01Current cost context
What does it cost to build in Dripping Springs?
Current planning ranges, scope assumptions, site-cost drivers, and the questions a square-foot number cannot answer.
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Custom Home Field Notes for the Texas Hill Country
Practical guidance on Hill Country land, custom home design, pricing, materials, financing, permitting, and construction.
Start here
Planning guides for the decisions that come first.
Use these guides to pressure-test the lot, budget, approvals, project team, and floor plan before expensive choices become hard to change.
02Lot walk checklist
Read the land before you buy it.
Walk access, slope, drainage, utilities, septic, trees, restrictions, site work, and buildability with a builder.
Read guide03Permits and approvals
Start with the parcel, not the mailing address.
A source-reviewed starting point for city, county, ETJ, wastewater, access, trade, and private-review questions.
Read guide04Casitas and ADUs
Plan the guest house as part of the property.
Compare use, privacy, access, utilities, wastewater, placement, and the relationship to the main home.
Read guide05Site planning
Place the house before finalizing the floor plan.
Let access, sun, views, drainage, utilities, outdoor rooms, and future buildings shape the plan early.
Read guide06Project team
Know what the architect and builder each own.
Understand the handoffs, shared decisions, and early coordination that keep design and construction aligned.
Read guide07Hill Country modern
Blend clean design with the character of the land.
Use form, shade, materials, views, and restraint to make a modern home feel grounded in the Hill Country.
Read guide08Primary suite planning
Design the suite around daily routines.
Plan privacy, storage, light, acoustics, bathroom flow, comfort, and changing mobility needs together.
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Can You Build a Pool Near a Septic System in Texas?
Yes, if the pool stays outside the separation distances in TCEQ’s septic rules. Plan it with the house, septic design, utilities, and equipment access so the space is protected.…
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Do You Need a Permit to Drill a Well in Hays County?
In western Hays County, a new household well usually needs a registration rather than an operating permit. See how the groundwater district, septic rules, and site plan fit.…
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Where Should the House Sit on a Sloped Hill Country Lot?
Place the house where slope, access, drainage, utilities, views, outdoor living, and future plans work together before the floor plan is fixed.…
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How to Plan a Custom Home Around Valuable Oak Trees
Plan the home, driveway, utilities, drainage, and construction access around the oak trees that matter before the site layout becomes difficult to change.…
Read field note →Plan the Driveway for Construction and Move-In Day
Plan the driveway around construction access, drainage, slope, garage alignment, daily use, and future phases before the home and site plan are fixed.…
Read field note →What a Custom Home Preconstruction Agreement Should Accomplish
A useful preconstruction agreement connects the property, design, scope, and budget before construction while making responsibilities and next steps clear.…
Read field note →Why the Site Plan Should Come Before the Final Floor Plan
An early site plan tests how the home, driveway, drainage, utilities, outdoor spaces, and future structures work together before the floor plan is locked.…
Read field note →What a Builder Checks Before You Buy a Hill Country Lot
Walk a Hill Country lot with a builder before closing to review access, slope, drainage, utilities, septic, trees, restrictions, site work, and buildability.…
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Planning a Hill Country Shop, Garage, or Work Building
Plan a Hill Country shop, garage, or work building around access, utilities, storage, site drainage, future use, and a scope that fits the main property.…
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Planning a Hill Country Casita, Guest House, or ADU
See how to plan a Hill Country casita, guest house, or ADU for family, guests, or flexible use, with practical notes on siting, utilities, and privacy.…
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