The 2027 Build Calendar
Want to be in your dream home by summer 2028? Design starts this fall.
A custom home runs about two years from first conversation to keys. Six months of design, a month of permitting and bidding, twelve to fourteen months of build. Work backward from 2028 and the deadline lands on right now.
The math
When you start decides what year you move in.
| Design starts | You move in |
|---|---|
| October 2026 | Summer 2028 |
| January 2027 | Fall 2028 |
| April 2027 | 2029 |
| Summer 2027 | 2029 |
That third row is the one that costs people a year. A couple who calls in April thinking they are getting an early jump on 2027 has already lost 2028 — because the plans will not be finished in time to break ground before the ground freezes.
The calendar
Today to keys, in five phases.
Design agreement & schematic
Site plan, floor plans, exterior concepts. We pressure-test the lot and the budget before anyone falls in love with a drawing. The site plan is included in the design agreement.
Plans, engineering, selections
Layout locks. Structure and systems get laid in. Finish selections run alongside so nothing holds up the permit. Full construction set goes to the county.
Permit & bidding
County review runs while subs bid the finished set. Your price is fixed before a shovel moves — that is the whole reason the set has to be complete.
Break ground & build
Foundation in early summer, dried in before the snow, interior finish all winter. I am involved in every phase, so I am on your job through the whole finish stretch.
You get the keys
Roughly 21 months after you sign the design agreement.
The one-way door
Why April is too late.
You cannot put a foundation in frozen ground. In Teton Valley and across Eastern Idaho that means excavation and foundation work run roughly May through October. That is the whole year’s window.
So plans that are not finished by April do not mean breaking ground in May instead of June. They mean waiting out a winter and breaking ground the following spring. A four-week slip in design becomes a nine-month slip in your move-in date.
Every month you wait doesn’t cost you a month. It costs you a season.
That is not a sales line. It is the frost line. It is the single reason custom home timelines in this valley are decided in the fall and not in the spring.
What it costs
Straight numbers, before you ask.
Custom homes on the Teton Valley and Idaho side start at $450 per square foot and go up. That is construction cost against conditioned square footage — no garage or covered-porch padding to make the number look better than it is.
A worked example: a 2,000 square foot home lands around $900K in construction cost, roughly $1.2M all-in once you add site work, permits, architecture, landscape and furnishings. Most projects here run between $1M and $5M.
Jackson Hole and the Wyoming side of the pass are their own market and start at $1,000 per square foot and go up, on the same basis.
The design agreement carries a fixed design fee, starting at $25,000 and quoted per project. Your build price is fixed once design locks. I do not give project budgets outside a signed design agreement, because nobody can honestly price a house that does not exist yet — producing that number is what the design phase is for.
Who this is for
A 2027 design start is right for you if…
- You own a lot, or you are under contract on one, in Teton Valley or Eastern Idaho.
- Your project sits somewhere in the $1M to $5M range.
- Summer or fall 2028 is a date that actually means something to you.
- You are ready to commit to design this fall rather than keep researching through the winter.
If you are still two or three years out, that is a completely fine answer — bookmark this page and come back. The calendar works the same way every year.
Timelines above assume a lot with sorted access and power, financing lined up by the construction-document phase, and no owner-driven design changes after plans lock — which is the number one cause of delay on custom homes, ahead of subs and materials. Teton County review times vary, so the calendar carries a buffer.
Questions
The ones everybody asks.
How long does it take to build a custom home in Teton Valley?
About two years from the first conversation to the day you get keys. Roughly six months of design, one month of permitting and bidding, and twelve to fourteen months of construction. The build alone is twelve to fourteen months; the part people underestimate is the design and permitting in front of it.
When do I need to start design to move in by 2028?
This fall. A design agreement signed in October or November 2026 puts finished plans in the county by April 2027, breaks ground in June 2027, and hands you keys in summer 2028. Starting in January still works for a fall 2028 move-in. Starting in April 2027 pushes you to 2029.
Why can’t you break ground in the winter in Idaho?
Excavation and foundation work need workable, unfrozen ground. In Teton Valley that window runs roughly May through October. Miss it and the project waits for the ground to thaw the following spring, which is why a short delay in design turns into a long delay in move-in.
Do I need to own a lot before I start design?
Not necessarily. Design and lot search can run at the same time, and having a builder involved while you are still looking usually saves money, because site costs vary enormously between lots. You do need the lot settled before construction documents finish.
What does the design agreement include?
Site plan, floor plans, exterior concepts, engineering coordination, finish selections and the full construction document set the county and the subs both work from. It carries a fixed design fee, starting at $25,000 and quoted per project. It is also where your real project budget gets produced.
How much does a custom home cost per square foot in Teton Valley?
Starts at $450 per square foot and goes up, measured as construction cost against conditioned square footage. A 2,000 square foot home lands near $900K in construction cost and roughly $1.2M all-in. The Wyoming side of the pass starts at $1,000 per square foot and goes up.
Can the timeline be compressed?
Somewhat, and it costs you. Compressing design means decisions made with less information, which shows up later as change orders. Compressing construction means overtime and premium scheduling. The honest answer is that the calendar is mostly set by weather and county review, and neither negotiates.
What happens if I start in spring instead of fall?
Plans finish in late summer or fall 2027, too late to get a foundation in before the ground freezes. Construction starts spring 2028 instead, and move-in lands in 2029. You lose a full building season rather than a few weeks.
Get on the calendar
Tell me about your project.
I read every inquiry myself and reply within one business day. On the call we cover your lot, your rough budget and what you actually want to build — and I tell you straight whether summer 2028 is still doable or whether we are talking about 2029.
Prefer to talk first? Call or text (208) 520-0636, or email swagerbuilds@gmail.com.
Bryce Swager
Owner & Lead Builder, SwagerBuilds
Teton Valley & Eastern Idaho
Idaho Contractor Registration RCE-57499