Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Building On Your Lot

Lot Cost + Finishing Expenses (site work) + House Cost = Price

The price we provide to you includes the cost of the land itself, the expenses required to prepare the land for your new home, and the actual cost of the house, structural options, and design options you may choose. Site work expenses include items such as storm water management, engineering, permitting, water & sewer, site controls (construction entrance), sediment and erosion controls, and driveway.

Percolation testing is not included. Perc tests calculate the rate at which the soil is able to absorb liquid waste. A perc test shows if the lot is buildable. If the rate is poor, we are unable to dig holes or trenches. An alternate system may correct a negative perc test, however it is an additional cost. It is the responsibility of the seller or buyer of the lot to perform the perc test.

We do not provide ballpark or price-per-square-foot pricing. Instead, we provide specific pricing that is more accurate and helpful for you to make the best decision for your new home! We do more work on the front end to provide a complete estimate, whereas other builders may only disclose a fraction of the overall cost to build your home on your land.

You can expect to receive pricing within 3 business days of an informational phone call, which you can schedule with our Online Advisor by calling 877-954-0101, provided we get most of the information we need during the call.

You do not have to own land or have a contract on it to get pricing. If you are still looking for land, our team can guide you in the right direction to find a property. We recommend searching for lots and land on your own. The property needs to be zoned as residential. Drive by the lots on your own to see if the property matches your expectations. Consider the yard, surroundings, driveway length, tree density, location, etc. We also have relationships with local Realtors to promote lots that are viable for construction.

Availability of the On Your Lot program is dependent on a number of factors including proximity to a Keystone Custom Homes community and the accessibility of our trade partners in that area. In general, the On Your Lot program is available within 20 minutes of most of our existing communities with some exceptions. Speak with our team if you have any questions about your desired area.

*Our On Your Lot program is currently only available in PA and MD. 

The timeline for On Your Lot is broken down into 3 stages, roughly 120 days each. Keep in mind that this timeline can vary depending on a number of variables outside of our control including location, government permitting, weather, etc. For more detailed information about a specific location please schedule an appointment with one of our On Your Lot specialists. 

Stage 1:

• Feasibility, Mechanical & Structural Meeting for Home
• Appraisal
• Lot & Loan Settlement

Stage 2:

• Drafting
• Permitting

Stage 3:

• Construction

Financing for the On Your Lot program is through a Construction to Permanent Loan. There are two transactions that occur – one on land and one on the home. Both transactions are then combined into 1 settlement and 1 loan package. Settlement on the loan occurs at settlement of the lot, meaning, you take possession of the property at settlement and you establish the construction loan at the same time.

We use a list of approved, preferred lenders who specialize in partnering with our clients for this type of loan.

Building On Your Lot provides maximum flexibility and minimum restrictions! Our team can help determine the feasibility of your specific desires, such as having a pool, pole barn, or detached garage on the property. We do not offer pools, pole barns, or detached garages as part of our construction, but you may be able to have the cost included in your mortgage. We can include this in the plans for your home and you can build through another vendor when the home is complete. 

Benefits of Building On Your Lot

• Larger property, if desired
• Avoid HOA restrictions
• Separate pole barn or detached garage
• Park work truck or trailer onsite
• Large garden
• Board & breed animals
• Additional privacy
• Prestige
• Investment
• Security & safety
• Convenience

We require that all customers start with one of our floorplans. We require this because all our homes come with a 20-year structural warranty and we cannot warrant a home our team did not engineer. This also helps to control overall costs, efficiency, and familiarity for our team and trade partners.

There are different methods to customize your base plan depending on the level of customization you’re looking for! Personal Choice Requests are available through your assigned Designer or you may elect to pay for Design Time with our Drafting Team.

We have many opportunities to work with Realtors! Schedule an informational session with our On Your Lot team to discuss working with one of our local New Home Advisors to turn your lot listing into a house listing. Partnering with Keystone gives you more exposure and more contacts!