Washington · Washington County
Building a custom home in Washington, Utah.
Ten minutes east of St. George, with its own city hall, its own building department, and most of the room left to build in. Here is what living here is like, and what building here involves.
Why people come here
Close enough to town, far enough from the traffic.
Washington sits on the east bank of the Virgin River, between St. George and Hurricane, with the Red Cliffs running along the north edge of the city. Downtown St. George is eight miles west, about ten minutes on I-15, so the hospital and the airport are close without living on top of them.
It has a pioneer core of its own around the old Cotton Mill, two golf courses on the hillsides, and a wide band of newer ground across the Fields to the south. Sand Hollow and Quail Creek are minutes east, and Zion is about an hour.
What people choose it for is space. Lots run larger here than they do closer in, more of the ground is flat, and there is still ground left to buy.
Living here
What is on the other side of the front door.
Two courses in town
Coral Canyon on the east end and Green Spring on the north hillside, with Sand Hollow a short drive further east.
Red Cliffs above town
The conservation area runs along the north edge, with trailheads at Mill Creek and Hell Hole inside the city.
Water fifteen minutes out
Sand Hollow and Quail Creek reservoirs sit just east, which is most of the reason people here own a boat.
A pioneer core
The old Cotton Mill and the original town grid, which gives the city a centre that most new development around here does not have.
Shopping without the drive
Red Cliffs Mall and the retail off the Washington Parkway exit, so a weekly errand run stays inside the city.
Ten minutes to St. George
Three I-15 exits serve the city, so the hospital, the airport and the university are close without the traffic.
Why build here with Sagestone
What Sagestone brings to a Washington build.
Washington has room to build, with flatter ground south of Telegraph and hillside lots climbing toward the Red Cliffs. Here is what Sagestone brings to a home on either.
Washington City, handled for you
Sagestone takes your plans through architectural review where the plat requires it, then through the Washington City building department, and manages every subcontractor along the way.
More of the budget in the house
JMI does its own excavation and prices the site before design starts. On Washington’s flatter parcels that usually means simpler site work, and more of what you spend goes into the home itself.
Selections without the guesswork
Choose from our pre-priced selections or bring your own. A project coordinator helps you through the decisions, and a project manager walks you through the pricing.
Ten minutes from our office
The office on St. George Boulevard is a short drive from most of Washington, and the Jennings family has been in business in this county since the 1930s.
See what your lot supports.
Bring a parcel number and a budget range. You get a straight read on what the lot supports and what the build takes.
Permits and review
Three questions decide who reviews your house.
Washington is its own incorporated city, so the answers here are not the answers in St. George. Work through these before you buy a lot, not after.
Is the lot inside the city limits?
Is it in a platted subdivision?
Who puts all of it together?
Around the city
Where people are building.
Three I-15 exits split the city into three different markets. Which one your lot sits in changes the ground, the price and the review.
Lots and permits
What it takes to start.
Washington still has ground, which is the main thing separating it from the market to the west. Most of it is in the Fields, most of it is flat, and most of it sits inside a plat with design standards attached.
Sagestone can walk a lot with you before you buy and flag what will be expensive to build on, along with which review your parcel falls under. Both are hard to judge from a listing photo and a plat map.
Questions about Washington
Questions? Let’s start here.
Here are answers to some of the questions we hear most often. If you don’t see yours, give us a call. We’re happy to talk it through.
Is Washington cheaper to build in than St. George?
The house costs about the same. Land and site work usually come in lower, because more of the ground here is flat and lots run larger. A hillside lot at Green Spring or Coral Canyon closes that gap quickly.
Does Washington have its own building department?
Yes. Washington is its own incorporated city, with its own permits, inspections, fees and review times, separate from St. George. Parcels outside the city limits go through Washington County instead.
Do I need HOA approval to build here?
On most newer ground, yes. Coral Canyon, Green Spring, Sienna Hills, Long Valley and the newer Fields plats carry architectural standards, and that approval comes before the city permit application. Older Old Town streets often carry none.
How do I know if my lot is in the city or the county?
The plat and the county parcel record will say, and it changes which department reviews your plans. Confirm it before you buy, because it affects the schedule and the fee schedule both.
Can you help me find a lot?
Yes. Sagestone walks lots with clients before they buy and flags what will be expensive to build on. Do that before an offer, not after.
How long does a build take here?
About ten to twelve months from the date of contract.
Start here
Bring the parcel number. We will tell you what it supports.
You get a read on the site work, which department reviews it, and what building on that lot costs, before you commit to anyone.
Start your build