Ground-Up Construction in San Bernardino

Flat, and it has been for four straight years. Census Building Permits Survey county files show single-family units authorized ran between 3,578 and 4,006 a year from 2022 through 2025, a narrow band with no sharp falloff. That gives a ground-up builder here a more predictable permit pipeline than a market swinging between boom and bust.

There is no single figure to quote, because none is standardized across the county. Fontana, Ontario, Rancho Cucamonga, San Bernardino, Victorville, and the county's other jurisdictions each set their own building permit fees and plan review process. Confirm the current fee schedule and timeline with the building department for the specific city or unincorporated area where you're building before you underwrite the draw schedule.

Not yet. It's a thin lane. In 2025 the entire county permitted only 313 units across two-unit and three-to-four-unit buildings, against 2,349 units in buildings of five or more units. A builder targeting small multifamily infill here is working in one of the county's least-built product types.

Yes, if the parcel relies on well water rather than a municipal system. The Victor Valley cities sit inside the Mojave Basin Area, an adjudicated groundwater basin where the Mojave Water Agency has served as court-appointed Watermaster since 1993, monitoring roughly 450 parties and 1,700 wells. A Base Annual Production water right is a transferable, encumbered asset: a permanent transfer requires a preliminary title report and notice to lienholders filed at least 45 days before the Watermaster's meeting, and there are dedicated transfer forms for a purchaser after foreclosure or a deed in lieu. Confirm whether your lot is well-served before you build, since the water right does not simply follow the deed.

It depends on the city, and the cadence differs. The city of San Bernardino requires single-family, duplex, and triplex rentals to be inspected every two years, with no exemption for Section 8 or group-home units, though a self-certification option can earn a compliant owner a fee exemption for three years. The city of Ontario inspects rental units over seven years old once every four years, at $51 per unit annually. Neither program was found for Fontana, Rancho Cucamonga, Rialto, Redlands, Chino, Victorville, or Hesperia, so confirm the rule in the specific city where you build to rent.

Possibly, and it can escalate faster than the property tax itself. San Bernardino County and its cities layer their own community facilities districts on new development: the county runs CFD 2002-1, 2002-2, 2003-1, 2006-1, and 2010-1, and Fontana funds streets, sewers, and storm drains through its own CFD bonds that typically run 30 years. In the county's CFD 2006-1 (Lytle Creek North), the special tax escalates by CPI each year with a floor of 2% and a cap of 4%, on top of the 1% ad valorem property tax. Pull the secured tax bill by APN and read the special tax lines before you price a build-to-hold exit.

We fund new construction up to 70% of value and up to 85% of total cost (land plus build), in most states, on loans up to $5M. Experienced builders reach the higher end of leverage. We finance both the lot and the vertical construction within those caps.

Yes. Lot acquisition is funded as part of your loan-to-cost. If you already own the lot, that equity can serve as your down payment, which often lets us fund most or all of the build cost.

Construction funds are released in draws as milestones are completed and verified, not handed over at closing. You submit your budget and scope of work up front, complete a phase, request a draw, and we release that portion after inspection. You pay interest on funds as they are drawn.

Our construction pricing starts around 10%, interest-only, on terms of 12 to 24 months. Market ground-up rates generally run 9% to 12% with 1 to 3 points. Your pricing and leverage depend on your build experience and the strength of the project.

We consider builders at all levels, though a track record helps your leverage and rate. A first-time builder should expect to bring a strong general contractor, a detailed budget, and typically a larger equity contribution. A well-documented project goes a long way.

The lot cost or current value, your construction budget and scope of work, the projected after-built value, and your build experience. With those we can size the loan against both cost and completed value and send you terms.