How Much Does It Cost to Build a Custom Home in Edmond, Oklahoma?

A real project. Real numbers. No vague estimates.

Most people underestimate what it actually costs to build a custom home in Edmond—and that mistake can cost tens of thousands of dollars.

One of the most common questions we hear from buyers in the Edmond area is: “What does it actually cost to build a custom home here?”

Most builder websites give you a wide range — “$175 to $300+ per square foot” — and leave it at that. That’s not particularly useful if you're trying to figure out whether building makes sense for your situation. In fact, price per square foot is often one of the least helpful ways to compare builders because it usually leaves out the exact things that cause projects to go over budget.

So instead of generalities, we’re going to walk through a real home we’re building right now in Edmond. We’ll share the actual contract price, break down where the money goes, and explain what’s included — and what isn’t.

If you own land in Edmond and are trying to understand what it will cost to build on it, or you're comparing building vs. buying an existing home, this post was written for you.

In this article:

• What’s Included (and What’s Not) in the Contract Price
• The Site Work Reality
• What Permits Cost in Edmond
• What the Contract Price Actually Covers
• Energy Efficiency: What HERS 47 Means for Your Utility Bill
• Build vs. Buy: An Honest Comparison for Edmond Buyers
• Why This Customer Chose to Build
• Timeline: What 7 Months Looks Like
• How Two Structures Homes Structures a Build Like This
• Finish Levels Explained
• Frequently Asked Questions

The Home We’re Building

Before we get into numbers, here’s the project:

• 2,500 sq ft | 3 bed / 2.5 bath | 2-car garage | one-story
• Customer's lot in an established Edmond neighborhood with city water and sewer
• 10-foot ceilings throughout
• 2x6 framing at 24" on center
• Post-tension foundation
• Prestige-level finishes (our highest tier)
• Expected HERS score: 47
• Contract price: $430,000+
• Timeline: 7 months, dig to completion

This is a fixed-price contract — not cost-plus. The customer signed knowing their number upfront.

What’s Included (and What’s Not) in the Contract Price

When a buyer hears “$430,000,” the first question is usually: what does that cover?

Included in the contract:

• All construction labor and materials
• Permits (~$6,000)
• Site work: foundation, grading, drainage, surveying, and termite pretreatment ($32,500)
• Plumbing ($25,000+)
• All Prestige-level interior finishes
• Energy systems designed to achieve a HERS score of 47

Not included:

• Cost of the lot
• Construction loan or financing costs
• Realtor fees (if applicable)

This is an important distinction. The $430,000 covers the build — everything from breaking ground to handing over the keys. The land is a separate transaction that happened before we were ever involved.

If you’re budgeting for a project like this, you’ll want to account for those additional line items on top of the construction contract.

The Site Work Reality

If there’s one area of home construction that consistently surprises buyers, it’s site work.

People often assume that because a lot already has city water and sewer, the site is basically “ready to go.” What they don’t account for is what it takes to prepare that land to actually build on.

On this Edmond project, site work came to $32,500. Here’s what that covers:

• Surveying — legally establishing the property lines and confirming the setbacks before anything touches the ground
• Grading and drainage — shaping the land so water flows away from the structure properly
• Termite pretreatment — applied to the soil before the slab is poured, when it’s most effective
• Foundation work — on this project, a post-tension foundation, which accounts for roughly $30,000 of that $32,500 figure

What Is a Post-Tension Foundation — and Why Does It Cost $30,000?

A post-tension foundation is a concrete slab reinforced with high-strength steel cables (called tendons) that are tensioned after the concrete cures. This adds tremendous strength to the slab, helping it resist the cracking and movement that's common in Oklahoma’s expansive clay soils.

Oklahoma soil is notoriously reactive to moisture. It swells when wet and shrinks when dry, and that movement puts stress on any slab sitting on top of it. A post-tension foundation is specifically engineered to handle that — it doesn’t just meet code, it’s built for the conditions here.

Many production builders use pier-on-grade foundations or standard footing and stem wall systems. These approaches can be more cost-efficient and meet code requirements, but they’re not always designed to address Oklahoma’s expansive clay soils long-term.

We take a different approach. On a prestige-level custom home, a post-tension foundation is engineered specifically for these conditions — and $30,000 is what it costs to do it properly.

This is the kind of cost that doesn’t show up in generic price-per-square-foot estimates — but it absolutely shows up in the long-term performance of the home.

