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.

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 a HERS 47 Rating Means
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 the contract price for the defined scope 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.

Expansive clay soils are common in parts of Oklahoma. As moisture conditions change, these soils can swell and shrink, creating movement that a foundation must be engineered to accommodate. A post-tension foundation uses tensioned steel tendons to help the slab resist stresses associated with movement and support the structural design of the home.

We take a different approach. Every Two Structures home we build includes an engineered post-tension foundation, regardless of the series or price point. On this particular Edmond project, the foundation costs approximately $30,000 and is engineered specifically for the home and site conditions. If you'd like to understand the reasoning behind this construction standard, read Why Two Structures Homes Uses Post-Tension Foundations.

This is the kind of cost that doesn’t show up in generic price-per-square-foot estimates—but it absolutely matters when understanding the real cost of building a custom home.

Trying to Budget a Build on Your Land in Edmond?

Site work, foundation type, drainage, utilities, and what’s actually included in the builder’s price can significantly affect the cost of building on your land.

If you want help evaluating your lot and talking through real numbers, contact Two Structures Homes or call or text us at 405-509-9435.

What Permits Cost in Edmond

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.

On this particular Edmond project, permits total approximately $6,000. Permit costs vary by project, so we include the applicable permit costs when we establish the construction budget rather than treating them as an afterthought.

We include permits in our contracts. When comparing builder proposals, it’s important to confirm whether permit costs are included in the quoted price or listed separately.

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. We build with 2x6 exterior walls, which provide additional cavity depth for insulation. On this home, the 24" on-center layout is part of an advanced framing approach that can reduce the amount of framing material in the exterior wall and create more space for insulation while meeting the home’s structural design requirements.

10-foot ceilings throughout. Ten-foot ceilings create more volume and can make the interior feel more open. They also increase the volume of conditioned space, which is one reason the energy-efficiency strategy on this home matters.

Post-tension foundation. Already covered above — but worth repeating: this engineered foundation system is a standard structural feature on every Two Structures home.

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 use fixed-price contracts. If you're comparing contract structures, we explain the differences in our guide to fixed-price vs. cost-plus construction contracts. With a fixed-price contract, the price is established upfront for the agreed scope of work. If material costs increase, labor pricing changes, or a subcontractor costs more than we estimated within that defined scope, we absorb those increases rather than passing them on to you.

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 a HERS 47 Rating Means

The Home Energy Rating System (HERS) measures a home’s energy performance using the HERS Index, where a lower score indicates better energy performance. A HERS Index score of 100 represents the HERS Reference Home, while a HERS Index score of 0 represents a net-zero energy 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 specifications, and the completed home will be tested and verified by an independent, third-party HERS rater.

What Does That Mean for Energy Performance?

A HERS Index of 47 indicates substantially lower modeled energy use than the HERS Reference Home. Because actual utility bills depend on factors such as weather, thermostat settings, occupancy, and energy prices, we do not treat the HERS Index as a guarantee of a specific monthly or annual utility bill.

What the rating does provide is a standardized, third-party way to evaluate the home’s modeled energy performance and verify that the efficiency features were installed and tested as intended.

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. The same is true of investing in a high-performance building envelope, efficient mechanical systems, and third-party energy verification.

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 use fixed-price contracts. The contract price is established before we break ground for the agreed scope of work, plans, and specifications. Within that defined scope, we absorb ordinary material, labor, and subcontractor cost increases rather than passing them on to the customer. Buyer-requested changes, contract exclusions, and other items addressed by the contract can still affect the final price.

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. The HERS Index compares a rated home’s modeled energy performance with the standardized HERS Reference Home. A score of 100 represents the HERS Reference Home, while lower scores indicate lower modeled energy use. This Edmond home is projected to score 47. The completed home will be tested and verified by an independent, third-party HERS 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 establishes a defined price before construction begins for the agreed scope of work, plans, and specifications. Within that defined scope, ordinary increases in material, labor, or subcontractor costs are generally absorbed by the builder rather than passed on to the customer. A cost-plus contract works differently: the homeowner pays the actual cost of construction plus the builder’s agreed fee, so the final price can change as actual costs change. We use fixed-price contracts. Buyer-requested changes, contract exclusions, allowances, and other items addressed by the contract can still affect the final price. The customer in this post signed at $430,000+ and knew the contract price 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.