Melbourne, FL · Brevard County
Build in Melbourne. Keep the builder's margin.
Construction Management in Melbourne, FL: Build at Real Cost
Looking at new homes in Melbourne, FL? You can build your own instead. We manage your build on your lot anywhere in the City of Melbourne, from an infill lot in an established neighborhood to Eau Gallie or a planned community, at real cost plus one fixed fee. You see every quote and every bill, and you follow your single-story home from anywhere, or visit it in person whenever you want.
- 1fixed fee
- 4milestone payments
- ~7 mo.target after permits
- 100%digital process
Photo: Leonard J. DeFrancisci / CC BY-SA 3.0, cropped
Reviewed by Mauricio Salas, Certified General Contractor (FL license CGC1509510)· Updated
Why Melbourne
Why build in Melbourne, the Space Coast's Harbor City
Melbourne is one of the most established cities on the Space Coast and the second largest in Brevard County. Most of the city is already built, so new homes here usually go up on infill lots in established neighborhoods, close to everything the city already has. That's where building your own, on your lot and with your plans, can make sense.
- On the Indian River Lagoon: most of the city sits on the mainland along the lagoon, north of Palm Bay, with a small part on the barrier island.
- Easy to reach: Melbourne Orlando International Airport is inside the city, and I-95 runs just to the west.
- Two historic towns in one: Melbourne became a town in 1888 and merged with Eau Gallie in 1969, a merger that doubled the size of the city.
- Room to build: infill lots across established neighborhoods, plus planned communities, all inside one city with one building department.
City population: U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 population estimate (July 2025). Past trends don't guarantee future results, and this isn't investment advice.
Home builders vs. construction management
New home builders in Melbourne, FL sell you a price. We show you the cost.
In Melbourne, most new homes come from builders with a handful of floor plans and a set price, in planned communities or on infill lots across the city. That price carries the builder's margin inside every material and trade. With construction management, you build on your own lot with plans that fit your goal, and the project stays yours: we plan, hire and supervise vetted subcontractors for you, at real cost.
Buying from a home builder
The usual way- One price, with the builder's margin inside every material and trade
- You don't see what each subcontractor really charges
- Updates arrive when the builder decides to send them
- At closing, you get the keys
Construction management with Smart Builds
The smart way- Real cost: materials and labor, plus one fixed fee
- Every quote and every bill, shared in your investor portal
- A live camera on your site from the foundation, plus milestone updates
- Subcontractors paid only after we inspect and approve the work
- At closing: keys, Certificate of Occupancy, a 360° virtual tour and a financial report
What about savings? We estimate that building at cost can save around 20–30% versus a builder price, even after our fee. It's a range, not a promise: the market and the finishes you choose set the final number. Our fixed fee is the one number you'll know from your first call.
Building in Melbourne
New construction in Melbourne, FL: what we check before yours starts
Melbourne is an established city: many lots sit between existing homes, on streets laid out decades ago, and some are close to the lagoon or the city's creeks. Once your contract is signed, we review your lot from the construction side, so your schedule and your budget start from real information. Every home is built to the Florida Building Code, with block walls and a roof designed for hurricane winds.
Survey, setbacks and easements
The City of Melbourne asks for a survey with every new home, showing it sits entirely on your lot, meets the setbacks for its zoning district and stays out of easements. On an infill lot between existing homes, every foot counts, so we confirm the footprint for a single-story home and adapt the plan before it goes to permit.
An older house on the lot
If your lot still has an older home on it, it needs a demolition permit, and the utilities disconnected, before the new build can start. When a new single-family home replaces an existing one, Brevard County's rules can exempt it from new residential impact fees, so we confirm what applies to your lot before you budget.
Flood zone and floor height
Parts of Melbourne near the Indian River Lagoon, the Eau Gallie River and Crane Creek are in FEMA flood zones. We check yours early, because it sets how high your floor must be, the fill and the foundation, and whether you'll need an elevation certificate.
City water and sewer, or septic
The City of Melbourne's own utility provides drinking water from Lake Washington, and the city's wastewater system serves much of Melbourne. Some lots still need a septic system, with its own permit and inspection. We find out which applies to your lot, so it's in your budget from the start.
Permit, driveway and impact fees
The City of Melbourne's own Building Section issues the permit for every new home inside city limits. The driveway needs its own permit, and impact fees, collected through Brevard County for every city in the county, are part of the permit stage. We prepare the whole package and follow it until approval.
HOA or no HOA
Many established neighborhoods in Melbourne have no HOA: you build to city rules only. Newer planned communities usually have one, with design rules. In an HOA community, your design also needs the HOA's architectural approval, so we prepare that submittal and follow it until approval, before construction starts.
No house plans yet? Bring your own, adapt an existing design or start a new one with a licensed independent engineer you hire directly.
See your options for single-story home plans →Cost to build in Melbourne
How much does it cost to build a house in Melbourne, FL?
At real cost there's no single sticker price. Your number comes from your lot, your plans, your finishes and the market when materials are bought. This is how a single-story budget usually splits, and what tends to move it in Melbourne.
How your construction budget splits (approximate)
Your general contractor gives you an approximate budget per trade, based on experience and the market. Each trade's final cost is set when it's quoted and bought.
What can move your budget in Melbourne
- Utilities: connecting to City of Melbourne water and sewer, or a septic system with its own permit and costs.
- Flood zone: the floor height, fill and foundation your lot's flood zone requires.
- Getting the lot ready: clearing an infill lot, or taking down an older house first, if there is one.
- Permit-stage costs: city permit fees, the driveway permit and impact fees collected through Brevard County.
- HOA rules: required materials or finishes in planned communities with an HOA.
- Your finishes and the market: your choices room by room, and lumber, block and steel prices that go up and down.