What Permits Cost in Edmond

Permits on this project: approximately $6,000.

This surprises a lot of buyers. Many people don’t think about permits as a line item at all — they assume it’s a minor administrative fee.

In Edmond, it isn’t. Permit costs are tied to the scope and value of the project, and on a $430,000 custom home, you’re looking at roughly $6,000 to get the city’s sign-off across all the required inspections: foundation, framing, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and final.

We include permits in our contracts. Some builders quote a price that excludes permits and then add them later — which makes the initial number look lower than it actually is. We don’t do that.

What the Contract Price Actually Covers

Let’s talk about the build itself and what $430,000 is actually buying on this project.

Structural Standards

2x6 framing at 24" on center. Most production builders frame with 2x4 studs at 16" on center — it’s cheaper, and it meets code. We build with 2x6 exterior walls, which gives us more depth for insulation, a stronger wall assembly, and better long-term durability. At 24" on center spacing, we’re using advanced framing techniques that reduce thermal bridging (the places where heat escapes through the frame) without sacrificing structural integrity.

10-foot ceilings throughout. Standard production homes are 8 or 9 feet. Ten-foot ceilings change the feel of a home completely — more light, more air, more space. They also cost more to heat and cool, which is why the energy efficiency strategy on this home matters.

Post-tension foundation. Already covered above — but worth repeating: this is a structural investment that protects the home for decades.

Plumbing

Plumbing on this project came in at $25,000+. That covers all rough and finish plumbing — supply lines, drain systems, fixtures, and everything in between for a 3 bed / 2.5 bath home.

Fixed-Price vs. Cost-Plus: Why It Matters to You

We do fixed-price contracts. That means the price you sign is the price you pay — we carry the risk on cost overruns, not you. If materials cost more than we estimated, or a subcontractor comes in higher than planned, that’s our problem to solve, not yours.

The one exception is straightforward: if you decide to change something after the contract is signed — a different floor plan element, a fixture upgrade, an added feature — that change will carry an additional cost. That’s true of any builder. What fixed-price protects you from is the builder’s cost uncertainty, not changes you choose to make.

A cost-plus contract works differently: the builder charges you their actual costs plus a markup percentage. If lumber goes up, you pay more. If a subcontractor bids higher than expected, you pay more. The final number isn’t known until the project is done.

For a buyer who has never built before — which describes this particular customer — a fixed-price contract removes a significant layer of financial uncertainty. You know your number before you break ground, and that number holds unless you change the scope.

That said, fixed-price contracts require the builder to estimate accurately and manage the project tightly. We’ve been doing this long enough to do that well. Building all three types of homes — standard, semi-custom, and fully custom — means our trade relationships stay active, our subcontractors give us consistent pricing, and we’re not guessing when we put a number on paper.

Energy Efficiency: What HERS 47 Means for Your Utility Bill

The Home Energy Rating System (HERS) measures a home’s energy performance on a scale where lower is better. A code-minimum new home in Oklahoma scores around 100. A HERS 0 would be a net-zero home.

This Edmond home is expected to score a HERS 47. That’s not a marketing claim — it’s a projected score based on the actual construction specs, and it will be verified by an independent, third-party HERS rater after the home is built.

What Does That Mean for the Utility Bill?

A HERS 47 home is roughly 53% more energy efficient than a code-minimum home. For this customer, we estimate that translates to approximately $1,000+ in annual energy savings compared to what they’d pay in a standard-built home of the same size.

Over 10 years, that’s $10,000+. Over 20 years, it’s a meaningful number that starts to offset the upfront cost difference between building to minimum code and building to a higher standard.

The mechanical systems, insulation strategy, air sealing, and window selection all contribute to that number. None of it happens by accident — it’s a deliberate construction approach from the ground up.

Energy Star and OG&E Positive Energy Program

Two Structures Homes is an Energy Star Partner and a builder in the OG&E Positive Energy Program. Both programs have third-party verification requirements — meaning an independent rater (not us) confirms the home actually performs the way it was designed to perform.

This matters because plenty of builders claim energy efficiency without any third party ever checking their work. Ours gets checked.

Build vs. Buy: An Honest Comparison for Edmond Buyers

If you’re sitting on the fence between building and buying an existing home, here’s an honest take on both sides.

Where Building Wins

You get to stay in the neighborhood you want. The customer in this case study loved a specific Edmond neighborhood and wanted to be in it. There was no existing home there that fit what they needed. Building on an available lot was the only way to make that work.

