Custom home builder in Marana, AZ

Building a custom home in Marana

Marana covers a lot of ground, from master-planned neighborhoods like Continental Ranch and Gladden Farms to Dove Mountain in the Tortolita foothills and larger parcels outside the subdivisions. It is its own town, so your permit comes from the Town of Marana's Development Services, not the City of Tucson or Pima County. Each lot type brings different questions, and the sooner they are answered, the more accurate your budget.

What Marana asks for on a custom home

The town's custom home submittal checklist gives a good picture of what goes into the permit:

• Site plan with lot lines, existing structures, the new home's dimensions and utility locations.
• Construction plans: floor, foundation, framing, sections, energy code compliance, mechanical, plumbing and electrical.
• Soils report, plus structural and truss calculations where they apply.
• A grading permit before the building permit, with a stormwater pollution prevention plan approved first.
• A Floodplain Use Permit from Marana Engineering where the lot is in a floodplain.
• Sewer or septic proof: a sewer receipt, or for a new septic system a Construction Authorization from Pima County.
• Water service confirmation from the right provider, which in Marana can be Marana Water, Tucson Water or Metro Water.

That list is why we look at drainage, utilities and soil on the first site walk, before you commit to a design. The checklist also covers contractor paperwork, such as the contractor's business license and a bond exemption certificate on projects over $50,000, which we take care of as your licensed builder.

Foothill lots, washes and caliche

Lots toward the Tortolita Mountains can be sloped and rocky, with washes running through them. That affects where the pad goes, how much grading is needed and how the driveway reaches the house. Flatter lots near the Santa Cruz River can sit in or near floodplains, which shapes finished floor heights. And across Marana, caliche can slow excavation and affect footing design. None of this is unusual, but each one changes cost, so we price it in from the start.

HOAs and design guidelines

If your lot is in a planned community such as Dove Mountain, read the CC&Rs and design guidelines before finalizing plans. HOAs commonly review elevations, colors, roof materials and landscaping. We prepare the design review package and plan it ahead of the town permit. See our Dove Mountain page for that area.

Thinking about a casita too?

Marana treats a casita as guest quarters for now, with conditions by zone and lot size, and guest quarters can't be income-producing. If you want one with your new home, it is easiest to design them together. Our Marana casita page explains the rules.

Block or frame, and the roof

We build both masonry block and wood-frame stucco homes, with flat, tile or metal roofs. Each has different costs, insulation and maintenance in the desert sun. Our own crew does the framing, structural work, stucco and roofing, so the main shell is built by one team. Energy code compliance is part of the town's submittal, and in a Marana summer the insulation, windows and cooling design pay you back every month, so we plan them with the structure rather than treating them as upgrades.

How we build your Marana home

1. Consultation and site walk. Lot, slope, drainage, utilities, water provider and HOA.
2. Plans review. We review your architect's drawings or talk through design next steps.
3. Written estimate. A clear scope with inclusions and exclusions.
4. Approvals. HOA review, grading and floodplain items, then the building permit.
5. Build. One licensed contractor (AZ ROC #344537) from foundation to finishes, including custom cabinets and bathrooms.
6. Inspections and handover. We schedule inspections and walk the home with you.

Read our custom home cost guide and the custom home building process, or see more on our Marana contractor page.