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Custom Homes

Designing your own custom home allows you to create spaces that fit your family. We will guide you through the design and building process from the initial drafting to your completed new home.

Why Build Custom?

Designing a home around your specific needs allows you to focus the construction funds into the areas of the home which are most important for you. Many homes are built with a focus on following the current design trends of the real estate market. These trends may fit your housing needs, but if they don’t, then you may be purchasing a home that could require alterations in the future or won’t be comfortable for your family. Custom building your own home can be less expensive than purchasing a new spec house on the market, and it allows you to create a home that fits your needs.
Harbour Oak Home under construction
7456 Veyaness
6757 Marisa

How It Works

Building your custom home can be broken down into six phases that we’ll guide you through to design and build your new home. In addition to designing and building, we’ll enroll it in the new home warranty program, apply for all permits, and perform a full walkthrough and handover at completion. Even after you move into your new house, we will be available to help you with any issues that may arise. Our goal is to build you a home that works for you not only when you move in, but also for the years to come.
See The Process

Custom Home
Cost Breakdown

The average cost to build a new house per square foot is $290/ft of total floor area. This price includes the typical hard and soft costs for the construction of the new house but does not include any land costs. An allowance is provided for finishing items such as cabinetry, flooring, plumbing fixtures, light fixtures, appliances and all other items specifically selected by the homeowner. Change to the finishes and housing design can be made but a ‘set price’ or a ‘cost plus’ arrangement will need to be established for extra costs incurred beyond the original budget.
Complete home located in Victoria
4240 Shelbourne
Arbordale home completed Master bedroom
Custom primary bedroom
The cost to build a new custom house with a set price contract is generally equal to or sometimes below the cost to purchase a new spec built home, this is because the typical profit margin that a spec builder would factor into the price of a new home is equivalent to the profit margin incorporated into the per square foot building cost. The reason for this is that there are similar risks involved with each type of house, if a builder is locked into a fixed price contract then they need to have margins for fluctuations included in that amount whether it is a custom house or spec build.
Most often the lowest price that can be achieved for a new home is through a ‘cost plus’ contract between the builder and the new homeowner. This agreement removes the risk of price fluctuations from the builder and allows them to charge a management fee at a set rate based on the overall cost of construction. The homeowner also has total control of the design, materials and finishes of the new home as the choices they make can alter the budget for the house without requiring an adjustment to the contracted amount for construction, the builder simply charges a fee on the total cost of what the homeowner wants to build. This contract does place risk on the homeowner to ensure that they are selecting materials and finishes that stay within their original budget.

Our RATES

Harbour Oak Homes uses the following rates for their cost plus contracts for new custom homes, additions and renovations it’s clients. The reason for the sliding scale approach to the construction fee is that there are typical overhead and management costs that are incurred on each project regardless of their size, the larger projects are able to have these costs absorbed into their bigger budgets.
Total construction costs under $100,000 = cost plus 17%
Total construction costs under $500,000 = cost plus 15%
Total construction costs under $900,000 = cost plus 12.5%
Total construction costs over $900,000 = cost plus 10%
Construction costs are broken out into two types, soft costs and hard costs, they are both included in the cost of construction for the ‘cost plus’ contract calculations and are typically both included in the ‘set price’ contract. Any costs for the purchase of the building lot, or financial costs incurred with carrying it until construction of the house is completed, are typically excluded from the construction costs as the homeowner needs to purchase the lot outside of the construction contract. A general description of the cost types are as follows;
Soft costs; these are costs not incurred during physical construction on site, they include design and engineering fees, new home warranty, building permit fees and service connection charges.

Hard costs; these are the costs incurred for the materials, equipment and labour required to build the new home, they include excavation and trucking, concrete, lumber, windows, doors, interior and exterior finishing materials and all labour required to install these items on site.
Beautiful kitchen area
Modern Kitchen

Warranty

Harbour Oak Homes is proud to provide 2-5-10 Year Home Warranty through Travelers Canada. Travelers Canada is a leading provider of surety products in Canada, and was the first warranty provider to enter the new home warranty market in British Columbia after new legislation to protect homeowners was introduced in 1999. Your new home will be covered for 2 years on materials and labour, 5 years for building envelope, and 10 years for structural defects. We will provide you with a warranty binder and as-built drawings with your new home, we pride ourselves on building strong relationships with our clients and will be available to resolve any issues you may have with your new home for years after you have moved in.
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