Custom home construction and build on your lot in Ocala and Central Florida
Already own land, or still shopping for it? We build ground-up custom homes on your lot across Marion, Sumter, and Lake County. Licensed Florida building contractor, owner involved every day.
Your home, your plan, one accountable builder
Building custom means you get the floor plan, finishes, and site you actually want instead of the closest thing on the market. It also means you need a builder who manages engineering, permitting, trades, and inspections without dropping details.
Florida Legacy Construction builds custom homes across Marion, Sumter, and Lake Counties with the owner directly involved in the project. You get transparent scopes, a realistic schedule, and a house built to Florida code with every inspection passed and documented.
Build on your own lot in Marion, Sumter, and Lake County
If you already own land, you are not shopping for a house. You are hiring a builder to put the right house on the land you have. That is a different job, and it starts with the lot, not the floor plan. We look at your parcel first, tell you what it will actually support, and price the site work honestly before you fall in love with a plan that does not fit.
We start with the parcel
Zoning, setbacks, soil, elevation, and flood zone all decide what you can build and what it costs. We pull the parcel data and walk the lot before quoting.
Well, septic, and power
Rural Marion and Sumter lots often need a well, a septic system, and a power run. These are real line items, and we price them up front instead of calling them an allowance.
Clearing, fill, and driveway
Tree removal, grading, fill dirt, culverts, and driveway length change the number more than most buyers expect. You see them itemized.
Your plans or ours
Bring your architect's plans, a purchased plan set, or start from a sketch. We build from all three and handle the engineering either way.
Deed restrictions and HOA
Some parcels carry minimum square footage, roof, or exterior requirements. We check them before design so nothing gets rejected later.
Still looking for land?
We will walk candidate lots with you before you buy. A cheap lot with bad access or a wetland line is not a cheap lot.
How much does it cost to build a house per square foot in Ocala?
This is the first question almost everyone asks, and most builders dodge it. Here is a realistic early-budget range for a one-off custom home in the Ocala-area market. The numbers are based on conditioned living area and depend heavily on home size, plan complexity, finish selections, and site conditions. Use them to test whether your budget and wish list are in the same neighborhood, then let us price the actual lot and plans.
| Build level | Typical range per square foot | What that gets you |
|---|---|---|
| Standard custom | $210 to $250 | Efficient block construction, a straightforward roofline, shingle roof, durable flooring, semi-custom cabinet options, quartz or comparable counters, and well-selected standard fixtures. |
| Upgraded custom | $250 to $325 | More plan complexity, larger openings, upgraded windows and doors, detailed ceilings, quartz throughout, tiled showers, upgraded cabinetry, trim, flooring, and lighting. |
| High-end custom | $325 and up | Architectural complexity, custom cabinetry, metal or tile roofing, premium window packages, designer fixtures, extensive built-ins, outdoor living integration, and specialty finishes. |
These are planning ranges, not a quote. They are calculated from conditioned living area; garages, lanais, porches, and other non-conditioned areas still cost money but should not be treated as though every square foot costs the same. Land, well, septic, power service, clearing, fill, driveway, landscaping, pools, and unusual impact or utility fees are separate and vary widely by parcel. We price those items line by line instead of hiding them in a vague allowance.
Square footage works against you in reverse
Smaller homes cost more per square foot, not less. Kitchens and bathrooms are the expensive rooms, and a 1,400 square foot home has the same number of them as a 2,400 square foot home.
Simple rooflines save real money
Every hip, valley, and bump-out adds framing, roofing, and flashing labor. A cleaner footprint buys you better finishes for the same budget.
Site work is the wildcard
Two identical homes on two different lots can differ by tens of thousands based on access, elevation, and utilities alone.
Allowances hide the real price
A low bid with vague allowances for flooring, cabinets, and fixtures is not a low bid. It is a bid you have not finished paying for yet.
What building with us includes
Site and plan review
We evaluate your lot and work with your plans, or help you get plans developed.
Engineering and permits
Structural engineering, permitting, and county coordination handled for you.
Full construction management
Foundation, framing, roofing, mechanicals, and finishes managed by one accountable contractor.
Quality trades
Qualified electrical, plumbing, and HVAC trades whose work passes inspection.
Transparent selections
Finish selections with real prices, so the budget stays a plan and not a surprise.
Final walkthrough and warranty
A punch list we actually finish, plus a written 1-year workmanship warranty.
Marion County building permits and how we handle them
Owner-builders in Central Florida usually get stuck in the same place: the permit desk. Pulling a residential building permit for new construction means a coordinated package of plans, engineering, energy calcs, septic or sewer approval, and site documentation, and every county wants it slightly differently. We assemble and submit that package as part of the contract, and we own the corrections if the reviewer sends anything back.