You get a forever home, built to your specs. This couple had never built before. They weren’t looking for a quick flip or a starter home — they wanted to design and build the home they’d grow old in, with the finishes, layout, and performance they chose from day one.

You’re not inheriting someone else’s deferred maintenance. New construction means new roof, new HVAC, new plumbing and electrical. The energy systems are designed for current standards, not retrofitted to a 1990s floor plan.

Your home is built for Oklahoma’s climate. Post-tension foundation for the soil. 2x6 walls for insulation depth. HVAC sized correctly for the ceiling heights and envelope. These aren’t upgrades you can easily add to an existing home.

Where Buying an Existing Home Wins

Speed. A resale purchase closes in 30–60 days. A custom build is 7 months minimum from the time you break ground — and there’s typically a design and planning phase before that.

Fewer decisions. Building requires you to make hundreds of choices. Flooring, cabinets, fixtures, paint, trim profiles — all of it. Some buyers love that process. Others find it exhausting. An existing home is what it is.

Lower upfront cost in some cases. Depending on the market and what’s available, an existing home may have a lower purchase price than a comparable new build. But “lower price” doesn’t always mean lower cost — older homes often come with deferred maintenance, lower energy efficiency, and eventual renovation costs that close the gap.

The right answer depends on your priorities. For buyers who know what neighborhood they want, have a long time horizon, and care about how the home is built — custom construction is hard to beat.

Why This Customer Chose to Build

This was their first time going through the custom home process. They’d bought homes before but never built one.

What drove the decision wasn’t dissatisfaction with existing homes in general — it was that there wasn’t an existing home in the neighborhood they wanted that gave them what they needed. They’d found the neighborhood. They’d found an available lot. And they wanted to stay there.

Building was the only path to the home they wanted in the location they’d chosen.

They’re also thinking long-term. This is a forever home — not a five-year home. That changes the calculus on what it’s worth investing in. A $30,000 post-tension foundation looks different when you’re planning to live there for 30 years. A HERS 47 score paying back $1,000 per year looks different when you’re the one who’ll collect it.

If you’re in a similar position — you’ve found your neighborhood, you have or are acquiring land, and you want to build the home you’ll stay in — this kind of project is exactly what we do.

Timeline: What 7 Months Looks Like

From the day we break ground to the day the customer gets their keys, this project is scheduled at approximately 7 months. Here’s a general picture of how that time is structured:

Months 1–2: Foundation and framing
After the lot is surveyed and graded, the post-tension foundation is poured and cured. Once the slab is done, framing goes up — the 2x6 walls, roof structure, and rough openings for windows and doors.

Month 2–3: Rough mechanicals
Plumbing, HVAC ductwork, and electrical are all roughed in while the walls are open. Inspections happen at each stage.

Month 3–4: Insulation, drywall, and exterior
The building envelope gets sealed and insulated. Exterior cladding, roofing, and windows go in. This is when the home starts to look like a home.

Month 4–6: Interior finishes
Cabinets, trim, flooring, tile, fixtures, paint — this is the Prestige finish level phase, and it takes time to do it right. Selections have already been made before this stage so there are no delays waiting on decisions.

Month 6–7: Final inspections, punch list, and delivery
HVAC commissioning, HERS verification by the independent rater, city final inspection, and punch list walkthrough. Once everything is confirmed, the customer closes.

Seven months is a realistic timeline for a project like this when planning is done upfront. Delays typically come from late selections, change orders, or weather — all of which can be minimized with good preparation.

How Two Structures Homes Structures a Build Like This

A few things about how we work that are worth knowing before you reach out.

We do fixed-price contracts. Your number is locked before we break ground. We’ve already covered why that matters — but it’s worth restating: we carry the risk, not you.

We build all three types of homes. Standard, semi-custom, and fully custom. We’re not a builder who only takes $500,000+ projects. That means our trade partners — framers, plumbers, electricians, HVAC — stay busy with us consistently, which means they give us consistent pricing and show up on schedule. That benefits every customer we work with.

Third-party energy verification. We don’t self-certify our HERS scores. An independent rater does the testing and signs off on the number. That’s a meaningful distinction.

We serve the full OKC metro. Edmond, Deer Creek, Yukon, Mustang, Arcadia, and surrounding areas. If you have land in Central Oklahoma and want to build on it, we’re worth a conversation.

Finish Levels Explained: Dream, Memory, and Prestige

One of the most common questions buyers ask is: “What exactly changes when you move up a finish level?”

