Custom Homes
Design-build custom homes on Whidbey Island, from the raw lot through design, site work and construction, with the same design-builder in every phase.
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Culver Built is a custom home builder in Mount Vernon, WA, based in Langley on South Whidbey Island. Mount Vernon is the Skagit County seat, and the city sits on both banks of the Skagit River. About 35,000 people live here. The city says flooding is its most common natural disaster after severe storms. Flood prone ground covers most of downtown and the west side.
Whidbey Island is home ground, and we drive to Mount Vernon over the Deception Pass Bridge from North Whidbey. We design and build custom homes on Whidbey Island, and we do the same work here. We also remodel older houses, replace siding and roofs, and build decks and concrete patios. Call or text (360) 544-9027 for a free estimate.
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Building lots around Mount Vernon fall into two groups. Some sit on the valley floor, flat and low, near the river or the sloughs. Others climb the hills on the east side, on Little Mountain, Eaglemont and Skagit Highlands. City documents put the ground here from sea level to about 924 feet.
Valley lots sit on alluvial soil, which is old riverbed and streambed. The city also maps small peat and muck deposits across its growth area. Slopes on Little Mountain run 25 to 75 percent. We do the clearing, grading and drainage work ourselves, with our own excavators, dump trucks and a skid steer.
We build one home at a time, with the same design-builder in every phase. That is what design and construction under one contractor means day to day. Before construction we build an estimating study: a full materials list priced with local vendors, then labor and work orders. The company has more than 30 years of building experience and is licensed, bonded and insured.
A raw or wooded lot needs a few answers before a house goes up. Inside city limits, the City of Mount Vernon has jurisdiction. Outside them, Skagit County does, and legal water comes first. State law bars the county from issuing a residential building permit without a legal and adequate water source.
The county's Health Officer must also approve the water system, and that review calls for water quality samples. Where the house will not connect to sewer, it needs a septic system. A septic designer digs soil test holes first, then Skagit County Public Health reviews the permit application. In 2025, the county's average time from application to design permit was about 60 days.
Check the flood map next, since homes in the county's floodplain must be elevated above Base Flood Elevation. The county's design criteria set the numbers the structure is built to. Roof snow load starts at 25 pounds per square foot and climbs by location. Design wind speed is 110 mph for a 3-second gust, and frost depth is 12 inches.
From there, we design the house in-house or with your architect. The estimating study comes next, so you see a clear bottom line before site work starts. Our own excavators clear the lot and build the driveway and building pad. Then the same design-builder carries the house through construction.
The city puts most of downtown and the west side in flood prone ground. Its plan lists the lowlands along the Skagit River, Kulshan Creek, Carpenter Creek and Britt Slough. The whole valley floor can flood in a big spring thaw or a heavy storm. A series of dikes and release points along the river holds that water.
Downtown has a permanent flood wall along the Skagit Riverwalk. Out on the valley floor, the city expects flood depths to be shallow but wide. A house in the mapped floodplain has to sit at the height the flood rules call for. The fill, the drainage and the driveway follow from there.
Start with the FEMA flood map for the parcel. The city issues elevation certificates through its Development Services office. If you are remodeling a house in the mapped floodplain, ask the city early. Flood rules can change what a remodel is allowed to do.
The city's housing analysis says 64 percent of Mount Vernon housing units were built between 1970 and 2009. It also notes that many older homes nearing 50 years likely need repairs. That matches what we find when we open one up.
The same problems show up again and again. Kitchens are closed off from the living space, and bathrooms are small. Siding has soft spots near the ground, and the roof is on its second life. We handle whole home remodels, kitchens, bathrooms and additions, and we fix structural, weather and moisture problems while we work.
Some houses need more room as well as repairs. For those we design and build home additions. The work starts with as-built drawings of the house you already have.
Wet winters are the rule here, and about 80 percent of the year's rain falls from October through March. We replace siding in cedar shingle, fiber cement and composite. We also do roof assessments that look at ventilation, insulation and rot. That comes before anyone calls the job a repair or a replacement.
Inside city limits, the City of Mount Vernon runs its own Building Division on Cleveland Avenue. The city has adopted the 2021 building and residential codes with the Washington State amendments. The 2021 Washington State Energy Codes came with them. We plan the insulation, window and ventilation package so the permit set passes.
The city asks for a permit on new homes, room additions and remodels. Sidewalks, driveways, painting and tiling are exempt, and so is a re-roof over one existing layer with no decking repair. A deck under 30 inches above grade skips the building permit but still needs a location permit. Plan on a permit for wood and composite decks above that height.
Outside city limits, Skagit County Planning and Development Services handles the permit from its office on Continental Place. Our Skagit County building permit guide lays out the county steps.
The county says Washington has limited new exempt wells for single-family homes in most Skagit County stream basins. A building permit for a house that needs drinking water has to show an adequate water supply. Skagit County Public Health reviews on-site septic, so ask about water and septic before you buy land.
Communities and areas we serve around Mount Vernon: Downtown Mount Vernon, West Mount Vernon, Little Mountain, Skagit Highlands, Eaglemont, Hillcrest, Bakerview, Kulshan Creek, Nookachamps, Big Lake, Maddox Creek, College Way.
