The costliest mistakes happen before construction starts: designing without a lot evaluation, designing before you are prequalified, hiring a builder you cannot verify, and signing without prices, allowances and change orders in writing. During the build, the expensive ones are late changes, ignored energy details and finishes chosen blind to your allowances. All ten are avoidable, and most cost nothing to prevent.
Mistake 1: Skipping the lot evaluation
Your lot is not just dirt. Much of the Rio Grande Valley sits on clay heavy soil that expands when wet and shrinks when dry, and a foundation that ignores it cracks. That is why every home we build goes on an engineered post tension slab designed to the soil report for that specific lot.
Flood status matters just as much. Parts of McAllen, Edinburg, Mission, Pharr, Weslaco, Harlingen, San Benito and Brownsville sit in FEMA flood zones, and your zone can set how high the slab has to be before a single wall is drawn. Our guide to building on a lot in a flood zone walks through it.
Then utilities. Many buyers assume water, sewer and power are waiting at the property line. Often they are not, and utility connections are quoted separately from the build. In Cameron County, add windstorm requirements to the list.
Pro tip: we offer a free site evaluation with no obligation, so you know the soil, flood and utility picture before you commit to a design.
Mistake 2: Designing before getting prequalified
Designing a $300,000 home when you qualify for $200,000 is the fastest way to waste three weeks and a lot of hope. Prequalification with a local lender usually takes one to three business days and costs nothing.
- Get prequalified before you finalize square footage or upgrades.
- Match the wish list to the approved amount, not the other way around.
- Ask the lender what cash you will need at closing, beyond the down payment.
We work with FHA, VA, conventional, one time close and USDA construction loans and can introduce you to Valley lenders who close them regularly. Our loan comparison explains how the programs differ.
Mistake 3: Choosing a builder you cannot verify
A builder is your partner for one of the largest purchases of your life, so check before you sign:
- Years in this region. South Texas Builders traces back to 1992, when Israel González founded Gonzalez Construction in Alice, Texas.
- Insurance and licensed trades. Texas does not issue a state license for residential home builders. Verify that the builder carries insurance and that every trade on your home, electrical, plumbing and air conditioning, holds a current state license.
- Completed homes. See real projects on homes we have built.
- Named leadership. Javier González (Construction Manager) runs our job sites, with Rolando Peña (Director of Operations), Cristo Calderón (Finance Manager) and Graciela Leal (Sales Manager). The whole team is on our about page.
Our guide on how to choose a custom home builder lists the seven questions to ask any builder, including us.
Mistake 4: Not locking in the price before ground breaks
Material prices move, and in 2025 and 2026 they moved more than usual: new tariffs on lumber, cabinets and steel, and a producer price index for inputs to new residential construction that was up 7.8% in August 2026 from a year earlier, according to NAHB. If the price is not locked before construction begins, your budget can shift halfway through the build. With South Texas Builders, pricing is locked once your contract is signed and selections are finalized, so mid construction swings are not your problem.
Pricing works from a single Fully Loaded standard, with the rate set by region: $115 to $120 per square foot in Hidalgo and Starr County, $120 to $130 in Cameron County, and $130 to $145 in Alice and the Coastal Bend. Upgrades such as a metal roof or a 10 ft plate height are priced on top of that rate, in writing, before they go into the contract. The 2026 cost guide has every line.
Key takeaway: change orders after construction begins almost always cost more time and money, so finalize the plan early.
Mistake 5: Underestimating permit timelines
Many families circle a move in date before the permit is even filed. Review time varies by city and county, by the season and by whether the plan comes back with corrections. Inside city limits the city reviews and inspects; on unincorporated land, the county’s rules apply instead.
All permits are included in your contract except windstorm, where it applies, and Orlando Peña files them for you. Build a margin into your expectations from the start and the calendar stops being a source of stress. The construction timeline guide shows where permitting sits in the six month schedule.
Mistake 6: Making changes after construction starts
Refining ideas as the house takes shape is normal. The timing is what sets the price. A change before framing is a change on paper. A change after drywall means demolition, rework and new material.