The answer isn’t vague. Here’s a side-by-side look at what’s different across our three series — Dream, Memory, and Prestige. All three are built on the same high-performance construction foundation: 2x6 framing, post-tension foundation, HERS-rated, Energy Star certified. What changes is the finishes, ceiling heights, and the details that make a home feel like it was built specifically for the person living in it.

The Edmond home in this post is built to Prestige — our highest tier.

What Every Series Includes

Before getting into the differences, it’s worth knowing what every Two Structures home includes regardless of series:

• Monolithic engineered post-tension foundation
• 2x6 exterior walls / 2x4 interior walls
• James Hardie cementitious siding, fascia and soffit
• Dupont Tyvek house wrap and Solar Board roof decking
• GAF Timberline HDZ lifetime shingles
• Low-E argon-filled double pane windows
• Lennox 96% high-efficiency furnace and 16 SEER2 A/C
• Tankless water heater
• Fresh air home ventilation system
• R-38 blown attic insulation / R-20 blown wall insulation with Super Seal Package
• Energy Star® certified and OG&E Positive Energy Program certified
• HERS rating on every home (average score in the 40s, third-party verified)
• Custom Shop built maple cabinets with soft-close
• Quartz or granite countertops
• Kohler plumbing fixtures and PEX Type A water supply lines
• Schluter shower systems in all tiled showers
• Full 1/2/10 year warranty structure with third-party inspection on every home

These aren’t upgrades — they’re the baseline for every home we build, on every series.

Where the Series Diverge

Ceilings and Doors

This is the most immediately noticeable difference when you walk into a home.

• Memory Series: 9-foot ceilings, 6'8" doors
• Dream Series: 9-foot ceilings, 6'8" doors
• Prestige Series: 10-foot ceilings with 8-foot doors on the first floor; 9-foot ceilings on the second floor

The Edmond home has 10-foot ceilings throughout — Prestige standard. It fundamentally changes how the space feels: more light, more volume, more presence. It also costs more to frame and condition, which is part of why the energy strategy on this home is so deliberate.

Flooring

• Memory Series: Exclusive wood-look tile in main living areas; Level 1 carpet in bedrooms
• Dream Series: Tile in main living areas; carpet with upgraded pad in bedrooms
• Prestige Series: Engineered hardwood floors in main living areas; carpet with upgraded pad in bedrooms

Engineered hardwood is real wood on the surface — it’s not a print or a laminate. It’s dimensionally stable, holds up well in Oklahoma’s humidity swings, and refinishes like solid hardwood.

Cabinets

All three series use Boxwood Custom Shop built maple cabinets. The difference is in the details:

• Memory Series: Three included cabinet styles
• Dream Series: Three included cabinet styles, soft-close throughout
• Prestige Series: Three included cabinet styles, cabinets run to the ceiling in the kitchen, soft-close throughout and hardware (pulls and knobs) included on all operating doors and drawers

Cabinets to the ceiling eliminate the gap above upper cabinets and give the kitchen a cleaner, more custom look. It’s a detail that photographs well and reads as quality immediately.

Appliances

• Memory Series: Frigidaire (standard series)
• Dream Series: Frigidaire Gallery Series
• Prestige Series: Frigidaire Professional Series

The Professional Series is a meaningful step up — heavier construction, more powerful burners, and a commercial-adjacent finish that matches the overall level of a Prestige kitchen.

Interior Paint and Trim

• Memory Series: 3 interior Sherwin Williams colors; standard baseboard; door casing only
• Dream Series: 5 interior Sherwin Williams colors; standard baseboard; door casing
• Prestige Series: 5 interior Sherwin Williams colors; 6-inch baseboard; door casing plus window casing in living room, dining room, office, and primary bedroom

Trim details like 6-inch baseboards and window casing are the kind of thing buyers can’t always name but notice the moment they walk into a room. They’re what separates “finished” from “done right.”

Head Knocker (Decorative Detail Above Bathroom Mirror)

• Memory Series: Primary bathroom only
• Dream Series: All bathroom
• Prestige Series: All bathrooms

Garage Doors

• Memory Series: 7-foot tall doors
• Dream Series: LiftMaster opener with MyQ technology (standard height)
• Prestige Series: 8-foot tall doors with LiftMaster MyQ opener

An 8-foot door is proportionally correct for a home with 10-foot ceilings and fits larger trucks and SUVs with ease.

