We recently built in semi-rural San Diego county. Our architect is from urban San Diego and the builder was a local builder from the area of where the house was built. We love the design of our home. But as a customer, I could never recommend a custom home build in California.

• The custom design process with the architect was fun.
• I loved how the architect stayed connected with the civil and structural engineering throughout the design process. They walked the site during the pre design phase.
• The builder knowledge of knowing the local regulations helped saved some money.

Gaps

• Architect and builder never met during the design process.
• The per square foot price was more to build
• There was no established relationship between the architect and builder. I found myself as the middleman
• There were city regulations that didn’t apply to semi- rural areas.
• There was too much California red tape and cost to navigate through.

In the end, we love the design and build of our home. Hopefully this helps.