Custom Home Builder in Lakeway and the Lake Travis Area
Meridian Custom Homes is a custom home builder serving Lakeway and the Lake Travis area, with the same team that has built custom homes in West Austin and the Hill Country since 2009. We want to be straightforward about one thing up front: none of the projects in our portfolio sits on Lake Travis. Our waterfront experience is on Lake Austin, in Greenshores, and our closest Hill Country work is in Spanish Oaks, Barton Creek and Long Canyon. This page explains what that experience means for a project in Lakeway, and what you can expect from us.
If you want the broader view of where we build and how we work, start with our Austin custom home builder page.
Lakeway and the Lake Travis area
Lakeway sits on the south shore of Lake Travis, west of Austin along RM 620. The surrounding Lake Travis area is hilly, with rock, cedar and live oak, and many lots are chosen for a view of the water or the hills. It is a different kind of site than a Central Austin lot, and it rewards a builder who has worked on slopes before.
We are open to projects anywhere in the Austin area, and the Lake Travis area is part of the territory we serve. When a homeowner in Lakeway calls us, we treat it the same way we treat a call from Tarrytown or Westlake: we want to see the site, understand the program and talk honestly about budget before anyone draws a line.
Our lake and Hill Country experience, honestly stated
We think it matters to tell you exactly what we have and have not done, so you can judge for yourself whether we are the right fit.
On the lake side, we have built in Greenshores on Lake Austin. A waterfront site brings its own considerations around slope toward the water, orientation for views and access for construction, and that work is directly relevant to a Lake Travis lot even though it is a different lake.
On the Hill Country side, our work in Spanish Oaks, Barton Creek and Long Canyon is the closest comparison to what you would be building in Lakeway. Those sites share the same rock, the same grade changes and the same need to place the house carefully.
- Monte Carmelo, a 4,414 square foot new home in Spanish Oaks in Bee Cave, a short drive from Lakeway along Highway 71.
- Standing Rock, a 5,378 square foot new home in Long Canyon in West Austin. It is the project Jonathan is proudest of, and the best representation of our quality, finish-out, design and the client we build for.
- Sandia, a 4,496 square foot new home in Barton Creek.
We would rather earn a Lake Travis project on the strength of that work than overstate what we have done. If you want to see the homes in person, ask us and we will see what we can arrange.
What building in this area involves
The lots that draw people to Lakeway and the Lake Travis area are often the ones that take the most care to build on. Slope, rock and distance from the street all show up in the budget as foundation engineering, excavation, retaining walls, longer driveways and longer utility runs.
None of that should scare you off. It should shape the order of operations. We want to look at a lot with you before the design is fixed, so the architect is working with real site information and the plan does not have to be reworked once pricing comes in.
That is also why we build the way we do: outside architects for the design, and Meridian in the room during design to advise on budget. We do not have in-house design, and we think that is the right model at this level. We will refer you to architects if you do not already have one.
What a custom home in Lakeway typically costs
Our new custom homes typically run $350 to $600 per square foot, with total project budgets most often between $1,000,000 and $2,500,000. These are typical ranges for Meridian projects, not market statistics for Lakeway or the Lake Travis area. Lot conditions, design complexity, finish level and size decide where your home falls.
Whole-home remodels with us typically run $500,000 to $1,500,000. If you are deciding between remodeling an existing lake-area house and starting fresh, we can help you think through both numbers. Our cost to build a custom home in Austin page goes into what drives cost in more detail.
How long it takes
Plan on about 1.5 years from our first meeting to move-in. Construction itself usually takes around 12 months. The time before construction is spent on design, our budget input during design, the final estimate, the contract, plan review and permits.
Our custom home building process page lays out all eight steps, including what you do and what we do at each one.
How we work
We join the design phase early to advise on budget, give a rough estimate and then a final one as the plans firm up, handle plan review and permits, build in about 12 months, and walk the finished house with you before move-in. The full eight steps are on our process page.
Our clients tell us what sets us apart is personal attention, trust, communication, accessibility, quality, attention to detail, problem solving, aftercare, reliability and accountability. On a project that is a longer drive from town, communication and accessibility matter even more, and we hold ourselves to the same standard in Lakeway as we do in Central Austin.
Meridian Custom Homes was founded in 2009 by Jonathan Traylor after years in commercial and high-end residential construction. We have built 34 homes. We are members of the Home Builders Association of Greater Austin, NARI, the Texas Association of Builders and the National Association of Home Builders. See our Google reviews for what clients have said.
Neighboring areas we cover: Bee Cave and Spanish Oaks and Westlake and Barton Creek.
Frequently asked questions
Have you built a home on Lake Travis?
No project in our portfolio is on Lake Travis. Our waterfront experience is in Greenshores on Lake Austin, and our nearest Hill Country work is in Spanish Oaks, Barton Creek and Long Canyon. We are open to projects in Lakeway and the Lake Travis area.
Will you take on a project in Lakeway?
Yes. We are open to projects anywhere in the Austin area, and Lakeway and the Lake Travis area are within the territory we serve.
Do you handle design?
No. We work with outside architects and can refer you to one. We join the design phase to advise on budget so the plans match what you intend to spend.
What will a new home in the Lake Travis area cost with Meridian?
Our new homes typically run $350 to $600 per square foot, with total budgets most often between $1,000,000 and $2,500,000. Those are typical ranges for our projects. Your site and design determine the actual number.
How long does it take?
About 1.5 years from first meeting to move-in, with construction taking around 12 months.
Talk to us about your project
If you have a lot in Lakeway or anywhere around Lake Travis, or you are still looking, we would like to talk. Call us at (512) 809-9840, email jtraylor@mchaustin.com.