GUIDES
Building a home in the Cowichan Valley.
Straight answers on building a custom home in the Cowichan Valley: what it costs, how long it takes, which permits you need, how construction financing works, and how to choose a builder. Written by Webb Homes, who have built more than 77 homes across Duncan, North Cowichan and Vancouver Island over 23 years.
Start here
The two questions almost everyone asks first.
Just starting out
If you are still working out whether building is realistic for you, start with these.
What does it cost to build a custom home in the Cowichan Valley? Cost per square foot, a worked example, and everything most builders leave out of the number.
How long does it take to build a custom home? Design, permits and construction broken down, and what actually causes delays
Is it cheaper to build or buy on Vancouver Island? An honest comparison, including when buying is the better call.
The steps to building a custom home What happens first, what happens next, and what you need to decide at each stage.
Money
Budgets, financing and the costs that catch people out.
How construction financing works in BC Draw schedules, what lenders want to see, and how a build mortgage differs from a normal one.
What is included in a build price, and what is not Site servicing, permits, design fees, GST — the fifteen to twenty-five percent on top of the square foot rate.
Development cost charges and permit fees in the Cowichan Valley What Duncan, North Cowichan and the CVRD each charge, and where to find the current rates.
GST on a new home in BC What you pay, and when the New Housing Rebate applies.
Land
The hardest part of building is usually finding somewhere to build.
How to find a buildable lot in the Cowichan Valley Where to look, what is realistic, and why so many people give up at this stage.
What to check before you buy land Slope, soil, water, septic viability, setbacks and servicing — the things that decide what a lot really costs to build on.
House and land packages in the Cowichan Valley One builder, one contract, one price, land included.
Building on acreage and rural property Wells, septic, driveways and hydro — what rural land adds in cost and time.
Rules and permits
Every authority in the valley does this slightly differently. Here is what applies where.
Building permits in Duncan, North Cowichan and the CVRD Who permits what, roughly what it costs, how long it takes, and where to apply.
BC Energy Step Code, explained What it requires, what it adds to a build, and what it saves you afterwards.
Septic systems and wells on rural property How septic is filed with Island Health, what a well involves, and how long both take.
What is a 2-5-10 home warranty? What is covered, for how long, and why every new home in BC has one.
Choosing a builder
The decision that affects everything else. Worth taking time over, including if you decide it is not us.
How to choose a custom home builder What separates builders, what to compare, and what price alone will not tell you.
Questions to ask before you sign a build contract The ones worth asking, and the answers you want to hear.
What people worry about before they build Cost overruns, delays, change orders, builders going under. The honest answers to all of it.
How fixed price contracts and allowances work Where the number can move, where it cannot, and how change orders get priced.
READY WHEN YOU ARE
Still got questions?
Send us your lot address or your rough plans and we will give you an honest ballpark. No pressure, no sales pitch — and if building is not the right move for you, we will say so.
Webb Homes is a family-run custom home builder and community developer in the Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island. Over 23 years we have completed more than 77 homes and developed 7 communities across Duncan, North Cowichan, Maple Bay, Cobble Hill, Shawnigan Lake, Cowichan Bay, Lake Cowichan, Chemainus and Ladysmith. These guides are written from those projects.