Costs and loans
What it takes to get a lot ready, what a new home costs to own, and how people pay to build.
How to hook up to city water and sewer near Raleigh and in Johnston County
The steps, offices and rules for connecting a new home to public water and sewer in six Wake towns and Johnston County's system, with Raleigh's 2026–27 connection fees and Johnston County's new monthly rates.
How to get electricity to an empty lot in the Triangle, and who pays for the line
How to find out which utility serves your lot, how to apply for new service, and what two local co-ops' posted rules say about line-extension costs.
What property tax will you pay on a new home in the Triangle?
How January 1 sets your tax, this year's county, town and fire rates in Wake, Johnston, Chatham and Durham, last year's county rate in Franklin, and when each county plans to reassess values.
Buying land taxed at present-use value? What rollback taxes mean for you
How North Carolina's farm and forest tax deferral works, what comes due when you buy or build, who usually pays, and how to check a parcel first.
How Much Does It Cost to Build a Custom Home in the NC Triangle? (2026)
Updated September 2026: published pricing on our 21 priced plans runs $283,000 to just over $1 million. The full price list, what’s included, and what moves the number.
How Do You Finance a Custom Home Build?
Most clients finance a custom build with a construction-to-permanent loan — one loan for the lot and the build, interest-only on what’s drawn, often little or nothing down. Here’s how construction financing works.
Cost-Plus vs. All-In: Why a Lower Markup Doesn’t Mean a Lower Price
Most custom builders quote cost-plus, which pushes you to compare the markup percentage instead of the total. Here’s why a lower percentage can still cost you more, and how all-in pricing works.
The Triangle Building Report
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