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Completed ground-up custom home built by Elusive Construction in San Jose

Our Lead Trade

Ground-Up Home Construction

Building a house from raw land is a different job than remodeling one. It's the work we're built around — and the work we'd rather be doing.

Book a Project Discovery Call Call (408) 597-2733
  • Licensed CA General B #1112902
  • Fully Insured
  • Santa Clara & San Mateo Counties
Home  /  Services  /  Ground-Up Home Construction

One contract, from dirt to final inspection

A ground-up build has more moving parts than any remodel: site work, utilities, foundation, framing, three or four inspection cycles, and a finish schedule that has to land in the right order or it costs you twice. We carry all of it under one contract, so there's one company accountable when something needs a decision.

We're a builder, not a design firm. If you already have plans and an engineer, we price and build from them. If you don't yet, we'll tell you honestly what you need and point you at someone good — that's a better outcome than us pretending to be architects.

Scope

What's in a ground-up build

Feasibility & site review

Before anything is drawn, what the lot will actually allow — access, utilities, slope, soils and setbacks.

Permits & plan check

We carry the submittal and the corrections. Plan check comments are normal; chasing them is our job, not yours.

Site work & foundation

Grading, utility trenching, forms and foundation, with special inspections scheduled where the engineer calls for them.

Framing & dry-in

Structure, sheathing, weather barrier, windows and roof — getting the building watertight before anything finish-grade goes in.

Systems rough-in

Electrical, plumbing and mechanical roughed and inspected before the walls close.

Finish & walkthrough

Interior finish, exterior, punch list, and a walkthrough that isn't over until you say it is.

Common Questions

Straight answers

Do I need plans before you can price a new home?
Yes — for a real number. A ground-up build can't be priced honestly from a conversation. If you don't have plans yet, book a discovery call anyway; we'll tell you what you need and roughly what the build is likely to run so you're not designing something you can't afford to build.
How long does a ground-up home take?
Longer than most people are told. Permitting alone can run months before a shovel moves, and it varies by city. We'll give you a realistic schedule at proposal, not an optimistic one — a schedule you can't hit isn't a selling point, it's a future argument.
Do you do the roof?
No. We hold a General B license, not a C-39 roofing license, so we don't quote or self-perform roofing. We bring in a licensed roofer and sequence them so the roof lands before interior finish.
Are you licensed, bonded and insured?
Yes — California General Building (B) license #1112902, a $25,000 contractor bond, and an active workers' compensation policy with The Hartford. Verify the license on the CSLB registry. Certificates of insurance are available on request.
Do you handle the design?
We build your vision — we're not designing the place with you. If you already have plans, we price and build from them. If you need real design work, you need a designer, and we'll say so up front rather than three weeks in.
How do allowances work?
An allowance covers work nobody can honestly price until something is opened up. Those are billed at actual cost, and whatever isn't spent comes off your final invoice. We'd rather show you the unknowns than bury them in a padded fixed price.

Service Area

Where we build

Permit process, plan check and utility requirements change at every city line. Each page covers what's actually true where you're building.

Tell us about your project

Book a 30-minute discovery call and we'll tell you what's realistic — scope, budget and timeline — whether or not we're the right builder for it.

Book a Project Discovery Call Call (408) 597-2733