New Construction and Custom Rebuilds
New home construction in Orange County and LA: tear-down rebuilds and ground-up custom homes on your lot, from feasibility and permits to final inspection.
Tell us about the house. A project manager will call to set up a walk-through.
Prefer to talk? Call (714) 449-9035
New home construction in Orange County rarely starts with an empty field anymore. It usually starts with a lot someone already owns, a house that’s past saving or too small to fix, and a family that wants to stay on that street. Horizon Construction & Remodeling builds new homes and full tear-down rebuilds on lots like that across Orange County and Los Angeles County.
We’re a licensed Class B general building contractor with more than 18 years in Southern California construction. On a new build, we take the project from the first feasibility check through design, engineering, permits, demolition, construction and the final inspection.
On this page
This is the first question on most of our new-construction calls, and the honest answer is that it depends on the house and the lot. A rebuild tends to make sense when:
If the bones are good and you mostly want a new layout and new finishes, a whole home remodel or complete renovation usually gets you there for less and with a simpler permit. We’ll walk the property and give you a straight comparison before you commit either way.
Before anyone draws a house, we look at what the city’s zoning code will let you build. That means setbacks from each property line, maximum height, lot coverage and floor area limits, and parking requirements. In some neighborhoods there are also design guidelines or an HOA with its own architectural rules.
We also check for conditions that change the scope:
That feasibility work is what keeps a new-build design from being redrawn three times in plan check.
A new house built today looks different from one built even ten years ago, partly because the codes changed. A few requirements surprise people:
Fire sprinklers. The California Residential Code requires automatic fire sprinklers in new one- and two-family homes. That affects your water service size and ceiling layout.
Solar. New single-family homes have needed solar PV since the 2019 energy standards took effect, and the current standards build on that.
CALGreen. The California Green Building Standards Code sets requirements for water use, construction waste recycling, indoor air quality and EV charging readiness.
Impact and school fees. Most cities and school districts charge fees on new square footage. They vary a lot by city, so we flag them early in the budget.
We design to these requirements from the first sketch, so they don’t turn into change orders during construction.
If you’re building new, it’s the easiest time to add an accessory dwelling unit. Utilities can be sized for both units at once, and the site plan can give each its own entry and outdoor space. State law makes ADUs allowed on most single-family lots, and the California Department of Housing and Community Development publishes the current rules. See our ADU and additions page for more.
We don’t publish per-square-foot prices for new construction, because they don’t hold up. The biggest variables are:
After feasibility, we put together a detailed budget broken into those categories so you can see where the money goes and where you have choices.
We build throughout Orange County and Los Angeles County, including Newport Beach, Costa Mesa, Huntington Beach, San Clemente, Villa Park, Yorba Linda, Manhattan Beach, Rancho Palos Verdes and La Cañada Flintridge. See all Orange County and Los Angeles County service areas.
We work across four Southern California counties. Each county page links to the city pages, with local permit and housing details for every city we serve.
Design and permitting can take as long as construction, especially when planning review or a coastal permit is involved. We’ll give you a schedule for your lot after the feasibility review.
Yes. Most clients stay put through design and permitting, then move out shortly before demolition.
We can do a feasibility review on a lot you’re considering buying, so you know what can be built before you close.
No. Our team handles design and brings in engineers as needed. If you already have an architect or a finished plan set, we’ll build from it.
Generally, new construction is assessed when completed. The Board of Equalization explains reassessment rules, and your tax advisor can tell you how they apply to your project.
Yes, either with a new home or on their own.
Thinking about building new? We’ll look at your lot and tell you what it can hold. Schedule a consultation or call (714) 449-9035.