What stays fixed: our fee, known from your first call and paid in 4 milestones. Your 5–10% contingency stays with you, not with us.
How your build works
From a video call to your keys in Melbourne, in 3 stages
Whether your lot is an infill lot in an established neighborhood, in Eau Gallie or in a planned community, the process is the same, so you always know what's next and where your money is.
Pre-construction
A free 30-minute Strategy Session, then your contract, signed online. Nothing starts before it.
- Lot review and your house plans
- An approximate budget per trade, plus a 5–10% contingency that stays with you
- Permit package prepared and submitted for you
Construction
Every trade is quoted first. You fund that quote, the trade gets the green light, and it's paid only after we inspect the work.
- Quality control by a Certified General Contractor at every phase
- Live site cameras and your investor portal
- Visit your build anytime, or follow it online
Closing
Your home is finished, inspected and yours, with everything documented.
- Keys and the Certificate of Occupancy
- A 360° virtual tour of your finished home
- Financial report: invested vs. projected
About 7 months after permits: that's our target for a single-story home. It's a goal, not a promise, and our fixed fee means finishing on time is how we win.
See the full process, step by step →Out of state or abroad?
Build your new home in Melbourne, Florida, from anywhere
Living in another state or abroad, or just short on time? Our process is 100% digital, so you can run your Melbourne build from wherever you are, and you're always welcome on site.
Plans, signed digitally
Plans can be designed, signed and sealed digitally by a licensed independent engineer.
Contract and permits online
You sign the contract online, notarize your owner documents online, and we submit the permit for you.
Your investor portal
Quotes, bills, the timeline, photos and documents of your build, on your phone or computer.
Live site cameras
One outside from the foundation, and a second inside once the drywall is up.
A 360° virtual tour
Walk through your finished home as many times as you want, as if you were there.
English and Spanish
Our whole team is bilingual, from your first call to the keys.
Or see it in person
Visit your build whenever you want, like on any traditional build. Digital is how you follow it from anywhere, not a rule.
All construction funds come from a U.S. bank account in your name or your company's, even if you live abroad.
Who runs your build
The team behind your Melbourne build
You'll know who's in charge from day one: one point of contact for you as the owner, and two general contractors running the site. Together, 30+ years of experience.
Jorge (George) Rojas
Construction Manager
Your point of contact. 16 years managing projects; in Florida he has worked as an estimator and scheduler for a new-home builder, a construction manager and an inspector.
Mauricio Salas
General Contractor · QC & QA
Certified General Contractor, Florida license CGC1509510. Building homes since 2005, with 300+ homes in New York and Florida.
Alexander Salas
General Contractor · Field Operations
30+ projects since 2022. Handles permits, subcontractors and the selection and purchase of materials.
Melbourne questions
Building a new home in Melbourne: your questions
Straight answers about infill lots, older houses, flood zones and builders in Melbourne, FL.
Costs, timing or building from abroad? See all questions →Do you build everywhere in Melbourne, including Eau Gallie? +
Yes. We build single-story homes anywhere in the City of Melbourne, from Eau Gallie in the north to the neighborhoods around downtown and the south side of the city, on infill lots and in planned communities, whatever the neighborhood or location of your lot. The process and the team are the same; what changes is the flood zone, the utilities and the rules that apply to your lot. We also build in the other six cities we serve, from Palm Bay to Jupiter.
Can you build on an infill lot between existing homes in Melbourne? +
Yes, that's one of the most common builds in Melbourne, because most of the city is already built. The city asks for a survey showing the new home sits entirely on your lot, meets the setbacks for its zoning district and stays out of easements. Once your contract is signed, we confirm the footprint, the utilities and how the lot drains, adapt the plan to your lot and prepare the permit package for the City of Melbourne's Building Section.
Can you build where an older house stands today? +
Yes, once the older house comes down. The demolition needs its own city permit, and the utilities must be disconnected before it starts. When a new single-family home replaces an existing one, Brevard County's rules can exempt it from new residential impact fees, so we confirm what applies to your lot before you budget. We plan the demolition and the new build as one project, with every quote in your investor portal.
Is my Melbourne lot in a flood zone? +
It depends on the lot. Areas near the Indian River Lagoon, the Eau Gallie River and Crane Creek include FEMA flood zones. If your lot is in one, the lowest floor has to be built above the required flood elevation, and a licensed surveyor confirms it with an elevation certificate. There, flood insurance is also required for a federally backed mortgage. We check your flood zone right after the contract is signed, because it shapes the fill, the foundation and your budget.
How is this different from Melbourne, FL home builders? +
Most Melbourne, FL home builders sell a finished home at one price, with a few floor plans and their margin inside. We work as your construction manager instead: the home is built on your lot with your plans, our general contractors run the site with vetted subcontractors, and you pay real cost plus our one fixed fee, with every quote and bill in your investor portal.
Not ready to talk yet? Start with the free guide
Before you build in Melbourne, check your project with The Formula That Never Fails: the 10 strategic moves we use to decide if a build is ready to start.
Free Investor Strategy Guide, in English and Spanish.
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Where we build
Also building near Melbourne
Same process, same team, from Palm Bay to Jupiter, FL.
Why build in Southeast Florida? →Your Melbourne build starts with a 30-minute call.
Book a free virtual Strategy Session. In a 30-minute video call we'll get to know your goal (rent, sell or live in), your capital and your lot in Melbourne, or where in the city you'd like to build, and walk you through how your build would work. It's a first approach with estimates: the real work on your project starts once the contract is signed.
In your free 30-minute virtual Strategy Session
- Your goal: rent, sell or live in
- Your capital or financing, and your lot in Melbourne
- Our fixed fee: the one number that's set from day one
- A first look at estimated build costs vs. a builder price
- 100% virtual: join by Zoom from anywhere