Key findings. Local builders’ published 2026 prices for a mid-tier custom home in ten Northwest cities run from about $250 to $700 per square foot before land. Bend, Seattle, Tacoma and Vancouver sit at the top of the range. Spokane, Boise and Missoula are the least expensive. On our assumptions (a 2,500 sq ft home, an 80% loan and current published rates), the estimated permanent mortgage payment ranges from about $4,640 a month in Spokane to $10,358 in Seattle.
This report compares four costs that decide what a custom home really costs to finance: the construction price per square foot, one-time local impact fees and utility hookups, what the land is worth, and the monthly loan payment during and after the build. Every number links to its source. Where we couldn't find a reliable published figure, we left the cell out and say so.
The ten cities are the ten largest Northwest cities (by 2020 Census population) that have a Custom Home Quote cost guide: Seattle, Portland, Boise, Spokane, Tacoma, Vancouver, Eugene, Bend, Missoula and Marysville.
The 10-city comparison
| City | Entry tier ($/sq ft) | Mid tier ($/sq ft) | Upper tier ($/sq ft) | Lot value, quarter acre (county, 2022) | Est. interest-only payment during build (full draw) | Est. permanent payment (30-yr fixed) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle, WA | $350–$450 | $450–$600 | $500–$750+ | $598,300 (King County) | $10,193/mo | $10,358/mo |
| Portland, OR | $350 | $350–$600 | $700+ | $337,200 (Multnomah County) | $8,133/mo | $8,265/mo |
| Boise, ID | $225 | $250–$350 | $450+ | $232,500 (Ada County) | $5,240/mo | $5,325/mo |
| Spokane, WA | $215–$260 | $260–$340 | $340–$450 | $106,200 (Spokane County) | $4,567/mo | $4,640/mo |
| Tacoma, WA | $350 | $350–$700 | $800+ | $230,300 (Pierce County) | $8,227/mo | $8,360/mo |
| Vancouver, WA | Not published | $400–$700 | $700+ | $210,900 (Clark County) | $8,460/mo | $8,597/mo |
| Eugene, OR | $300–$325 | $325–$425 | $425–$550+ | $139,200 (Lane County) | $5,740/mo | $5,833/mo |
| Bend, OR | $375–$450 | $475–$650 | $700–$1,200+ | $256,700 (Deschutes County) | $8,867/mo | $9,010/mo |
| Missoula, MT | $250 | $250–$350 | up to $450 | $166,100 (Missoula County) | $4,887/mo | $4,966/mo |
| Marysville, WA | $250–$300 | $300–$375 | $400–$600+ | $369,100 (Snohomish County) | $6,467/mo | $6,571/mo |
Tiers are each source’s own published 2026 bands for construction only, land excluded. Lot values are FHFA’s standardized quarter-acre land values for the county, latest year 2022. Payments assume a 2,500 sq ft home built at the mid-tier midpoint on a lot of the FHFA value, an 80% loan, an 8.00% construction rate (an assumption) and 7.18% for the 30-year fixed. See the methodology below.
Construction cost per square foot
These are builder-published planning ranges, not bids or transaction data. Builders define their tiers differently, so treat the table as a starting point and compare written bids for your plans and lot.
- Bend: The highest mid tier in the set, at $475–$650, with luxury builds at $700–$1,200+.
- Seattle and Tacoma: $450–$600 (Seattle) and $350–$700 (Tacoma/South Sound), with architect-designed and waterfront homes higher.
- Vancouver: The two Clark County builders we found publish $400–$700 for well-appointed or luxury custom homes. We found no comparable published figure for a simpler custom home there, so we left the entry tier blank.
- Portland: Most custom homes land at $350–$600, and luxury builds exceed $700.
- Eugene and Marysville: Mid tiers of $325–$425 and $300–$375.
- Spokane, Boise and Missoula: The lowest mid tiers, at roughly $250–$350.
