Why No Builder Has a Magic Calculator (And What You Actually Need Instead)
You’ve got ideas. Maybe even a few Pinterest boards, a rough floor plan, and a vision of that walk-in closet that could house a small family.
So naturally, you fire off the question:
“How much will this cost?”
Totally fair. But here’s the truth no builder can or should tell you in the first email…
It depends. A lot. On things you haven’t even thought of yet.
We’ve been where you are; excited, hopeful, and absolutely clueless.
Been There, Done That… and Yep, We Asked for a Ballpark, Too
Before we ever built homes for other people, we tried it for ourselves.
We bought land. Dreamed big. Hired someone to do the construction drawings and even got them stamped by an engineer.
Then hit that dreaded moment: “How much will this cost? Can we actually afford this?”
So we did what you’re probably doing… Googled “Saskatoon custom home builders,” e- mailed a few with our shiny new plans, and said, “Can you give us a quote?”
And they responded exactly like we do now: “We need more info.”
However, we did have one builder give us a quote, but knowing what we know now, it was all based off assumptions and was way lower than the actual cost of our home.
Whether it was a hook and bait tactic is irrelevant; the lesson learned is that you shouldn’t be so quick to start construction without absolutely every single detail finalized and priced.
Now we know better. And that’s the message we could scream from the rooftops to anyone thinking of building a custom home: DO NOT start construction until you have all 500 selections chosen along with elevation drawings, 3D tours and the cladded fixed price.
Why a Floor Plan Is Just the Skeleton (Not the Whole Body)
That drawing in your inbox? It’s a great start. But it’s like asking someone to price out a car based on a rough sketch that might be a Honda… or a Bentley.
Here’s what the plans don’t tell us:
- Is the shower tiled floor-to-ceiling, or is it a tub insert?
- Are we talking IKEA cabinets or custom walnut to the ceiling?
- Basic black hardware… or $180-a-pop Emtek door hardware?
- Budget-friendly vinyl, or artisan hardwood flown in from a tiny Scandinavian forest?
Every little choice has a ripple effect on materials, timelines, trades, and cost.
“We Just Want Something Basic” – Famous Last Words
Every client says it. Heck, we said it:
“We’re not high-maintenance. We just want something mid-range.”
Then came the steel stringer staircase. The butler’s pantry. The hardwood that cost more per square foot than our first car.
Custom homes are emotional. Once you see what’s possible, “basic” starts looking… well, basic.
And what’s considered “mid-range” for you might be a splurge (or a downgrade) to someone else.
There is no universal definition of basic. So there’s no universal price tag either.
Custom Pricing is Like Diagnosing a Mystery Illness
Imagine walking into a doctor’s office and saying:
“Can you give me a treatment plan? I don’t know what’s wrong, but I Googled a rash on my arm.”
They’d run tests first; bloodwork, scans, pokes, prods. Then they’d tell you what’s up.
Same thing here. You can’t price a custom home off a drawing and a Pinterest board. You need data. Decisions. Process.
So What Do You Actually Need in Order to Find Out How Much Your Custom Home Will Cost??
If you’re serious about building your dream home, and not just daydreaming, here’s the real path forward:
Our 3-Step System:
1. Concept Phase (What COULD your home look like and what COULD it cost) – We dig into your lifestyle, needs, wants, deal-breakers and budget and present you with a rough floor plan from scratch, a mood board and a rough budget – ultimately your feasibility study.
2. Design Phase (What WILL your home look like and what WILL it cost) –
Selections, renderings, floor plans… oh my. Designing a home takes over 500 hours, but that’s why you hire us to do it. We do the heavy lifting with drawings, elevations, selections, renderings, 3D tours, and top it off with an actual price. No surprises.
3. Construction Phase – You get timelines, progress reports, and the joy of watching it all come to life without us constantly calling you to provide emergency answers on how thick you want your grout lines and where we should put backing – because all of those fine details were answered in the design phase.
Design Is an Investment (And It Pays Off)
We start small on purpose. That Concept Phase? It’s like dipping your toe in the pool before the full plunge.
No budget blowouts. No ghosting builders. No guessing games.
Just clarity, confidence, and a team that cares even more than you probably do about
getting it right.
So, What's the Takeaway?
No builder can give you a real quote without a real design.
If someone’s ballparking from a sketch, they’re either guessing… or setting you up for disappointment later.
Want a fixed price that actually sticks?
Start with design. Build with zero assumptions. Finish with your sanity (and wallet)
intact.
Grab your Free eBook:
“7 Things to Know Before Building Your Custom Home”
Because the more you know, the less chance you’ll cry into your wine over surprise
costs.