Gutters and Landscaping

• Memory Series: Partial gutters; up to 5,000 sq ft sod & $1,000 landscape budget
• Dream Series: Full wrap gutters; up to 5,000 sq ft sod for standard lots, 6,500 sq ft for corner lots and acreages & $1,500 landscape budget
• Prestige Series: Full wrap gutters; $2,500 landscape budget; 4-zone sprinkler system

In Oklahoma’s weather, partial gutter coverage leaves sections of the roofline exposed during heavy rain. Full wrap means every edge is protected.

Which Series Is Right for Your Project?

Memory Series is our starting point — and “starting point” here still means a high-performance, Energy Star certified home with post-tension foundation, 2x6 framing, and a HERS score in the 40s. Every home we build starts at that structural standard. The Memory Series delivers that at an accessible price point with a clean, functional finish package.

Dream Series is the next step up — a move forward in appliances, flooring, and detail. Frigidaire Gallery appliances, upgraded carpet pad, and a finish level that suits buyers who want more than the baseline without going to the full Prestige package.

Prestige Series is the complete package: 10-foot ceilings with 8-foot doors, engineered hardwood floors, Frigidaire Professional Series appliances, full trim detail, full wrap gutters with a 4-zone sprinkler system, and our highest finish level across every room. That’s what the Edmond home in this post is — $430,000+ for 2,500 sq ft, built to stay for decades.

If you’re not sure which series fits your budget and goals, that’s the right question to bring to a conversation with us.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the $430,000 price include the lot?

No. The contract price covers all construction costs — labor, materials, permits, site work, plumbing, and finishes. The customer’s lot was a separate purchase before the build began. If you’re still acquiring land, that cost needs to be budgeted separately.

What is a post-tension foundation and why does it cost $30,000?

A post-tension foundation is a reinforced concrete slab with steel cables (tendons) run through it and tensioned after the concrete sets. This makes the slab significantly stronger and more resistant to cracking from soil movement — which is a real concern in Oklahoma’s expansive clay soil. The $30,000 price on this Edmond project reflects the materials, engineering, and labor required to do it correctly. It’s one of the most important structural investments in a home built here.

How long does it take to build a 2,500 sq ft custom home in Edmond?

On this project, approximately 7 months from the first day of ground breaking to completion. The timeline assumes selections are finalized before construction begins and no major change orders during the build. Projects that go longer usually do so because of late decisions or design changes mid-build.

What is a HERS score and why does it matter?

HERS stands for Home Energy Rating System. It measures a home’s overall energy performance — lower scores mean better efficiency. A standard code-built home scores around 100. This Edmond home is projected to score 47, meaning it uses roughly half the energy of a code-minimum home. For this customer, that translates to an estimated $1,000+ per year in savings. The score is verified by an independent third-party rater — it’s not a number we assign ourselves.

What’s the difference between a fixed-price and a cost-plus home build?

A fixed-price contract means you and the builder agree on a price before construction begins, and that price doesn’t change due to the builder’s cost fluctuations — if materials or labor cost more than estimated, that’s the builder’s problem, not yours. A cost-plus contract works the opposite way: you pay actual costs plus a markup, so the final number isn’t known until the project is done. We do fixed-price contracts. The one thing to understand: if you decide to change something after signing — an upgrade, a layout adjustment, a different fixture — that buyer-initiated change will carry an additional cost. Fixed-price protects you from the builder’s uncertainty; it doesn’t cover changes you choose to make. The customer in this post signed at $430,000+ and knew their number before we broke ground.

What does “build on your own lot” mean — and can I do it in Edmond?

“Build on your lot” means you already own (or are purchasing) land, and you hire a builder to construct the home on that land. The Edmond project described in this post is exactly that — the customer owned their lot in an established neighborhood, and we’re building their custom home on it. If you have land in Edmond or the surrounding area and want to understand what it would cost to build, the specifics in this post are a useful starting point.

Two Structures Homes builds semi-custom and fully custom homes across the Oklahoma City metro — including Edmond, Deer Creek, Yukon, Mustang, and Arcadia. We are an Energy Star Partner and OG&E Positive Energy Program builder. Our homes typically achieve HERS scores of 40–50, verified by independent third-party raters.

If you're considering building on your land in Edmond or anywhere in the Oklahoma City metro, call or text us with your questions—we’ll help you understand the real numbers before you get too far down the road. Contact Two Structures Homes or call (405) 509-9435 to start the conversation.