You have started looking at land in Utah County for your custom home, and a few properties seem promising. One puts you near the mountains in Alpine. Another gives you room for the backyard you want in the rolling acres in Highland. But before you start construction, you need to know how your home would fit on the lot and what living there would mean for your family.
As you go through the custom home building process, you realize that choosing a neighborhood takes a lot of thought, especially when you are planning a home you expect to live in for years. You also need to consider other lifestyle factors like school districts, your commute time to work, and access to recreation and services your family needs.
To help you find the best options for your family, we've put together this guide that looks at top-rated communities in Utah County for you to put down your custom home.
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Start by thinking about what you want from the area where you’ll live. If you work in Lehi, your commute will help define where to begin looking. You may also want to stay near your children’s current school or have family close enough to visit during the week. Use those priorities to narrow your search before looking at individual lots.
Within a neighborhood, the available properties will influence what you can build. A single-story home takes up more ground than a two-story home with the same square footage, which affects how much yard remains. On a sloped property, a walkout basement may provide access to the backyard from the lower level. Keep the layout you want in mind as you learn about building opportunities in each area.
You’ll also find different requirements among Utah County subdivisions. Some have architectural guidelines that govern exterior materials or require approval of your plans. These are useful details to understand as you explore where you would like to build.
Alpine gives you a place to begin exploring custom homes near the mountains. Three Falls is a specific development within the city and is home to Three Falls Park. The park contains 10 acres of trails, waterfalls, streams, and granite boulders for outdoor adventurers to enjoy. For a home in this setting, the slope of the property can influence how the rooms are arranged. A walkout basement may open onto the yard, with the main living area above it. The design will also need to account for the driveway’s approach to the garage, particularly on a steeper site.
If a spacious backyard is part of your custom home plans, include Highland in your search. As you look at properties, consider how much ground the house and garage would occupy. This is particularly relevant if you want most of your living space on one level. For reference, a half-acre lot contains 21,780 square feet. The lot’s shape affects where the home could sit, and setbacks establish how far it must be placed from property lines. A recorded utility easement may also limit where you can build a detached structure.
Highland publishes residential zoning information and a zoning map. These resources identify the zone assigned to a property. The city can explain the requirements for a particular parcel when you are ready to look more closely at a lot.
Mapleton’s agricultural history is still part of how the city plans for growth. Its land-use plan emphasizes preserving rural character and large-lot housing. The plan describes foothill neighborhoods with one-acre and two-acre properties, making this part of the city relevant if you picture a home with substantial space around it. That setting is worth considering if you want a garden or room for a detached workshop. The way the house sits on the property will affect how you use that space. A workshop near the road may allow access without extending the driveway through the backyard, for example.
You will also find newer subdivisions around Mapleton’s historic center near Main and Maple streets. As you explore, look at how close neighboring homes sit and how the lots are arranged. For a property that interests you, the city can explain which zoning requirements apply to your proposed home.
Having Traverse Mountain nearby is a big draw if you love being outdoors regularly. Hidden Canyon Trailhead provides access to the area’s trail system, so you'll have plenty of opportunities to be immersed in Utah's landscape. But building here also means accounting for sloped lots. If you decide to build a custom home on a hillside lot, think about how you would like the house to connect to the yard. A lower-level family room could open onto a patio, with a deck outside the kitchen above it. You also need to plan how to safely pave a driveway up the slope, especially given how harsh Utah winters can be.
Also keep in mind that building arrangements vary by subdivision, so confirm that a lot allows the custom design and builder you want. Lehi’s area plans cover the city's land development plans, which are useful to know if you want to add on to your home in the future.
Riverbottoms and Edgemont may already be familiar to you if you spend time in Provo. Building in an established neighborhood gives you a chance to design a home near the places you know, though finding a property can take some patience. Your search may include a vacant lot between existing homes or an older house purchased with plans to rebuild.
For a replacement home, demolition becomes part of the budget. Your builder will also need to assess the existing utility connections, and the city or provider can confirm any credit for charges previously paid on the property. As the design takes shape, there may be details you want to preserve, such as a mature tree that shades the backyard. Its location can help determine where the house sits. Nearby homes deserve attention too, particularly when placing bedroom windows or creating privacy around a patio.
A sloped lot may suit a walkout basement, though excavation and drainage need to be planned around the house. Retaining walls may be required to create usable outdoor space. Their height and placement affect the engineering and construction involved, so a hillside estimate needs to account for the layout you want.
A property with utilities in the street still needs connections to the house. A longer driveway can mean a longer service route, and the existing electrical service on a replacement property may need upgrading.
An existing connection may qualify for a credit toward certain charges. Have the provider confirm that credit before including it in your budget, along with any costs to increase service capacity.
City estimates often include several types of charges. Impact fees contribute to infrastructure capacity for new development. Permit fees cover a different part of the project, and utility hookups are billed separately where applicable.
The fees for your home will depend on the city and the proposed services. Request an itemized estimate for the parcel so you can see what is included. Some amounts may remain preliminary until the home’s utility needs are established.
When a property becomes a serious possibility, these questions can help you understand what purchasing it would involve:
The Utah County planning website links to parcel and hazard maps. County planning serves unincorporated properties; a lot inside city limits should be reviewed with that city’s planning department. If you want to remain within a particular school boundary, confirm the assignment for the address through the district. Use the school year relevant to your move when discussing the property.
At Conner Construction, we help homeowners understand what building on a property would require before design begins. We have worked throughout Utah County and the surrounding area for more than 15 years. Our design-build process begins with a review of the lot and the home you want to build, along with the budget you want to maintain.
If you are still gathering ideas, browse our completed projects to see the homes we have built.
When you are ready to discuss a location or a property, contact our team to schedule a consultation. We can review what you have in mind and explain how to begin planning your custom home.