Sources, by city:
- Seattle, WA: ENF Company; Coates Design
- Portland, OR: Rupp Family Builders
- Boise, ID: Maybon Homes; Boise Construction Co
- Spokane, WA: Mathis Construction
- Tacoma, WA: Fox & Dahlia Homes
- Vancouver, WA: Renew Design+Build; Affinity Homes
- Eugene, OR: Schar Construction
- Bend, OR: Select Design & Build
- Missoula, MT: Falksway Construction; JMartin Construction
- Marysville, WA: Sherman General Contracting
Impact fees, SDCs and utility hookups
New homes pay one-time charges for roads, parks, schools, water and sewer. They vary more between cities than most buyers expect: from about $2,500 in Missoula to more than $26,000 in Bend and Seattle. Portland currently waives its system development charges (SDCs) for qualifying new homes permitted through September 30, 2028.
| City | One-time impact fees, SDCs and hookups for a ~2,500 sq ft home | Official source |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle, WA | $28,338: water tap and water/sewer SDCs $14,300, plus the King County sewer capacity charge of $77.99 a month for 15 years ($14,038) | SPU charge menu (1/1/26); King County capacity charge |
| Portland, OR | $4,250 school excise tax; city SDCs waived for qualifying new homes permitted through Sept. 30, 2028 | SDC exemption; school excise tax table |
| Boise, ID | $11,617–$18,368: ACHD road fee $5,803 plus city impact fees (with 1% surcharge) by planning area | ACHD fee table; Boise impact fees |
| Spokane, WA | $8,612–$16,235: water and sewer connection charges $8,362 plus a transportation fee by district | impact fees; GFCs |
| Tacoma, WA | Total not published here. Wastewater SDC $3,339 plus stormwater $0.53 per sq ft of new hard surface; the water SDC is mid-update | wastewater SDC; SDC overview |
| Vancouver, WA | $15,848–$28,352: water/sewer $7,712, park $6,130, traffic $2,006–$3,750, school $0–$10,760 by district | City fee page |
| Eugene, OR | Total not published here. Wastewater, parks and stormwater SDCs alone are $11,758; transportation is $3,861.57 per trip | Eugene SDC rates |
| Bend, OR | $26,693 in city transportation, water and sewer SDCs (2,201–3,000 sq ft home); park district SDC extra | Bend residential SDCs |
| Missoula, MT | $2,476 city impact fee (2,251–2,500 sq ft); sewer connection extra | Missoula impact fees |
| Marysville, WA | Total not published here. Park fee $2,033 plus $67 admin, school $0 (Marysville SD), traffic $6,300 per PM peak-hour trip | Marysville impact fees |
These figures leave out valuation-based charges everywhere: building-permit and plan-review fees, Portland’s 1% affordable-housing excise tax, Metro’s 0.12% excise tax, and Oregon’s 12% permit surcharge. They can add five figures on a home costing about $1 million. Where a schedule charges per trip or by district and doesn’t say how many trips a single home generates, we list the components instead of a total. Bend’s city SDC schedule couldn’t be opened from our network. Its figures come from the city’s published schedule as indexed and match a local secondary source, so check them with the city before you budget.
Land
No public source publishes a current median vacant-lot sale price for all ten cities. For a consistent comparison, we used the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s estimate of the value of a standardized quarter-acre residential lot in each county. It ranges from $106,200 in Spokane County to $598,300 in King County. These are 2022 values, the latest available, based on appraisals of land under existing homes. Current buildable lots, especially view, infill or serviced lots, can cost well above or below them. (FHFA Working Paper 19-01 dataset, v4.0, June 2024)
What the loan payment looks like
Most custom homes are financed with a construction loan that charges interest only on the money drawn so far, then converts to (or is refinanced into) a permanent mortgage. The table shows an estimated interest-only payment when the loan is about half drawn, as in the middle of the build, and when it's fully drawn, just before completion. It also shows the permanent principal-and-interest payment on the same balance.
