The 2026 Cost Guide
Straight answers
on what it costs.
Most builders will not put a number on a website. We think that wastes your time and ours. These are the real ranges we quote in Austin and the Texas Hill Country, and we estimate on the high side on purpose so the final number comes in under, not over.
Custom Homes
$400 – $700 per sq ft
Full custom on your lot in Austin and the Hill Country. Architecture-driven projects at the top of the market run $1,000+ per sq ft.
Luxury Remodels
Quoted after the site walk
Remodel pricing lives and dies on what we find behind the walls. We walk it, open up the right questions, and give you a real number instead of a guess.
Restaurant & Tasting Room Buildouts
$250 – $500+ per sq ft
Interior commercial buildouts by finish level. Ground-up venues and wineries vary with site work and utilities.
Wine Cellars & Wine Rooms
From the low $40Ks
A fully conditioned reach-in with premium racking and concealed cooling starts in the low $40Ks. Walk-in cellars scale from there with bottle count, glass, and finishes.
Golf Simulators, Gyms & Specialty Rooms
Scoped to the room
Tech package, structural work, and finish level swing these more than square footage does. Beckett or a site walk gets you a range in minutes, not weeks.
Ranges reflect Bijou Builds projects quoted in 2026 across Austin, Westlake, Lake Travis, and the Hill Country. For context, production and semi-custom builders in the region run $185 to $400 per square foot. That is a different product built to a different standard.
No Mysteries
What actually moves the number.
The land
Slope, limestone, well and septic needs, utility runs, and access. Hill Country lots are beautiful because they are not flat, and the site work shows up in the number.
The finish level
The gap between $400 and $700 a foot is mostly finishes: windows and doors, stone and steel, millwork, kitchens, and the rooms that make a house yours.
The complexity
Cantilevers, big glass, vaulted spans, indoor-outdoor transitions. We love building them, and they cost more than boxes. You should know that before you fall in love with the drawings.
The unknowns
On remodels, the house always has opinions. Our estimates carry honest contingency so surprises change the schedule conversation, not the trust.
Asked Often
Cost questions, answered plainly.
What does a custom home cost per square foot in Austin in 2026?
Full custom homes with Bijou Builds typically run $400 to $700 per square foot in Austin and the Texas Hill Country, depending on lot, finishes, and complexity. Architecture-driven projects at the top of the market run $1,000 or more per square foot. Production and semi-custom builders run $185 to $400 per square foot, which is a different product than full custom.
Why does Bijou Builds publish its cost ranges when other builders will not?
Because guessing games waste everyone's time. We estimate on the high side on purpose so the final number comes in under the estimate, not over it. Clients who know the real range from day one make better decisions and trust the process more.
What does a custom wine cellar cost in Austin?
A fully conditioned reach-in wine cellar with premium racking and concealed cooling starts in the low $40,000s. Walk-in cellars scale up from there based on bottle count, glass walls, wood species, and finish level. Cooling is nearly a fixed cost, so larger cellars deliver better cost per bottle.
How do I get a real number for my project?
Two ways. Ask Beckett, our AI build advisor, on any page of this site and get an honest range in minutes. Or schedule a free site walk with our team by calling (512) 590-2181, and you will leave the conversation with a budget range and a straight answer on feasibility.
Want the long version? Beckett wrote it: What Does a Custom Home Cost in Austin in 2026?
Want a number for your project?
The site walk is free, and you will leave with an honest range. That is how every Bijou project starts.