Quick Answer
Howard Construction Inc. is a family-owned custom home builder headquartered in Santa Rosa, California, licensed by the CSLB as a Class B general building contractor, license #836369, and building continuously since 2000.
We build ground-up custom homes across Sonoma County, Napa Valley and Marin County — taking a project from raw land through to certificate of occupancy. Custom home construction runs $400–$850 per square foot in 2026 and takes 14–24 months end to end. Owner Philip Howard is on every job site. Free written estimates: (707) 578-6565.
What “we build the whole house” actually means
Plenty of contractors describe themselves as home builders and then subcontract the coordination to someone else, or hand you off to a project manager running fifteen jobs. Here is the complete scope we carry ourselves on a ground-up build:
Ground & Structure
- Site evaluation, survey coordination, soils report
- Grading, drainage and retaining
- Utility trenching, well and septic
- Engineered slab, stem wall or drilled-pier foundations
- Framing, structural steel where specified
Envelope
- Roof structure and assembly, Class A in fire zones
- Windows and exterior doors
- Weather-resistive barrier, flashing and siding
- Insulation and air sealing to Title 24
- Decks, porches and exterior stairs
Systems
- Plumbing, gas and water heating
- Electrical service, panel and full rough-in
- HVAC, ducting and ventilation
- Solar and battery storage
- Residential fire sprinklers, low voltage and networking
Interior
- Drywall, texture and paint
- Custom cabinetry and millwork
- Countertops, tile and stone
- Flooring and finish carpentry
- Fixtures, appliances and hardware
Compliance
- Permit submittal and plan-check corrections
- Structural engineering coordination
- Title 24 energy documentation
- WUI Chapter 7A fire-hardened assemblies
- Every inspection through certificate of occupancy
Specialty
- Post-wildfire rebuilds and insurance scope coordination
- Hillside and steep-slope construction
- Manufacturer packages including Lindal post-and-beam
- Accessory dwelling units built alongside the main house
- Barns, shops and carriage houses
One contractor, one license, one point of responsibility. When the foundation, the framing and the finish carpentry all sit under the same license, nobody can point at anyone else when something does not line up. That is the practical argument for a single builder carrying the whole job.
Recent custom home work
We keep the number of concurrent projects deliberately low, because Philip is on each one personally. Two recent ground-up builds:
- Napa Valley — post-and-beam home, nearing completion. A Lindal package set on an oak-studded property with vineyard frontage. Clerestory glazing, deep covered porch, standing-seam roof, long views to the ranges.
- Santa Rosa — post-and-beam home, completed. Our first Lindal build, in Sonoma County.
More finished work is in the project gallery — 97 photographs across exteriors, kitchens, living spaces, baths, outdoor living and carriage houses.
What a custom home costs here
| Build tier | Per sq ft | 2,200 sq ft home |
|---|---|---|
| Simple custom | $400–$500 | $880,000–$1.1M |
| Mid-range custom | $500–$650 | $1.1M–$1.43M |
| High-end custom | $650–$850 | $1.43M–$1.87M |
| Estate | $850–$1,200+ | $1.87M–$2.6M+ |
Those are hard construction costs and exclude land. Site work adds $35,000 on a flat serviced lot and can exceed $600,000 on a steep unimproved parcel; permits and impact fees add $45,000–$140,000; WUI fire hardening adds $25,000–$70,000. The full breakdown, including where every dollar goes, is in our cost to build a house guide.
How a build runs, phase by phase
Site walk and feasibility
Before anything is drawn, we walk the land with you: slope, drainage, access width for delivery and fire apparatus, utilities at the property line, septic feasibility, fire zone, protected oaks. This is free, and on an unimproved parcel it is the highest-value hour of the entire project.
Design and engineering
We work alongside your architect or designer, or bring one in. Structural engineering, soils report, Title 24 compliance and the full construction document set.
Budget and contract
A written line-item estimate with itemised allowances and stated exclusions, so you see the whole number before committing rather than discovering it in month six.
Permitting
Submittal, plan-check corrections, engineering coordination, fees and approvals across whichever of the twelve local jurisdictions governs your parcel. You do not visit the counter.
Site work and foundation
Grading, drainage, retaining where needed, utility trenching, well and septic, then a foundation set to the tolerance the structure above it requires.
Framing and dry-in
Framing, roof, windows and doors, weather-resistive barrier and siding — getting the building closed against the weather before the wet season wherever the schedule allows.
Systems and rough inspections
Plumbing, electrical, HVAC, solar, fire sprinklers, low voltage. Each inspected and signed off before anything is covered.
Finishes
Insulation, drywall, cabinetry, tile, flooring, trim, paint, fixtures and appliances.