Mount Vernon ZIP codes served: 98273, 98274.
Free estimates throughout Skagit County and the surrounding area.
(360) 544-9027 Design-build custom homes on Whidbey Island, from the raw lot through design, site work and construction, with the same design-builder in every phase.
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We remodel Whidbey Island homes, from one room to the whole house. Kitchens, bathrooms, additions and exterior remodels, all under one contractor.
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We design and build home additions for Whidbey Island homes. Each one starts from as-built drawings and ties into the house you already have.
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We look at the whole roof before we price the work. Metal roofing and asphalt shingle roofs on Whidbey Island homes.
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Cedar shingle, fiber cement and composite siding on Whidbey Island homes. We handle the house wrap, the flashing and the rot we find under the old wall.
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Culver Built is a design-build contractor based in Langley on South Whidbey Island. We carry a custom home or a remodel from concept through design, estimating and construction.
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We build paver patios, walkways, steps and the outdoor living areas that tie them to the house. Every one gets the excavation, base and drainage that Whidbey Island ground needs.
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We design and build custom wood and composite decks across Whidbey Island. Ironwood decking and cable railing on view decks, built for a wet marine climate.
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We design and build patio covers and porch roofs on Whidbey Island. Each cover stands on its own footings and is roofed to match the house.
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We clear, excavate, grade and drain the building site before the foundation goes in. Driveways, building pads, utility trenching and demolition are part of the same phase.
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Concrete patios, walkways and driveways on Whidbey Island, including stamped and colored concrete. We handle the base and the drainage under the slab with our own equipment.
Learn MoreReal reviews from real island projects on Google.
Jeff and his team were incredible to work with, and I cannot recommend them highly enough! I approached Jeff with only a vague idea of what I wanted, and together we worked to create an outdoor space that was a thousand times better than anything I could have imagined on my own. He’s got a great eye and sense for space, and I really appreciated his passion for, and collaborative approach to our project. The guys he employs are kind, respectful and talented. I’ve done a number of projects with crews before, and I was so impressed with both the quality of work and professionalism across the entire team. We’re already freaking up future projects, and I genuinely am looking forward to working with Culver Builds again and again!
I highly recommend Jeff Culver and his team. They replaced my roof, demolished an outbuilding, and helped me with a foundation and siding project. Jeff was up-front about cost and communicative as the project went on. I will use Culver again for future projects.
We purchased our dream home on the west side of Whidbey Island above the Puget Sound with 180-degree views of the water and the Olympic Mtns. While we knew the driveway would need to be redone eventually, we soon learned that proper drainage to protect the house and garage had never been installed when the house was originally built. Jeff and his team resolved all of our issues. In front of our garages, Jeff installed proper French drains, a catch basin, and sump pump that pumps the water away. At the same time, Jeff installed proper drainage around the house. Our driveway was a packed dirt path with virtually no stone base. Jeff initially properly graded the driveway before first add a stone base, then a finishing base. After compacting the stone material, our driveway is almost as hard as concrete or asphalt and is 2-3 feet wider and more accessible. While Jeff was working near the garage with his excavator, he accidentally hit the gutter. Jeff immediately told me what happened and within 48 hours, Jeff had an outside gutter company come in and replaced the entire gutter. I appreciated his upfront honesty. As to communication, Jeff could not have been better. I found him through a Google search. He returned my original call within 2 hours. On Whidbey Island you are lucky to even have a contractor return any call. Jeff came out the same day to scope out the work and started the job within 10 days in my case. He and has team where there each day continuing to make progress. Needless to say, I give Jeff a 5-star review and when the next project comes up, I will certainly be reaching out to Culver Construction. Think this review isn’t legit, think again. I’m a small business owner with 50 employees, worked with countless vendors and customers. I know what good service looks like and when it isn’t.
We recommend Jeff Culver because he is reliable, hard- working, and creative. So we thought a simple driveway was a piece of cake, NOT! Jeff had solutions, great design concepts (that we never thought of...), and he LISTENED to us! His creativity and personal attention made this a win-win for us. We are very pleased with the final result. It has improved the appearance & value of our property. Yes! We recommend Culver Construction!
Met or exceeded expectations in all aspects. Communication, follow up and job execution were all top notch. Highly recommended!!
What started as a small demolition project turned into something much more complicated. Jeff and team not only handled the demolition, but they also helped solve a myriad of other problems, including figuring out how to handle a significant amount of water that had pooled under the dilapidated structure as well as hillside water runoff (which was done via a curtain drain and other features added to the property). They were respectful of our neighbors, taking care to minimize the impact of their heavy machinery to surrounding easements and property. Overall, we’re very pleased with the outcome and are looking forward to new uses for the cleared and restored property.
Jeff is super knowledgeable through all phases of construction and great to work with. Looking forward to our next project!
A few of the questions we hear most around Mount Vernon. If yours is not here, call or text and ask.
Tell us about the lot or the house and what you want to build. You can also call or text (360) 544-9027 to set up a free estimate.
Tell us about the job. We will get right back to you.