That is why we push for decisions during the blueprint and selections phase. You work through selections with our design team in our selections app, where every choice is priced against your allowance and documented before construction reaches the finish phase. Our selections and finishes page shows how it works.
Pro tip: take the extra week in planning, so the build phase runs without constant changes.
Mistake 7: Ignoring energy efficiency in South Texas heat
Summer here regularly clears 100°F, so efficiency is not a gesture, it is your monthly bill. Every home we build includes open cell spray foam insulation throughout, air conditioning of at least 15 SEER sized to the house, low E double pane windows, an attic radiant barrier and air sealing at every penetration. Details are on our construction standards page.
Design matters as much as equipment: limit large west facing windows, put covered porches where the afternoon sun lands, and size the air conditioning to the house rather than to the nearest round number. Our guide to what changed for energy efficient homes in 2026 covers the new air conditioning refrigerants and the federal credits that ended.
Mistake 8: Not getting everything in writing
Verbal promises are forgotten over a build that lasts months. Everything important belongs in writing:
- The full scope of work and what is included.
- Material allowances and how they apply to your selections.
- The change order process and how costs are handled.
- The warranty document and how to request service.
- A realistic timeline for the major phases.
- The draw schedule your lender will follow.
Texas law adds one more: before you sign a residential construction contract, the builder has to hand you a written disclosure of your rights under the lien laws. We provide itemized contracts with defined allowances for every build.
Mistake 9: Choosing finishes without knowing your allowances
Walking into a showroom without knowing your allowances is a quick way to fall in love with materials your budget cannot carry. These are the allowances in every Fully Loaded build:
| Item | Allowance |
|---|---|
| Plumbing fixtures | 0.75% of contract price |
| Electrical fixtures | 1.5% of contract price |
| Tile flooring, material only | $2.00 per sq ft |
| Shower floor | $3.50 per sq ft |
| Shower walls | $3.00 per sq ft |
| Countertops | $700 per slab |
| Custom front door | $2,500 |
| Front elevation stone | 150 sq ft included |
Choosing below an allowance credits you back. Choosing above it becomes a documented change order, priced before anything is ordered. Blueprints are free with the purchase of your home, so the design and the selections are planned together from the start.
Mistake 10: Not asking for references
A builder you can trust will connect you with past clients. Skipping that call means missing the most honest feedback there is on communication, quality and follow through. Ask to speak with recent homeowners and to see a completed home up close.
We are happy to provide references. You can also hear from families who built with us on client stories and walk through finished work on homes we have built.
Frequently asked questions
What areas does South Texas Builders serve?
We build across Hidalgo County, including McAllen, Edinburg, Mission, Pharr, Weslaco, San Juan and Mercedes; Starr County, including Rio Grande City and Roma; Cameron County, including Brownsville, Harlingen and San Benito; and Alice, Texas. See where we build for your city.
What types of loans can I use to build?
FHA, VA, conventional, one time close construction to permanent, and USDA Rural Development loans. Which one fits depends on your credit, your down payment, your eligibility and where your lot sits. We do not lend, but we introduce you to lenders who close these loans regularly.
What is always included in the price?
All permits except windstorm where it applies, ten dirt hauls of 14 yards each, open cell spray foam insulation, a windows allocation of 1.5% of the sale price, recessed lighting within the electrical allowance, and free custom blueprints with the purchase of your home.
What is not included in the price?
Land, septic, windstorm insurance, appliances, utility connections, dirt hauls beyond the ten included, awnings at $500 each, a concrete pump if your site needs one, and driveway area beyond your garage allowance. We walk through every line before you sign.
Can you build on my own lot?
Yes. We regularly build on land our clients already own, starting with a free site evaluation of soil, drainage, flood status and utilities. See build on your lot and our guide to building on your own land.
How do I get started?
Schedule a consultation and tell us where you are: land or no land, plan or no plan, prequalified or not. If you have not talked to a lender yet, get prequalified first; it takes one to three business days and gives us a real number to design against.