Final inspection and handover
Final inspections, certificate of occupancy, punch list walked in daylight together, and a closeout package with warranties, paint colours, product specifications and lien releases.
Before you buy the land
The single most expensive mistake in custom home building is buying a parcel that costs a fortune to build on. The purchase price is only half the question — the other half is what the land will demand before a foundation can be poured.
| Site condition | Added cost |
|---|---|
| Flat, utilities at the property line, city sewer | $35,000–$70,000 |
| Gentle slope, moderate grading, short driveway | $70,000–$140,000 |
| Hillside, engineered retaining, long private drive | $140,000–$300,000 |
| Steep hillside, deep piers, well and septic, fire access road | $300,000–$600,000+ |
Call us before you close. A two-hour walk of a parcel can surface slope, drainage, access width, soil, septic and utility issues that move your budget by six figures. We do it at no charge, and we would rather tell you a lot is a bad idea than build you an expensive lesson.
Fire-hardened building and rebuilds
Since 2017 this has stopped being an optional consideration in wine country. Much of Sonoma and Napa County is mapped Wildland-Urban Interface, which triggers California Building Code Chapter 7A: Class A roof assemblies, ember-resistant vents, ignition-resistant siding and soffits, enclosed eaves, tempered glazing and decking restrictions within ten feet of the structure.
We have worked through the Tubbs Fire reconstruction, including Coffey Park and Fountaingrove. Rebuilds carry their own demands: insurance scope and draw schedules, foundation assessment, and rebuilding a 1970s house to 2026 code. And increasingly the fire-hardening work determines something beyond compliance — whether the finished home is insurable at all.
Why the owner being on site matters
Philip Howard holds the license on your permit, and he is the person you will see on the job. Not a superintendent rotating between fifteen builds, not a call centre, not a salesperson who disappears after the contract is signed.
That is also why we run a small number of projects at once. It is a genuine constraint on how much work we take, and it is deliberate.
Before calling anyone — us included — verify the license at cslb.ca.gov. Search 836369 and confirm it is active, Class B, bonded and insured. Our full guide to vetting a builder is here, and it applies to us as much as anyone.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who builds custom homes in Santa Rosa and Sonoma County?
Howard Construction Inc. is a family-owned Class B general contractor, CSLB license #836369, headquartered in Santa Rosa and building custom homes across Sonoma and Napa County since 2000. Owner Philip Howard is personally on every job site. Free written estimates are available at (707) 578-6565.
How much does it cost to build a custom home in Sonoma or Napa County?
Custom home construction runs $400 to $850 per square foot in 2026, excluding land. A 2,200 square foot home typically costs $900,000 to $1.87M in hard construction cost. Site work, permits and impact fees are additional, and homes in Wildland-Urban Interface zones add $25,000 to $70,000 for Chapter 7A fire-hardening requirements.
Does Howard Construction handle the whole build, or just part of it?
The whole build. We take a project from raw land through to occupancy: site evaluation and grading, engineered foundations, framing and weather-tight envelope, plumbing, electrical, HVAC and solar, insulation, drywall, cabinetry, tile, flooring and finish carpentry, plus permits, plan-check corrections and every inspection. One licensed contractor is responsible for all of it.
How long does it take to build a custom home in wine country?
Plan on 14 to 24 months from first drawing to certificate of occupancy. Design and engineering take 3 to 7 months, permit review 2 to 5 months, and construction 10 to 14 months. Roughly half the calendar is spent before any ground is broken, which is the part homeowners most often underestimate.
Can you build on a hillside or unimproved lot?
Yes. Hillside and unserviced parcels are common across Sonoma and Napa County. That work involves engineered or drilled-pier foundations, retaining and drainage, a fire-apparatus-accessible driveway, and often a well and septic system. Site work on a steep parcel can range from $140,000 to $600,000 and should be assessed before you buy the land, not after.
Do you build fire-hardened homes and post-fire rebuilds?
Yes. We have worked on reconstruction following the 2017 Tubbs Fire, including Coffey Park and Fountaingrove. Rebuilds involve insurance scope coordination, foundation assessment, and building to current code, which means fire sprinklers, Title 24 compliance, and full Chapter 7A ignition-resistant construction in WUI-designated areas.
Will the owner actually be on my job site?
Yes. Philip Howard runs every project personally rather than assigning a project manager rotating between jobs. The license on your permit belongs to the person you will see on site, which is the practical reason our project count is deliberately limited.
Related
Thinking about building?
Whether you own the land or are still looking at parcels, Philip will walk it with you, tell you honestly what it will take, and give you a written line-item estimate. No charge and no obligation.
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