By the Mountain Cove Homes team · Miami, Florida
A price sheet is not just a list of numbers, it is a map of what you are agreeing to pay for. In new construction, the figure that is advertised and the figure that appears in the contract can differ, and the gap is made of lot premiums, options, and charges that sit outside the house.
The phrase lot premium new construction Florida buyers search for describes a line on a price sheet, not a legal category. Its meaning is whatever the builder’s price sheet and purchase agreement say it means, which is why the sheet deserves a slower read than the model home.
This guide explains what each line contains, why one lot can cost more than another, and how to compare two price sheets on the same terms. The guide to the full townhome vs single family home Miami comparison places price beside the cost of ownership, and this one stays on the sheet itself.
Why the Price Sheet Matters More in Miami-Dade
In a market shaped by flood zones, storm exposure, and insurance pressure, the lot a home sits on can change what it costs to build, to protect, and to insure. Two homes of the same plan in the same community may sit on lots with different positions, different site conditions, and different exposure, and the price sheet is where that difference is supposed to show up.
Small communities make the difference easier to see, because every lot is a visible choice. They also make it easier to compare, if the buyer asks for the numbers in the same form.
Buyers compare floor plans and finishes because those are printed on the page. The lines that decide the total are printed on a sheet that few buyers ask to see.
Why the Advertised Price Is Only the First Number
Headline price is only the first number. It tells you where a conversation can begin, and it does not tell you where the contract will end.
What the Advertised Figure Refers To
Mountain Cove Homes’ own published legal information states that home prices refer to the base price of the house plan and do not include options or lot premiums, and that all prices are subject to change without notice. The same document says pricing must be confirmed with a sales representative at the specific community.
That is a useful template for reading any builder’s advertising. A published price is a price for a plan, and the lot and the options are separate lines.
An Example From a Community Page
As of October 2026, the community page for Golden Park describes 18 single-family pre-construction homes starting in the upper $500s, with no HOA and no CDD tax. Read with the builder’s published terms, that figure is the base price of a plan, so it is where a comparison begins and not where it ends.
The page is a statement about one community on one date. The price for a specific home on a specific lot comes from the price sheet, in writing.
What a New Construction Price Sheet Contains
Most price sheets are built from the same few layers. The names change from builder to builder, and the layers do not.
The Base Price
The base price is the price of the house plan with the standard features the builder lists for it. It does not include the lot premium or the options, and it does not include anything the buyer pays outside the contract price.
A base price is only comparable between two builders if you also know what each one counts as standard. The same plan name can mean a different list of inclusions.
The Lot Premium
A lot premium is a charge added to the base price for a specific homesite. Builders set it by lot, which is why two buyers of the same plan in the same community can pay different totals.
Options and Structural Options
Options are the items added to the standard plan, such as a different layout, an extra room, or a feature the plan does not include. Some options change the structure of the home and some change only finishes, and the price sheet should say which is which.
Selections and Allowances
Selections are the finishes a buyer chooses, and an allowance is the budget a contract sets for a category of them. What happens when a choice costs more than the allowance is a matter for the contract, and the guide to how the new construction purchase agreement is built covers where those terms sit.
Lot Premium New Construction Florida: Why One Lot Costs More Than Another
A lot premium is a pricing decision, and the reasons behind it should be stated. A premium with no explanation is a number you cannot compare.
What a Premium Can Reflect
A builder may price a lot higher for its position in the community, its size or shape, the way the home faces the street, or the site work it needs. These are examples of what a premium can reflect, and which of them applies to a given lot is a question for the seller.
The builder’s published legal information also states that the builder reserves the right to modify the building orientation on the lot and to reverse the plan. If a premium is tied to a particular orientation, ask whether that orientation is fixed in the contract.
What a Premium Does Not Tell You
A premium does not measure quality. A higher premium means a higher price for that lot, and it does not mean a better home or a stronger structure.
It also does not tell you what fits on the lot. Setbacks, easements, and flood exposure shape the buildable area, and they are documented on the survey and the site plan, not on the price sheet.
Where the Premium Appears in the Contract
Ask where the lot premium appears in the purchase agreement and how it is added to the base price. A premium that is mentioned in conversation and absent from the contract is not a premium you have agreed to, and it is not a premium that has been explained.
The Costs That Sit Outside the Price Sheet
The price sheet is not the whole bill. Several costs are paid outside it, and they belong on the same comparison.
Impact fees are one of them, and the guide to how impact fees reach the buyer explains who pays them formally and how they can reach the price. Closing costs are another, and the closing costs on new construction in Miami-Dade lists what the buyer pays at the table.
The deposit raises a different question, which is what protects it and when it is applied to the price, and what your money is protected by after a reservation covers it.
Property tax belongs on the list too. Florida’s statute on the sale of residential property requires a disclosure summary of ad valorem taxes at or before the signing of the contract, and it tells the buyer not to rely on the seller’s current property taxes because a change of ownership or property improvements can trigger a reassessment.
