Question 1

How long does San Antonio residential plan review take?

Accepted Answer

The city posts a three business day target for initial residential plan review, and that is initial review, not permit issuance. The three days cover the first pass through Development Services. They do not cover resubmittals after comments, or the extra reviews a site can trigger by location, and no published submittal-to-issuance figure for a new single-family permit exists. Two other mechanics matter for your term: a permit or application expires after 180 days without progress, and there is no expedited path for residential. The same-day walk-through review is commercial only, $100, and limited to interior finish-out of 3,000 square feet or less. We set the loan term against the permit path you actually expect, not the posted review target.

Question 2

What do utility impact fees add to a San Antonio build?

Accepted Answer

Budget $7,343 to $11,528 for SAWS water and sewer impact fees on a typical single-family connection. That is a range, not a number: the fee depends on the service area, and the current schedule took effect July 1, 2024 after an average increase of about 23%. Pull the figure for your specific address before you set the budget. Outside SAWS territory the picture changes, and New Braunfels is the one to check hardest. New Braunfels Utilities proposed a large increase in 2024 that would put a Comal hookup well above SAWS pricing, but we could not confirm what was adopted, and a further fee update is under way. Call NBU and verify the current per-LUE amount in writing before you buy the lot. These fees are a day-one hard cost and they sit in the cost basis we lend against.

Question 3

Where is the growth actually happening in the San Antonio metro?

Accepted Answer

North and east along IH-35, and north up US 281 and SH 46. Comal County grew 3.81% in the year to July 2025, seventh fastest among US counties over 100,000 people, and New Braunfels reached 122,492 people, up 35.5% since 2020. Boerne grew 5.78%, Seguin 5.46%, Cibolo 3.04% and Schertz 2.76%. The metro as a whole added 38,402 people to reach 2,813,140, ninth nationally by numeric gain, and far-west Bexar is the third leg of that spine. One honest counterweight: employment is not keeping pace. Nonfarm employment was up only 7,400 jobs, or 0.62%, in the year to June 2026, and unemployment was 4.8%, up 80 basis points. Rooftops are arriving faster than paychecks, so underwrite absorption on the submarket, not on the population number.

Question 4

Is San Antonio still a strong new-construction market in 2026?

Accepted Answer

On the single-family side yes, on the multifamily side no. The San Antonio-New Braunfels MSA recorded 8,712 single-family permits in the twelve months through June 2026, which ranks 19th nationally, down 9.9% year over year. Total permitted units came in at 9,883, down roughly 26%, and that whole gap is the multifamily collapse: apartment deliveries for 2026 are forecast at about 2,600 units, down 63% from 2025 and the slowest year since 2011. For a spec home or build-to-rent builder that split is the story. Detached supply is easing back at a manageable pace while the apartment pipeline that has been discounting against your rents is emptying out. It is a durable argument for build-to-rent absorption two or three years out, and it does nothing for a unit delivering next quarter.

Question 5

How should I underwrite the resale exit on a San Antonio spec build?

Accepted Answer

Use the county's own price per foot, and give yourself more months than the days-on-market number suggests. Bexar County resale traded at $161 per square foot in the second quarter of 2026 against a $293,832 median; Kendall County, which is Boerne, traded at $248 per square foot on a $612,383 median. Those are different markets 30 miles apart and blending them will cost you. On timing, San Antonio homes averaged 77 days on market in June 2026 with about 111 days from listing to closing, and New Braunfels ran roughly 120. Seasonality is steep: the same market averaged 98 days on market in January 2026. Sellers also conceded, closing at an average 93.8% of original list price, which is the cleanest argument for a conservative finished value. Construction terms run 12 to 24 months and on a San Antonio spec deal we would rather write the term long than sell you an extension.

Question 6

What does carry cost on a San Antonio lot during construction?

Accepted Answer

Full-rate property tax with none of the homeowner protections, plus a hail-exposed insurance market. Texas caps annual appraised value increases at 10% for homestead property only, and non-homestead investment property gets neither that cap nor the homestead exemption. The separate 20% circuit breaker on other non-homestead property requires a full calendar year of ownership, is stripped on sale, and expires December 31, 2026, so a lot bought and a house sold inside twelve months never sees it. Combined rates inside the City of San Antonio run about 2.22% to 2.54% depending on the school district; New Braunfels, Boerne, Schertz and Cibolo run lower on the city and county stack, but a MUD or water district overlay in those suburbs can add 0.79 to 1.20 per $100 and push the parcel past a city address. Check the overlays on the specific parcel. On insurance, Bexar County averaged $2,806 for a homeowners policy in 2025, roughly 20% below the state average and well below Dallas or Harris, and San Antonio sits outside TWIA territory so wind and hail are covered in the standard market. Hail is still the number one loss peril in Texas nearly every year. We do not quote builders risk, and no credible local pricing exists to publish, so get a real quote before you close. Take the tax planning to your CPA.

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