree upon is outlined in a contract. Pre-construction agreements are common practice in the building industry. If the home builder asks for funds up front, be sure the pre-construction agreement clearly outlines how the funds will be used. Hundreds of hours go into our planning and budgeting process so we require a pre-construction agreement on all new construction homes.

Knowing the exact cost to build up front and having a contingency fund will save you a lot of headaches during the home building process. If a builder throws out a number and can’t supply documentation to back the number, be cautious about moving forward with them. The best builder/client relationships are built on mutual trust and transparency. Read our questions to ask a home builder blog post to learn more.

If you’re curious about breakdown and why it seems higher than in bigger cities in the south or other areas in the country, read on.

Asheville’s Cost of Building

The primary reasons why building a home in Asheville, NC is more expensive compared to other cities is the rising labor costs and the high cost of living. The skilled labor force is competitive and you must pay top dollar for top skilled laborers. We want the best of the best and so do our competitors. When you read stats about construction costs in the south being lower than other areas, Asheville’s economics don’t align. Asheville can’t be compared to cities like Charlotte, Raleigh, or Atlanta. We are much smaller which results in a much smaller labor pool.

According to Bestplaces.net, Asheville’s cost of living is 106.0. The cost of living indices are based on a US average of 100. An amount below 100 means Asheville is cheaper than the US average. A cost of living index above 100 means Asheville is more expensive. North Carolina averages 90.6. A typical home in Asheville costs $428,500, which is 26.7 percent more expensive than the national average of $338,100 and 48.1 percent more expensive than the average North Carolina home, at $289,300. You’ll pay more for labor in a city with a higher cost of living compared to a city with lower cost of living. Fewer subcontractors and laborers results in rising costs for the builder and the client.

Judd Builders is different than many other Asheville builders because we employ our framing and trim crews. We subcontract as little as possible in order to adhere to our strict quality standards. Employing the most talented construction workforce in western North Carolina comes with a lot of expenses. We know our employees are only working on our projects and they’re reliable. Our employees are family to us and many have been with us for 10+ years. There are a lot of builders in Asheville who subcontract almost every step of the homebuilding process. This model works for some builders, but it’s not how we operate.