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Is it cheaper to buy land and build or buy an existing house on the Oregon coast?
Whether building on a Riverview Meadows lot is cheaper than buying an existing house depends on the house you would buy instead. An example 2,000 sq ft house here comes to about $545,064 to $845,000 with the lot. Building gets you a new house on your own plans, and you wait months for it.
Every lot is $145,000 for the first 10 to close. That price is only guaranteed for the first ten.
Last updated: 2026-10-19
The example, with the math showing
These are example totals, not quotes. The 2,000 sq ft size comes from a statewide building-cost calculator. It isn't a plan at Riverview Meadows, and a builder will price your plan on its own terms.
- Central Oregon coast range. Custom builds run $250 to $350 per sq ft, so 2,000 sq ft comes to $500,000 to $700,000. Add the $145,000 lot and the total is $645,000 to $845,000. (carterbuildsoregon.com/cost-to-build-oregon-coast, data updated August 2026, read 2026-10-19.) That range is for the central coast, south of here, and it leaves out land.
- Oregon mid-range. A 2,000 sq ft two-story house at mid-range finishes comes to $400,064, about $200 per sq ft. Add the $145,000 lot and the total is $545,064. (housebuildcalc.com/oregon-house-building-cost, data updated June 15, 2026, read 2026-10-19.) The same page puts a basic build at $295,792 and a premium one at $544,768. It's a statewide figure and adds nothing for building at the coast.
Neither total includes the water and sewer hookups, a geologic report if your lot needs one, HOA dues, or what the loan costs you. They're in the table below.
Side by side
| Build on a Riverview Meadows lot | Buy an existing coast house | |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront price | $145,000 for the lot, for the first 10 to close (only guaranteed for the first ten). Your builder prices the house separately. | The price of the house you choose. |
| What you pay besides the price | The build itself. Sewer: $4,258 per home to connect, a $20 permit and a $54 inspection, then $30 a month billed quarterly. Water: about $6,678 per home in 2025. A geologic report on lots 43 to 52 and 59. HOA dues once they are set. The cost of the loan. | Whatever the inspection turns up, and the cost of the loan. |
| Time to move in | Closing waits until the county records the final plat, which is the official map of the lots. After that, 2 to 4 months of planning and permits and roughly 6 to 12 months of construction, 8 to 16 months in all. | As long as it takes to find the house and close on it. |
| Who designs it | You, with your own architect and builder. There is no required builder. | Someone else did, years ago. |
| What you inherit, what you choose | A new house. You choose the plan, inside the setbacks (15 ft front, 5 ft each side with 12 ft combined, 15 ft rear), a 30 ft height limit and 60% lot coverage. | The age, the layout, the condition and the repairs, plus somebody else's taste in tile. |
| Financing | Land and construction financing, which works differently from a regular mortgage. See financing. | A regular mortgage on a finished house. |
| What can go wrong | The build runs past the estimate, and the costs on top of the lot add up. | The inspection finds repairs, or the right house doesn't come up for a while. |
| Rules that bind the owner | The neighborhood's draft rules, called the CC&Rs: a two-car garage, at least 32 sq ft of brick or stone on the front, no front wall over 24 ft without an offset. HOA dues aren't set yet. | Whatever the house comes with, HOA and CC&Rs included if it has them. |
Time sources: planning, permits and construction from a 2026 Oregon builder guide (kalendev.com, read 2026-10-19). A custom home on the central Oregon coast takes 8 to 10 months to build, from $500,000 (carterbuildsoregon.com, read 2026-10-19). Sewer charges from the Nehalem Bay Wastewater Agency fee sheet adopted June 18, 2025 (nbwaor.gov, read 2026-10-19).
The real limits on each side
Building. You spend months on design, permits and construction before anyone sleeps there. The costs above arrive on top of the $145,000 lot. The county approved the preliminary plat on June 11, 2026, and the final plat records once the county's conditions are met, so closing on a lot waits for that. HOA dues aren't set yet. The City of Nehalem hasn't accepted the new water system yet, and hookup status can vary from lot to lot. Sewer comes from the Nehalem Bay Wastewater Agency. Each lot gets its own water and sewer service letters when you build. Most lots are nearly flat and take standard shallow foundations. Lots 43 to 52 and 59 need their own geologic report.
Buying existing. You get someone else's plan and someone else's upkeep, and you find out about the second part at the inspection. Coast houses come up one at a time, so you can wait a while for the right one.
Who should pick which
Build on a lot if:
- You want a floor plan that nobody else picked.
- You can wait the better part of a year, or more, to move in.
- You'd rather pay for new construction than for someone else's repairs.
Buy an existing house if:
- You want to move in this season, not after a build.
- You'd rather know the full price on the day you sign.
- A good house in the right spot matters more to you than the plan.
The steps for each
Building on a Riverview Meadows lot
- Walk the meadow. Book a visit, Monday to Friday, 8 am to 5 pm.
- Pick your lot. All 74 lots are offered at once, first come, first choice.
- Line up a lender for the lot and the build.
- Bring your plans and your builder. Jake and Tony can introduce you to builders and architects if you don't have them yet.
- Get permits from the Tillamook County Building Division. Properties inside an urban growth boundary get a zoning permit first. You hand in structural plans in person or by mail, pay the school excise tax when you submit them, and have 180 days from the permit to a first approved inspection (tillamookcounty.gov/1085/Building, read 2026-10-19).
- Build.
Buying an existing house
- Talk to a lender.
- Search with an agent.
- Get an inspection.
- Close.
Come see the lots
Walk the meadow. Visits run Monday to Friday, 8 am to 5 pm. Or ask for the current list of open lots, or call (503) 730-8677.
Brokered by The HouseLab Team at Like Kind Realty.