| City | Construction at mid-tier midpoint | Lot value used | Loan (80%) | Interest-only, ~half drawn | Interest-only, fully drawn | Permanent P&I |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle, WA | $1,312,500 ($525/sq ft) | $598,300 | $1,529,000 | $5,097/mo | $10,193/mo | $10,358/mo |
| Portland, OR | $1,187,500 ($475/sq ft) | $337,200 | $1,220,000 | $4,067/mo | $8,133/mo | $8,265/mo |
| Boise, ID | $750,000 ($300/sq ft) | $232,500 | $786,000 | $2,620/mo | $5,240/mo | $5,325/mo |
| Spokane, WA | $750,000 ($300/sq ft) | $106,200 | $685,000 | $2,283/mo | $4,567/mo | $4,640/mo |
| Tacoma, WA | $1,312,500 ($525/sq ft) | $230,300 | $1,234,000 | $4,113/mo | $8,227/mo | $8,360/mo |
| Vancouver, WA | $1,375,000 ($550/sq ft) | $210,900 | $1,269,000 | $4,230/mo | $8,460/mo | $8,597/mo |
| Eugene, OR | $937,500 ($375/sq ft) | $139,200 | $861,000 | $2,870/mo | $5,740/mo | $5,833/mo |
| Bend, OR | $1,406,250 ($562.5/sq ft) | $256,700 | $1,330,000 | $4,433/mo | $8,867/mo | $9,010/mo |
| Missoula, MT | $750,000 ($300/sq ft) | $166,100 | $733,000 | $2,443/mo | $4,887/mo | $4,966/mo |
| Marysville, WA | $843,750 ($337.5/sq ft) | $369,100 | $970,000 | $3,233/mo | $6,467/mo | $6,571/mo |
Try your own numbers with the construction loan calculator, and see current rate benchmarks.
Methodology and assumptions
- Cities: The ten most populous of the 22 Northwest (Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana) cities with a Custom Home Quote cost guide, by 2020 Census population.
- Construction cost: Each source's own 2026 tiers, for construction only with land excluded. The payment estimate uses the midpoint of the mid tier.
- Fees: One-time impact fees, SDCs and utility connection charges for one new detached single-family home of about 2,500 sq ft, from 2026 official schedules. Valuation-based permit fees and excise taxes are excluded.
- Land: FHFA's standardized quarter-acre land value by county for 2022, not adjusted to 2026.
- Loan: 80% of construction cost plus land value (fees excluded), rounded to the nearest $1,000.
- Construction rate: 8.00%, an assumption. That is the bank prime rate of 7.00% as of Nov. 9, 2026 (Federal Reserve data via FRED) plus a 1.00-point margin we chose for illustration. It is not a published average, and actual construction loan pricing varies by lender and borrower.
- Permanent rate: 7.18%, the Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey 30-year fixed average for the week of Nov. 5, 2026 (Freddie Mac PMMS; FRED series). The survey covers conforming loans. Most loan amounts here are jumbo-sized, and jumbo rates can differ. Payments exclude taxes, insurance and mortgage insurance.
- Accessed: All sources were accessed Nov. 11, 2026.
This report is for planning and comparison only. It isn't a quote, a loan offer or a rate guarantee. CustomHomeLenders.com is a free matching service, not a lender.
City cost guides and construction loan guides
For a deeper look at a single market, see the local cost guide and construction loan guide:
- Seattle, WA custom home building costs (Custom Home Quote)
- Portland, OR custom home building costs (Custom Home Quote)
- Boise, ID custom home building costs (Custom Home Quote)
- Spokane, WA custom home building costs (Custom Home Quote)
- Tacoma, WA custom home building costs (Custom Home Quote)
- Vancouver, WA custom home building costs (Custom Home Quote)
- Eugene, OR custom home building costs (Custom Home Quote)
- Bend, OR custom home building costs (Custom Home Quote)
- Missoula, MT custom home building costs (Custom Home Quote)
- Marysville, WA custom home building costs (Custom Home Quote)
- Construction loans in Seattle
- Construction loans in Portland
- Construction loans in Boise
- Construction loans in Spokane
- Construction loans in Tacoma
- Construction loans in Vancouver
- Construction loans in Eugene
- Construction loans in Bend
- Construction loans in Missoula
Using this data? You're welcome to cite or republish the table with a link to this page.
Tools to Help You Plan
Use these free tools to estimate costs, check rates, and prepare your application:
- Construction Loan Calculator — Estimate your interest-only payments during the build and your permanent monthly payment after completion.
- Current Construction Loan Rates — See today’s estimated construction loan rates based on Freddie Mac data, updated weekly.
- Affordability Estimator — Find out how much construction loan you may qualify for based on your income, debts, and down payment.
- Document Checklist — Download the full list of documents lenders require for a construction loan application.
More planning resources
For steps this site doesn’t cover — finding a builder, estimating build costs, or reading builder reviews — these resources can help:
- CustomHomeQuote.com — Get a free build-cost estimate and connect with local builders
- CustomHomeAdvisor.com — Research the building process and browse the builder directory
- CustomHomeBuilderReviews.com — Read builder reviews and reputation information