SDB+D

A design-build-development firm handles every phase of a project from raw land through finished structure under one contract and one accountable team. A traditional builder takes a finished, entitled lot and constructs a home. A design-build firm combines design and construction. A design-build-development firm goes further: it acquires or evaluates land, develops the infrastructure (water, power, sewer, OSSF), handles municipal entitlement and variances, coordinates financing, designs the home (in-house or with an architect), and builds it. SDB+D is one of the few Austin firms providing all three phases under a single accountable contract.

A custom home builder constructs a house on a lot you already own or have purchased ready-to-build. A design-build firm adds design coordination. A design-build-development firm — like SDB+D — adds the development phase: finding the right land, evaluating it for buildability, handling infrastructure such as water, power, sewer and OSSF septic systems, securing municipal approvals and variances, coordinating SBA or conventional construction financing, and only then moving to design and construction. The key difference is single-point accountability across the entire process rather than coordinating multiple firms.

Yes. SDB+D provides site evaluation and acquisition support as part of our development services. We evaluate parcels for buildability factors including topography, utility access, OSSF feasibility for sites without municipal sewer, drainage and flood risk, entitlement constraints, easements, and access. For Hill Country properties — including Lake Travis, Spicewood, Dripping Springs, and Wimberley — these factors are often the difference between a viable build and an expensive surprise. We work alongside luxury land brokers and can advise before, during, or after a land purchase.

Six things, and SDB+D handles all of them under one contract on raw land in Dripping Springs, Driftwood, Wimberley, Spicewood, Bee Cave, Lakeway, and the Hill Country west of Austin. A land survey, so boundaries, easements, and setbacks are known before anything is sited. Land clearing and grading for the house, the driveway, and drainage, planned together so nothing is built twice. Water: a drilled well where that’s the right answer, placed to keep the required distance from the septic field, or another water source where it isn’t. A septic system (an OSSF in county terms), engineered and permitted through the county. The soil and slope decide whether it can be a conventional (anaerobic) system or must be aerobic, often with spray or drip dispersal. A conventional system often needs a pump here too, so both need power, but it has far fewer moving parts and is less likely to break. Hays and Travis County both require ongoing maintenance for aerobic and drip systems, starting with a two-year contract with a licensed provider when the permit is issued. Power to the lot, through Pedernales Electric Cooperative or Austin Energy, both of which have their own process to start and close out; we run it. And the land loan, which we arrange alongside the construction loan so the site work is financed from the start. Only then does the house go up.

Yes. SDB+D handles On-Site Sewage Facility (OSSF) design and installation coordination, well water and groundwater planning, electrical service extension, and propane and natural gas service coordination. Most Texas Hill Country sites lack municipal utilities, which means a custom home there requires substantial infrastructure work before construction can begin. Many builders avoid raw Hill Country land for this reason. Integrated infrastructure capability is a core part of why SDB+D positions as a development-through-build firm rather than a traditional custom builder.

Yes. SDB+D arranges financing that covers the whole project, from the land loan through the construction loan and the permanent mortgage, through several Texas lenders we are approved with. For larger residential projects that includes one-time close construction-to-permanent and custom jumbo loans. Commercial projects are financed through SBA or conventional loans. Financing is planned alongside design and permitting, so the loan structure matches how the project is actually built.

Through a survey, a plat, and approvals from the county, the city where it applies, and the utilities. SDB+D runs that process and then builds on the lots, under one contract. Example: a 3-acre Lake Travis waterfront property that SDB+D split into three 1-acre lots. Waterfront on Lake Travis is rare and expensive to subdivide, and the owner had been told the property could not be split. SDB+D got it done through approvals and extended negotiations with the LCRA, Travis County, the fire marshal, and every utility serving the site. SDB+D then built a home on one lot, and the owner sold the other two for a return per lot far above what the undivided property was worth. We don’t know of another Austin builder that both subdivides lakefront property and builds on it. Our City of Austin SMBR certification includes land subdivision (NAICS 237210).

Yes — ground-up, either within your project or as a standalone build for larger shops (small standalone shops are typically not a cost-effective fit). SDB+D handles the complete scope of a residential metal shop: foundation and steel planning, all utilities including sizing, calculating and building long utility line runs (including a 750-foot run), and proper water flashing and drainage — a detail on metal buildings that most builders cannot execute.

Yes, fully custom. Unlike kit buildings, every SDB+D barndominium or shop with living quarters is designed from scratch around the owner and the site, and finished to a luxury standard: the look, layout, and finishes of a custom home inside a metal building. We build metal shops with finished living quarters, including accessory dwelling units, and full barndominium-style homes, engineered and built like our custom homes: foundation and steel planning, all utilities, insulation, drainage, and permitting. They can also be built for energy independence, with solar panels, backup batteries, and standby generators that we coordinate and build out as part of the project. We also arrange the financing, the same way we do for our custom homes. If the lowest price per square foot is the main goal, a kit supplier will be a better fit.

Yes — as part of your project, not as a standalone service. When a pool is included in an SDB+D custom home or commercial project, we deliver the full scope under the same single contract: engineering, city permitting, financing coordination, and construction. Every SDB+D pool is also inspected by an independent third-party certified pool inspector — a step most pool companies skip — verifying the pool was built with quality, consistency, and to code. As one Austin real estate agent put it in a Google review: “He can take a project from the initial concept through design, engineering, financing, permitting, and construction, making what can often feel like an overwhelming process much easier for the homeowner.”

