Pre-Design Feasibility Report

We pulled public records for your land on October 13, 2026: the state parcel map, federal flood maps, USDA soil data, USGS lidar elevations, wetland maps, state geology and sinkhole records, the county land use map, and recent home sales nearby. Each key fact carries a tag so you know how solid it is.

Verifiedfrom an official recordCalculatedour math from verified dataAssumptiona planning numberConfirmneeds a call or a test

The five things to settle first

1. A real builder price. Our estimate uses Florida mid range finishes at about $150 per square foot. A builder's price confirms it.
2. The appraisal and loan amount. New homes of similar size on about 5 acres nearby sold for roughly $300K to $350K. If your appraisal lands below your total cost, the bank lends less. Ask your lender to count the well, septic, driveway, and clearing you already paid for as equity.
3. The low corner. Lidar shows a bowl about 18 feet deep centered on the lot next door, with its rim inside your corner near the road. It looks like a karst depression, which is common here. A quick ground test at the house spot (ground penetrating radar or two soil borings) answers it. Your septic sits upslope of it; keep any future septic repair area uphill too.
4. Your septic site plan. Your system is permitted for 4 bedrooms, so Blazing Star's 3 bedrooms fit with room to spare. Confirm our house spot matches the permit's site plan.
5. The subdivision's written approval step. We read the recorded restrictions for your subdivision (1993, renewed automatically every 10 years and still in force). They do not ban metal or post frame homes, and the only size rule is a 420 sq ft minimum. They do require one step: before building, send the developer a written request for approval. If the developer does not answer within 30 days, approval is not needed. Send it by certified mail now so the clock runs while you get prices.

Very likely yes, with the items below confirmed. Florida uses one statewide building code, so a post frame home with metal roofing is permitted like any other house once a Florida engineer seals the design.

Permit path, in order

1. Subdivision approval request and survey. Send the developer the written approval request by certified mail (30 day clock); a surveyor sets the corners and stakes the house.
2. Septic sign-off. The health department confirms your installed system covers Blazing Star. Your well and driveway are already done.
3. Building permit. Suwannee County Building Department, with sealed plans. Your builder applies.
4. Inspections, then certificate of occupancy. The county inspects through the build; the certificate lets you move in.

Allowed to build, septic approved, permit issued, loan closed, and certificate of occupancy are five separate steps. One does not prove the next.

You came in looking at Barn Raising, our 4 bedroom, 2,610 square foot plan. It fits the land, but it runs about $550K all in, even with your site work done, far past your loan. Blazing Star keeps the porch and open kitchen you liked at about half the size.

Bars show low to high total cost to move in; the black tick is the most likely total. Your existing well, septic, driveway, and clearing count as $0 in every row; only the house and finish level change.

This is an early estimate, not a builder's price. The home line uses Florida mid range finished pricing of $130, $150, and $185 per heated square foot. Your well, septic, driveway, and clearing are already paid for, so they show as $0 and stay out of the loan. Every line shows its basis.

Banks lend based on what the finished home appraises for. These are recent qualified sales of homes built in 2012 or later, on 2 acres or more, within about 12 miles:

Source: Florida Department of Revenue 2026 parcel roll, qualified sales. Addresses withheld. These are conventional homes; true barndo sales nearby are scarce, which is common.

Questions to bring to your lender of choice

• Do you lend on post frame homes, and how does your appraiser pick comparable sales?
• What is your maximum loan as a share of the finished, appraised value?
• Can the balance on my land be paid off at closing inside the construction loan?
• Will you count the well, septic, driveway, and clearing I paid for as equity?
• How do draws and draw inspections work, and is there an interest reserve?
• Do you require a contingency reserve, and how much?

We do not recommend a specific lender. Use any lender you choose.

likely rangeif things run slow

Likely total: about 12 to 13 months. Slow case: up to 19 months. These are estimates, not a builder's or county's commitment. The construction schedule belongs to your licensed builder.

Decisions you need to make, and when

• This week: yes to a builder introduction, and mail the subdivision approval request.
• Within a month: finish level, once the builder's price comes back.
• Before plans are drawn: porch and shop wishes, and the final house spot after the survey.

Expect a schedule, milestone updates, draw packages, inspection results, and site photos from your builder. Binding answers come from the county building department, your attorney, your lender, your builder, and a licensed engineer.

1. Say yes to a builder introduction for Blazing Star. Our builder partners are affiliated with National Barndos. You are free to use any licensed builder. Cost: nothing.
2. Mail the subdivision approval request to the developer by certified mail. If there is no answer in 30 days, approval is not needed. Cost: postage.
3. Get a lender pre-approval and ask what loan amount they expect after the appraisal.
4. Find your septic permit and site plan so we can confirm the house spot.
5. Once the price and loan work, order the house stakeout and ground test. About $1,000 to $7,000 together, mostly the ground test.
6. Buy the Blazing Star construction set and have it sealed by a Florida engineer.