Planning guide
A house plan prices the house. On Hill Country acreage, the land adds its own line items: bringing in power, drilling and permitting a well, a septic system sized by the soil, a long driveway, and rock under the foundation. This guide covers what each one involves, with sources, so an early estimate can be read for what it does and does not include.
Updated November 1, 2026
01
NAHB's most recent Cost of Constructing a Home survey put average construction cost at $428,215 for 2024, about $162 per square foot on a 2,647-square-foot home, or 64.4 percent of the average $665,298 sales price. NAHB calls these national averages that are not a tool for pricing a particular house in a particular place. A custom home on rural Hill Country land is a different project, so treat the figure as a floor for comparison, not a quote.
02
Pedernales Electric Cooperative serves much of the Hill Country. The owner pays the full cost of extending service to the home before PEC builds it, plus fixed fees ($50 membership, $50 establishment, $200 system impact, and $500 or actual cost for a redesign). Underground service adds owner-provided trenching, conduit, and backfill. PEC publishes no per-foot rate; the cost comes from its design for your site, and PEC targets completion within 90 days after all requirements are met.
03
Groundwater districts require registration or authorization before a new well is drilled; the Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer district, for example, charges $450 for an exempt-well application. Depth drives cost, and drought matters: the Hays Trinity district was in Stage 4 emergency drought as of November 2026, and KUT reported in March 2026 that deeper replacement wells in western Hays County can exceed $75,000. Rainwater collection is the main alternative, and its equipment and installation are exempt from Texas sales tax.
04
A soil and site evaluation decides what system a lot can use. Aerobic systems, used where soils cannot treat conventional septic effluent, were 55 percent of new Texas installs in 2016 and carry an ongoing cost: a required maintenance contract with a licensed provider for at least the first two years. Permit fees vary by county; Burnet County, for example, charges $250 for most systems and $400 for aerobic.
05
Nationally, NAHB's survey averaged $43,002 for excavation, foundation, concrete, and retaining walls, and $9,635 for the driveway. Rocky Hill Country sites, slopes, and long drives through acreage can run well above those averages. Protecting the live oaks adds planning too: avoid wounding oaks from February through June and paint every wound to limit oak wilt.
06
Ask how the agreement treats allowances, builder fees, reimbursable costs, exclusions, change orders, contingency, schedule assumptions, and approvals. A budget is decision-ready when it shows what is included, what is still an allowance or estimate, which site conditions are unresolved, and who approves changes. ClearBuild discusses scope and pricing in the context of the specific property and written agreement.
Common questions
There is no reliable single number. The most recent national benchmark from NAHB is about $162 per square foot in construction cost for 2024, across all builders and home types. A Hill Country custom home adds land-specific costs such as a power line extension, a well, a septic system, and site work, so the figure for a particular property comes from its own scope and agreement.
In PEC's service area, the owner pays the full cost of the line extension before construction, plus fixed fees, and provides trenching and conduit for underground service.
Official sources do not publish a standard cost. It depends on depth and district rules. Groundwater districts require registration or authorization before drilling, and reported costs for deep replacement wells in western Hays County have exceeded $75,000.
Not by itself. The contract determines how costs, fees, allowances, approvals, and changes are handled. Review the specific agreement before relying on any pricing description.
The property location and status, any survey or site information, preliminary plans, desired scope, priorities, and a working budget range.
Sources
National figures are averages, not Hill Country quotes. Requirements change; confirm with the listed agencies for a specific property.