A house planned around you
Style, size, and must-haves come first. We turn that into a clear scope before construction starts.
Custom Homes · Malad City, Idaho
A custom home builder in southern Idaho
Total Construction builds custom homes — and we still take the repairs, remodels, and handyman work. If you are ready for a new house in Malad City, Idaho, Oneida County, or nearby, start here.
Overview
A house planned around the way you live
We learn the lot and the budget, confirm the site can support the house, price a clear scope, then build it and walk it with you.
One builder, coordinated trades
Foundation through finish, with licensed partners for electrical, plumbing, HVAC, and roofing when the plan needs them.
Malad City and southern Idaho
Custom homes in Malad City, Oneida County, and nearby communities — the same local crew behind our repair and remodel work.
The process
How a custom home build works
Six steps, in plain language. Rural lots around Malad City, Idaho often need site work before a hammer swings — we talk about that up front.
Inquiry and walkthrough
Call or send a new home inquiry with the lot, the size you have in mind, and a budget range. When we can, we walk the property with you. That conversation is how we learn the job. It does not create a contract.
Site readiness
Before a start date, the lot has to be able to take a house. We look at access for deliveries, power, and whether water and wastewater are already handled. No city sewer usually means a perc test and a septic plan. No city water usually means a well. County and health-district rules decide what has to be done first.
Design and scope
Plans, selections, and a written estimate come before construction. You see what is included, from the foundation through the finishes, so the price matches the house.
Contract and start
When the scope is clear, we put the agreement and the schedule in writing. A deposit — ACH or check — holds the start and covers the first phase of materials and trades. You review the actual agreement before you sign. This page is not that document.
The build
Work follows a set order so the house goes together cleanly. Licensed trade partners cover electrical, plumbing, HVAC, and roofing when the plan needs them. We keep you posted as each phase closes.
- Site work
- Foundation
- Framing
- Mechanicals
- Insulation & drywall
- Finishes
Walkthrough and handoff
We walk the finished house with you, write down anything still open, and complete that punch list before handoff.
The inquiry does not create a contract.
Also on the list
Repairs and remodels, same standard
Building a custom home is the large end of the work. The same crew still handles handyman repairs, remodels, and the smaller jobs that keep a house solid. One local builder for both.
See repair and remodel services →FAQ
Questions homeowners ask first
Straight answers for building on a southern Idaho lot — septic, wells, timing, and how to start. Call (208) 915-0346 if yours is not here.
What is a perc test?
A perc test — short for percolation test — measures how fast the soil on your lot absorbs water. Someone digs test holes, saturates them, and times the drop. If the property needs a septic system, the approval path in Idaho is a site evaluation by the local public health district — Southeastern Idaho Public Health in Oneida County. They use that perc result, or a soil evaluation, to decide whether a drain field will work and how large it has to be. It should happen before the house plan is locked in. A poor result can move the house, change the system, or show that the lot is a hard place to build. We will tell you on the walkthrough if yours is still outstanding.
Do I need a septic system or a well?
Only if city utilities do not serve the lot. In Malad City, many in-town properties are already on municipal water and sewer. A lot of land in Oneida County and the rest of southern Idaho is not. Those lots need an approved water source — usually a private well — and a septic system approved through a health-district site evaluation. Some parcels already have both. We sort out what is there, and what still has to be permitted, before anyone talks about a foundation date.
Should I buy the land before talking to a builder?
Better to talk first when you can. A walkthrough or a call before you close can catch a perc or septic problem, a missing well, weak access, setbacks, or utilities that make a cheap lot expensive. If you already own the land, we still start with that same site check. Call (208) 915-0346 or send a new home inquiry. Sending the form does not create a contract.
Can I start building before septic approval?
Usually no, on a rural lot that needs a septic system. In Oneida County and nearby southern Idaho, Southeastern Idaho Public Health — or the local public health district, if the lot is outside that area — has to approve the system. County rules expect approved sewage disposal before a home can be occupied, and the site evaluation and septic permit typically have to clear before, or at least ahead of, a solid building-permit path. Starting the house before that approval can waste money if the drain field cannot go where you planned. We sequence site readiness first.
How long does a custom home take?
There is no single timeline. After the building permit is issued and the lot is ready, many custom homes in southern Idaho take about 9 to 14 months to finish. Plans, a perc test, septic approval, a well, and permit review all happen before that clock, and a raw lot often adds months. Weather, selection lead times, and inspections move the date too. The estimate includes a schedule for your property instead of a stock promise.
What is the difference between a custom home and a remodel?
A custom home is a new house, built from the ground up on your lot — site work, foundation, framing, and everything inside. A remodel changes a house that is already standing: a kitchen, a bath, an addition, or a repair. Same crew and the same standard. The path in is different.
Do you also do repairs and remodels?
Yes. A custom home is the large end of the work. We still take handyman repairs, remodels, and the smaller jobs that keep a house solid.
How do I get started?
Call (208) 915-0346 or send a new home inquiry. Tell us where the lot is, about how big the house should be, and a budget range. We follow up from Malad City, Idaho. Sending the form starts a conversation. It does not create a contract.
Are you licensed and insured?
Yes. Total Construction is an Idaho-registered contractor, Reg. #8071698, and we carry liability insurance. Electrical, plumbing, HVAC, and roofing are done by licensed trade partners when the plan calls for them.
Who handles the building permit?
We coordinate the building permit with the city or county where the lot sits — often Malad City or Oneida County. Septic approval through the public health district, a well permit, and legal access can be separate, and some of them need to start before we can file. On the walkthrough we list what is already done and what is still open, so nothing important is assumed.
What if my land is raw?
Raw land is normal out here. Before a foundation date, a lot usually needs legal access for trucks and concrete, a plan for water and wastewater, power to the site, and a building spot that works with the grade and the setbacks. We look at those on the first visit. If the driveway, perc test, or well is still ahead of you, we say so before we talk about a start.
How do payments work?
Before work starts we agree on a payment schedule. A deposit is taken before each build phase so materials and trades for that phase are covered, and we do not start a phase until that deposit clears. ACH or check is how we prefer to be paid. The inquiry form does not lock a price or create a contract.
Start the conversation
Share the lot, the size, and the budget. We will follow up from Malad City, Idaho. The inquiry does not create a contract.