Yes — and we collaborate with architects regularly. SDB+D has worked with leading Austin residential architects including Nick Deaver, Dick Clark, Dan Sater, Nana Kim of 9 Square Studio, Donald Gardner, and Cornerstone Group Architects. We diligently review drawings to understand every aspect of the architect's design, raise constructability questions early, and work to preserve design intent through value engineering rather than around it. Architects often recommend SDB+D specifically because we won't “value engineer away” the architecture.

SDB+D has collaborated with notable Austin and Texas residential architects including Nick Deaver, Dick Clark, Dan Sater, Nana Kim of 9 Square Studio, Donald Gardner, and Cornerstone Group Architects. Past projects span Rollingwood, Pemberton Heights, Shoal Creek, the Arboretum, Barton Creek, and Pedernales River sites. Project credits are available on the projects page. Architect and client references are available upon request with the architect's and client's consent.

SDB+D's average contract size exceeds $500,000. Development-scale projects — those including land acquisition, infrastructure work, and full custom construction — have reached $3,000,000 and beyond. We do not publish fixed price-per-square-foot estimates because every project varies based on site conditions, design complexity, finish level, and whether development work is required. We provide detailed pre-construction budgeting that accounts for the actual scope of each engagement.

SDB+D serves Austin, Westlake, Bee Cave, Lakeway, Rollingwood, Tarrytown, Pemberton Heights, Shoal Creek, Barton Creek, Northwest Hills, and the broader Texas Hill Country including Lake Travis, Spicewood, Dripping Springs, Wimberley, and the Pedernales River corridor. We also serve City of Dallas projects as we are City of Austin and City of Dallas qualified.

SBA 504 and 7(a) loans are most commonly used for commercial development, mixed-use projects, and live-work properties rather than purely residential custom homes. For owner-occupied custom homes, traditional construction-to-permanent loans are more common. SDB+D's principal serves as an SBA construction finance coordinator for design-build and development projects where SBA financing applies — typically commercial, mixed-use, or business-related construction. We can advise on financing structure and coordinate with lenders during the development phase.

Yes. SDB+D builds out restaurant, retail, and office spaces in Austin, plus commercial additions, in the $350,000 to $1 million range. We handle the City of Austin commercial plan review, permits, inspections, and the certificate of occupancy. Recent examples include Cafe Largesse, a first-generation restaurant build-out with full permitting, architectural and engineering design, and SBA financing, Skyline Salon, and Hummingbird House. SBA or conventional financing can be arranged as part of the project.

Yes. SDB+D has done it: Cafe Largesse, a first-generation restaurant build-out with full permitting, architectural and engineering design, and SBA financing. We work directly with SBA lenders: we prepare the project budget the SBA requires, structure the financing alongside the design, and handle the lender’s construction draws and inspections, so the budget, the lender’s requirements, and the construction schedule match from the start. SDB+D has completed SBA-financed construction and meets SBA lenders’ contractor requirements; few Austin builders have that track record. We also handle the City of Austin commercial plan review, permits, inspections, and certificate of occupancy through opening.

SMBR (the City’s Small & Minority Business Resources department) certifies a business after reviewing its ownership, management, and financials — for SDB+D this required five years of company tax returns and City interviews. Our certification carries scope codes for new single-family construction (NAICS 236115) and land subdivision (NAICS 237210), and makes us eligible to bid City of Austin projects. It does not rate construction quality — for that, see our permit history and references. SDB+D is also audited for compliance by the City of Austin, our insurance carriers, our lenders, and on SBA projects, covering payroll; OSHA, depending on the location and size of the project; insurance coverage for everyone who works on a project; TDLR licensing where required; and state ADA compliance where it applies. SDB+D projects also include inspections by structural engineers. SDB+D carries general liability and workers’ compensation insurance; certificates are available on request.

Every SDB+D project starts with a fixed-price contract that itemizes the work, with allowances only where a selection hasn’t been made yet. You receive cost summaries on a schedule set by the size of the project, showing what has been billed, what remains, and any change orders. If a site condition or a client decision changes the scope, it becomes a written change order with the cost and the options, and nothing proceeds until you authorize it. After move-in, SDB+D’s own team covers warranty items for one year.

SDB+D serves clients who value discretion as highly as craftsmanship. We publish client names only with their permission, as on our Clients page and in our Google reviews; addresses and identifying project details stay out of our website, marketing materials, and press. Project galleries reference neighborhoods and architects rather than owners. NDAs are standard for clients who request them. Architect collaborations and client references are made available on request, with the architect's and client's express consent. Privacy is a core part of how we operate, not a feature we add.

Yes. Structural Design Build + Development (SDB+D) is one of few Austin firms holding City of Austin SMBR certification with scope codes for both new single-family construction (NAICS 236115) and land subdivision (NAICS 237210), taking clients from raw land acquisition through a finished custom home under a single accountable contract.

SDB+D handles the full cycle for Hill Country land — site evaluation, water, power, sewer and OSSF infrastructure, municipal entitlement, and luxury custom construction — under one firm.

Variance hearings address requested deviations from zoning or building code requirements — for example, setback reductions, height variances, impervious cover adjustments, or use changes. Municipal entitlement is the broader process of obtaining all regulatory approvals needed before construction begins: zoning, site plan approval, watershed compliance, environmental review, and permits. SDB+D's principal has expertise in permit coordination, expediting, and variance hearing preparation, which is often critical for difficult Hill Country sites, infill lots with non-standard conditions, and historic-district remodels.