Custom Homes and Whole-Home Remodeling in Spicewood, Texas
Owner-run custom builds and whole-home remodels across Spicewood's lake-area communities and Hill Country acreage.
A budget range and a straight read on scope, at no cost and with no obligation.
Riverbend Hill Country Homes builds custom homes and whole-home remodels in Spicewood, Texas, across its lake-area communities, its Burnet and Travis County acreage, and the surrounding Hill Country land. Vanessa Harris owns the company, and she and her husband Dan run their projects in person from their home base in Dripping Springs, an easy drive away.
4.8⭐ on Google
$1.3M featured remodel in San Marcos
Google review from a project architect
Owner-led job sites
What We Confirm on a Spicewood Lot First
The county line runs through the Spicewood area, the water provider changes from street to street, and septic answers to different authorities depending on where you are. Which combination applies to your lot depends on where it sits.
We find out which office governs your parcel, where the water comes from, and how septic has to work. You get all three answers in plain language from Vanessa and Dan on your first visit, before design starts.
When your parcel's water source or septic path adds cost or time, you hear that on the same visit, with the reasons behind it.
The Finish Level We Hold on Every House
These interiors are our own finished work: a whole-home remodel in San Marcos, photographed as the project wrapped.
One Zip Code, Several Permitting Authorities
Two lots a mile apart can fall under different counties, different water providers, and different septic authorities, and none of that appears on the plat.
We confirm which rules apply to your land before drawings begin.
Which County, and Which Office
Spicewood proper sits in unincorporated Burnet County, where Development Services requires a building permit and a separate septic permit. Part of the same mailing area falls in Travis County, and pockets sit inside the Village of Briarcliff or the City of Double Horn, each running its own permitting. We confirm which office governs your parcel before anything else gets scheduled.
Where Your Water Comes From
There is no single Spicewood water system. Some lots draw from a subdivision provider, others from a district connected to the Lower Colorado River Authority, and some acreage parcels rely on a private well. Wells on either side of the county line must be registered with a groundwater conservation district, and some require a permit before drilling. We confirm early which of those applies to your lot, so the budget reflects your parcel.
Septic Follows the County Line Too
On the Burnet County side, a licensed site evaluator inspects the soil and reports the system type before a permit is issued. On the Travis County side, the county generally permits and inspects the work directly, except near Lake Travis, where the Lower Colorado River Authority can hold that role instead. We identify the correct path and build the septic timeline into your schedule from day one.
Flood Maps, Wildfire History, and the Soil Underneath
Spicewood has only a few feet of soil over limestone in most places. The soil is too thin to hold much water, so rain sheds off the ridges instead of soaking in. Parts of the mailing area near Lake Travis and the Pedernales River carry mapped flood exposure, and a fire ran through more than 6,500 acres here in 2011. We read the rock and the drainage off your own lot and price the site work from what is there.
Outdoor Lighting in the Gated Communities
Spicewood has no countywide outdoor-lighting ordinance, and several gated communities set their own standards through architectural review. Those standards can require shielded, downward-facing fixtures and warm color temperatures. Where your community has one, we design to it from the first drawing and submit the lighting plan for review.
Where We Build in Spicewood
Barton Creek Lakeside sits in one county, Windermere Oaks in another, and the Village of Briarcliff issues its own permits. Tell us the community and we will tell you which office issues your permit.
- Barton Creek LakesideEvery new home goes through architectural review; production and generic build-on-your-lot builders are not admitted
- Spicewood TrailsCustom acreage homesites; owners may bring their own builder or choose a featured one
- Lakecliff on Lake TravisGated waterfront neighborhood, built out with custom homes
- The Reserve at Lake TravisCustom-built homes and acreage homesites on the Travis County side of Spicewood
- Windermere OaksRecorded covenants and an architectural-review application for new construction
- Travis ClubCustom homesites on Lake Travis, built through the community's development process
Several Spicewood communities run new construction through their own architectural review, and a few restrict which builders may work inside their gates. We confirm your community's rule before you commit to a lot, then handle the submittal for you.