What a new home permit package includes
- Signed and sealed structural plans
- Site plan with setbacks and elevation
- Florida energy code compliance forms
- Truss and product approval documents
- Septic or sewer and well or water approval
- Subcontractor permits for electric, plumbing, mechanical, and roofing
- Impact fee and utility connection paperwork
Inspections along the way
- Setback and foundation form board survey
- Slab and underground plumbing
- Framing, sheathing, and strapping
- Rough electric, plumbing, and mechanical
- Insulation and drywall
- Final trade inspections
- Final building and certificate of occupancy
Who we file with
- Marion County Building Safety and City of Ocala
- Sumter County Building Services and City of Wildwood
- Lake County Building Services
- Florida Department of Health for septic
- Water management district when required
- HOA or deed restriction review boards
From lot to keys: how long each phase takes
Approximately 9 to 12 months from construction start to certificate of occupancy, plus roughly 3 to 5 months for design, engineering, selections, and permitting. Some phases overlap, and weather, inspections, utility coordination, owner selections, and long-lead materials can move the schedule.
Lot review and budget conversation
We look at the parcel, talk through the plan you want, and give you a realistic all-in number including site work. No obligation and no deposit to get here.
1 to 3 weeksPlans and engineering
We finalize the floor plan, get it engineered and sealed, and complete energy calcs and product approvals.
6 to 12 weeksPermitting
Package submitted to the county, corrections handled, permit issued. Septic and well approvals run in parallel.
4 to 8 weeks after a complete submittalSite work and foundation
Clearing, grading, fill, utilities, form board survey, underground plumbing, and slab.
4 to 6 weeksShell, roof, and dry-in
Block or frame walls, trusses set, roof on, windows and doors installed. This is when it starts to look like a house.
8 to 12 weeksMechanicals, drywall, and finishes
Rough electric, plumbing, and HVAC, then insulation, drywall, trim, cabinets, tile, paint, and fixtures.
20 to 28 weeksFinal inspections, punch list, and CO
Every trade final, our punch list closed out, certificate of occupancy issued, keys handed over with your warranty documents.
3 to 5 weeksHome sizes and floor plans we build most often
We are not tied to a plan catalog, so these are starting points rather than a menu. Most build-on-your-lot clients in Marion and Sumter County land somewhere in these three ranges, then adjust the layout around how they actually live.
The most requested size for a first custom build or a retirement home. Open kitchen and living, split bedrooms, two-car garage, covered lanai.
Room for a dedicated office or flex room, a larger primary suite, and a real laundry room. The best value per square foot in our market.
Multi-generational layouts, guest suites, three-car garages, outdoor kitchens, and pool integration designed in from the start.
Hire licensed. It matters on this job.
New home construction requires a licensed contractor in Florida, and your lender and insurer will expect one. Verify license CBC1268994 on MyFloridaLicense.com before hiring anyone, including us.
Common questions
Do you build on my land, or only in your own subdivisions?
We build on your land. Florida Legacy Construction is a build-on-your-lot builder, which means you own the parcel and we build the home you want on it. We do not require you to buy a lot from us and we do not restrict you to a plan catalog.
How much does it cost per square foot to build in Marion County?
For early budgeting, a one-off custom home in the Ocala and Marion County market commonly starts around $210 to $250 per conditioned square foot for a straightforward standard custom build, around $250 to $325 for an upgraded custom build, and $325 or more for high-end work. Land and parcel-specific site costs such as clearing, fill, driveway, well, septic, and power service are priced separately because they vary so much from one lot to another.
How long does a custom home take to build?
Approximately 9 to 12 months from construction start to certificate of occupancy, plus roughly 3 to 5 months for design, engineering, selections, and permitting. The exact schedule depends on size, complexity, weather, inspections, selections, and material lead times.
Who pulls the building permit, me or the builder?
We do. As the licensed contractor of record we assemble and submit the full permit package and handle any corrections the county sends back. You should be cautious of anyone who asks you to pull an owner-builder permit for a job they are performing, because that shifts liability onto you.
How long do Marion County building permits take for a new home?
For scheduling, we normally carry about 4 to 8 weeks after a complete permit package is submitted. A clean review can move faster, while corrections, septic approval, floodplain review, zoning issues, utility coordination, or a variance can extend the timeline. We use a realistic working window rather than promising the fastest possible review.
Do I need to own land first?
It helps, but not always. If you are still shopping for a lot, we are glad to look at candidates with you, since site conditions affect cost more than most buyers expect.
What does it cost to put a well and septic on a rural lot?
It depends on depth, soil, and drainfield requirements, which is why we get quotes on your specific parcel instead of guessing. What we will not do is bury it in a vague allowance and surprise you at draw three.
Can you work with plans I already have?
Yes. We build from your architect's plans, plan sets you have purchased, or we can help you develop plans from scratch.
How do payments work on a custom build?
Construction is paid in draws tied to completed milestones, whether you are paying cash or through a construction loan. Everything is scheduled in the contract before we break ground.
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