ACH Custom Homes
Custom
Luxury custom homes in Bluffton, on Hilton Head and around the Lowcountry. It works with Arkiteknic, the design firm that shares its Johnston Way office.
Bluffton Home Builders
Thirteen custom and semi-custom home builders with offices in Bluffton, SC, plus the national builders selling new homes in the town’s planned neighborhoods.
Custom Home Builders in Bluffton, SC
Alphabetical, and every listing is free. These companies build custom homes in Bluffton, SC, most of them inside the gated communities, and most work on Hilton Head too.
AR Homes – Blue Ocean Luxury Homes
Semi-custom
The local builder for Arthur Rutenberg Homes (AR Homes): luxury houses from a library of plans, customized for each client and built on your lot or in a community.
Bellwether Design + Build
Custom and semi-custom
A female-led builder of luxury custom homes, designed with partner architects, plus a portfolio of plans you can customize for a faster start. Also renovates. Works in Bluffton, on Hilton Head, in Okatie and around Beaufort.
Brighton Builders
Custom
Ben Kennedy’s company builds luxury custom homes and has won Lighthouse Awards and HBA of South Carolina Pinnacle Awards. It also takes on major remodels.
Coastal Signature Homes
Custom
Custom homes and renovations across the Lowcountry, from a team with more than 35 years of building here. Its projects include homes on Spring Island and in Sea Pines.
Eco Coastal Homes
Custom
The Lowcountry arm of Eco Custom Homes, an Atlanta builder known for sustainable, energy-efficient houses. Builds custom homes and handles major renovations and additions.
Full Circle Development
Custom
Design-build custom homes in Bluffton and on Hilton Head, led by Matt Bader, plus renovations, additions and commercial projects.
H2 Builders
Custom
Luxury custom homes in Bluffton and on Hilton Head, with recent homes in Palmetto Bluff, Colleton River, Long Cove and Indigo Run. Offers a homesite analysis before you buy a lot.
Hackett Homes & Construction
Custom
Cameron Hackett’s family-run company, building custom homes and handling remodels across Beaufort County, Bluffton and Hilton Head.
Kendrick Design-Build
Custom
Luxury custom homes and renovations in Palmetto Bluff, Oldfield, Colleton River, Berkeley Hall and on Hilton Head, from a team led by Mark Kendrick.
Paparone & Rollins
Custom
A custom home builder on May River Road and a member of Palmetto Bluff’s Builder Guild, building in Bluffton and across the Lowcountry.
Randy Jeffcoat Builders
Custom
A design-build company that has built custom homes in Bluffton and on Hilton Head since 1973, with model homes and a library of house plans to start from.
Southern Coastal Homes
Custom
Design-build custom homes and remodeling from an office in Old Town, with homes in Palmetto Bluff, Belfair, Colleton River, Hampton Lake and on Hilton Head.
Production Home Builders in Bluffton, SC
The national builders sell finished and to-be-built homes from their own floor plans in the planned neighborhoods off SC 46 and SC 170. Pulte is building Midpoint at New Riverside, and Del Webb built Sun City Hilton Head. More national builders have neighborhoods just over the county line in Hardeeville.
The Lakes at New Riverside
K. Hovnanian Homes · Production
A master-planned K. Hovnanian neighborhood of one- and two-story homes in New Riverside, a short drive from Old Town. Build from a floor plan or buy a quick move-in home.
Four Seasons at Carolina Oaks
K. Hovnanian Homes · Production, 55-plus
A gated 55-plus neighborhood of single-family homes on the Okatie side of Bluffton, with a clubhouse, pools, a fitness center, and tennis and pickleball courts.
Building a Custom Home in Bluffton: What to Know
Most custom homes in Bluffton go up inside a gated community, on a lot you buy first. Each step below adds time to the schedule, so ask any builder how they handle it before you sign.
The community’s approved builders. The gated communities have architectural review boards that approve the plans, the colors and the landscaping, and some keep a list of builders allowed to work there. Palmetto Bluff runs a Builder Guild. Ask a builder which communities they have built in recently, and ask the community for its list before you choose.
Old Town. A new house in the historic district also goes before the Town of Bluffton’s Historic Preservation Commission, which reviews how it looks from the street. Southern Coastal Homes, whose office is in Old Town, has built there.
Permits. Inside the town limits, building permits come from the Town of Bluffton. Much of the area with a Bluffton address is outside them, and there the permit comes from Beaufort County, or from Jasper County across the county line.
Flood zones and wind. Lots near the May River, the Colleton River and the marshes can sit in a FEMA flood zone, which sets how high the first floor must be. The coast is also built to high wind-load standards, which shows up in the roof, the windows and the price.
The license. Residential builders in South Carolina are licensed by the Residential Builders Commission. Look the company up on the SC Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation’s license search before you sign.
Custom Lots Inside Sun City: Riverbend
Most of Sun City Hilton Head is Del Webb production housing. Riverbend, a gated neighborhood inside it with its own guard gate, clubhouse, pool and dock, is the exception: it allows custom-built homes on larger lots, under its own design guidelines.
Still looking for land or a finished house? Start with homes for sale in Bluffton. Building on Hilton Head instead? See our guide to home builders in Hilton Head Island. The Home Builders Association of the Lowcountry, which covers Beaufort and Jasper counties, keeps a longer member directory.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who builds custom homes in Bluffton, SC?
The builders on this page with Bluffton offices are ACH Custom Homes, AR Homes – Blue Ocean Luxury Homes, Bellwether Design + Build, Brighton Builders, Coastal Signature Homes, Eco Coastal Homes, Full Circle Development, H2 Builders, Hackett Homes & Construction, Kendrick Design-Build, Paparone & Rollins, Randy Jeffcoat Builders and Southern Coastal Homes. The Home Builders Association of the Lowcountry’s member directory lists more.
What is the difference between a custom, semi-custom and production builder?
A custom builder builds a house designed for you, usually with an architect, on a lot you own. A semi-custom builder starts from its own library of plans and changes them to suit you. A production builder sells homes from a set of floor plans in a neighborhood it is developing, with a menu of options and finishes.
Can I use any builder in Palmetto Bluff or the other gated communities?
Not always. The gated communities approve the plans through an architectural review board, and some keep a list of approved builders; Palmetto Bluff runs a Builder Guild. Ask the community for its list before you choose a builder.
Where can I build a custom home in Sun City Hilton Head?
In Riverbend, a gated neighborhood inside Sun City with its own gate, clubhouse, pool and dock. It allows custom-built homes on larger lots under its own design guidelines. The rest of Sun City is Del Webb production housing.
Which national builders are building in Bluffton?
K. Hovnanian is building The Lakes at New Riverside and the 55-plus Four Seasons at Carolina Oaks, and Pulte is building Midpoint at New Riverside. Del Webb built Sun City Hilton Head. More national builders have neighborhoods just over the county line in Hardeeville.
How do I check a builder’s license in South Carolina?
Search the company or the owner’s name on the SC Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (LLR) license lookup. Residential builders are licensed by its Residential Builders Commission.
How do I get a builder added to this page?
Email info@hhi.com with the company name, office address, phone number and website. Listings are free.
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