What a Build Costs in Spicewood, and What the County Line Adds
What a Spicewood build costs in total depends on the county, the water provider, and the septic path. We settle all three before we quote, so the number reflects your parcel.
Ground-up
New Custom Home
$325-$800+ / sq ft
- 14 to 20 months, contract to completion
- Jurisdiction, water source, and septic path scoped on the first visit
- Vanessa and Dan on site from the first visit through the final walkthrough
Whole house
Whole-Home Remodel
$325-$650+ / sq ft of remodeled area
- 12 to 24 months, typically
- At least 20 percent contingency, in writing, before the first wall comes down
- Community architectural review, where it applies, carried by us
Kitchen or primary suite (4 to 9 months)$300-$800+ / sq ft
In Spicewood, the per-square-foot figure leaves out what your parcel requires on top of it: the water source, the septic path, and the site conditions, all of which vary by lot. We price your land after we have walked it with you. For the full detail on each service, see custom home building and luxury home remodeling.
Vanessa and Dan Run Your Spicewood Build
Vanessa runs the client side and the finish decisions. Dan runs the field. They are on your Spicewood project every week. The two who confirm your jurisdiction, your water source, and your septic path on the first visit stay your direct point of contact through framing, through the finish work, and at the final walkthrough.
Vanessa built resort spas for hotel brands before this, work where a bad tile edge gets written up before the doors open. Your home gets that same standard.
Spicewood Questions
Who issues my building permit in Spicewood?
More than one office issues building permits here. Spicewood proper sits in unincorporated Burnet County, where Development Services requires a building or development permit plus a septic permit, but part of the Spicewood mailing area falls in Travis County instead, and a few parcels sit inside the Village of Briarcliff or the City of Double Horn, each with its own permitting process. We start from the parcel itself, so you know which office you are dealing with before design begins.
Will my Spicewood property have a well or public water?
Spicewood has no townwide water system. Some subdivisions run on providers such as Barton Creek Lakeside's system, Windermere Oaks Water Supply, or LCRA-connected districts, while some acreage parcels rely on a private well. Wells on either side of the county line must be registered with a groundwater conservation district, and some require a drilling permit before work starts.
What septic rules apply to a Spicewood build?
Septic follows the same county line as your building permit. On the Burnet County side, a licensed site evaluator inspects the soil and site and reports the system type before Development Services will issue an OSSF permit. On the Travis County side, the county generally permits and inspects septic work directly, except in certain properties near Lake Travis where LCRA holds that authority instead. We confirm the correct path before design.
What does Spicewood's terrain add to the cost of a build?
More than the price per square foot shows. The ground here is shallow soil over limestone, usually only a few feet down. The soil is too thin to hold much water, so rain runs off the ridges instead of soaking in. Parts of Spicewood near Lake Travis and the Pedernales River also carry mapped flood exposure, and wildfire has run through this area before. Site work and drainage are priced from your own lot.
Are there dark sky or outdoor lighting rules in Spicewood?
No countywide ordinance governs outdoor lighting here, and several gated Spicewood communities set their own standards through an architectural committee, which can require shielded, downward-facing fixtures and warm color temperatures. We design to your community's standard from the first drawing.
Do Spicewood's gated communities require their own builder approval?
Some do, and some do not. A community such as Barton Creek Lakeside runs every new home through architectural review and does not allow production or generic build-on-your-lot builders, while others let an owner bring the builder of their choice, subject to design review. We confirm your community's rule before you commit to a lot.
What does it cost to build a custom home in Spicewood?
New construction runs $325 to $800+ per square foot at comparable finish levels, with structural steel and architectural complexity at the top of the range. In Spicewood, the water source, the septic path, and the rock and flood conditions of your parcel are priced on top of that range. We put a figure to them after walking your land.
Schedule Your Spicewood Consultation
Tell us about your Spicewood land and where your project stands today.
Call us or send the form and we will follow up personally.
Vanessa answers this number, weekdays 9 to 5.