How to Compare Two Price Sheets Fairly
Two price sheets can only be compared when they are built from the same lines. Anything else compares a sheet with a brochure.
| Price line | Where it appears | Question to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Base price | The price sheet and the contract | What does standard include for this plan? |
| Lot premium | The price sheet and the contract | What does the premium pay for on this lot? |
| Options | The options list and the contract | Which options are structural, and which are finishes? |
| Selections above allowance | The contract and the selections sheet | What happens when a choice costs more than the allowance? |
| Impact fees | The contract or the closing statement | Are they inside the price or added to it? |
| Closing costs | The closing disclosure | Which ones does the buyer pay, and which does the builder pay? |
| Deposit | The contract | What protects it, and when is it applied? |
Put both homes on the same base
Ask each builder what the base price includes for the plan you are considering, and write the answers in two columns. If one base includes an item and the other lists it as an option, move it to the same line before you compare.
Add the same lines to both
Add the lot premium, the options you want, the selections above allowance, and every cost paid outside the contract price. The two totals can be compared only after both are built from the same lines.
Compare the same square footage
A larger plan is not always a better value, and a price per square foot is only meaningful when both homes count area the same way. The guide to heated versus total square footage in listings explains how to line them up.
Ask for the price sheet in writing
A verbal quote is a starting point and not a document. Ask for the price sheet for the specific lot and plan in writing, with the date and the name of the person who issued it, and keep it with the contract file.
If a number changes between the first sheet and the contract, you will have both to compare. That is the only way to tell a correction from a surprise.
Keep the date on every number
A price sheet is valid on the day it was issued. Write the date next to each number, and compare the date of each sheet before you compare the totals.
A side-by-side worksheet to use before reserving turns that comparison into a set of questions you can answer from documents, and the communities you can compare today are the place to start asking for price sheets.
A Comparison With Two Hypothetical Builders
The example that follows is hypothetical, and it uses no figures because the point is the structure. Imagine two builders offering the same plan name in the same area.
The first advertises a lower base price and lists an extra bedroom, a covered patio, and the garage door opener as options, with a lot premium on the corner lot. The second advertises a higher base price that includes all three items, with no lot premium on the interior lot.
Put the two side by side before the lines are matched and the first looks cheaper. Move the three items to the same line in both columns and add the premium, and the order can change, or the totals can land close enough that the better question becomes which lot and which inclusions you prefer.
The example is not a prediction about any builder. It is a reminder that a comparison is only as good as the lines it is built from.
What the Base Price Is Not
The base price is not the price you pay. It is the price of the plan, and the rest of the column is built from the lot, the options, and the charges outside the contract.
A lower base price is not a lower total. A builder that lists more items as options can advertise a lower base and still arrive at the same total, or a higher one.
A lot without a premium is not a better deal. It may be a smaller lot, a different position, or a lot with different site conditions, and the only way to know is to compare what each one offers.
A model home is not the home you are buying. It is built with options and finishes that are not standard, and the builder’s published terms say so in plain words about plans and photos.
More options are not a better home. An option list shows what a buyer can add, and it says nothing about how the standard home is built.
A matching price is not a matching home. Two totals that look the same can buy different inclusions, different lots, and different documents.
No HOA is a fact about a community, not about a price. It removes one recurring line, and it does not remove the lines in this table.
Warning Signs on a Price Sheet
A price sheet with no date is the first warning sign. If the number cannot be tied to a day, it cannot be tied to a contract.
A lot premium with no explanation is the second. So is a list of options with no distinction between structural and finish items.
A promise that something is included, without a written list of what is included, is the third. A promise that lives only in a sales conversation does not live in the contract.
A comparison that shows the base price for one home and a fully loaded price for the other is the fourth. Quality often shows up in the parts that are easy to ignore.
A refusal to put the price sheet in writing is the fifth. A number that cannot be written down cannot be held to.
Questions to Ask Before You Reserve
Bring the same list to every sales appointment, and write the answers down.
- What is the base price of this plan, and what does standard include?
- Is there a lot premium on this homesite, and what does it pay for?
- Where does the lot premium appear in the contract?
- Which options are structural, and which are finishes?
- What is the allowance for each selection category, and what happens above it?
- Which costs are paid outside the contract price, and where is each one stated?
- What is the date of this price sheet, and how are price changes handled in the contract?
- What protects the deposit, and when is it applied to the price?
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a lot premium in new construction?
It is a charge added to the base price of a plan for a specific homesite. Builders set it by lot, so it is a line on the price sheet and in the contract, and its reasons should be stated.
Does the advertised price include the lot premium?
Not necessarily. Mountain Cove Homes’ published legal information states that home prices refer to the base price of the house plan and do not include options or lot premiums, and a buyer should ask the same question of any builder.
What is the difference between an option and an allowance?
An option is an item added to the standard plan at a stated price. An allowance is a budget the contract sets for a category of selections, and the contract decides what happens when a choice costs more.
Can the price change after you reserve?
Published prices are subject to change without notice, according to the builder’s own terms. Once you are under contract, how the price can change depends on the purchase agreement, so ask how it handles price changes before you sign.
What costs are not on the price sheet?
Impact fees, closing costs, and a property tax change after the sale can all sit outside the base price. Florida requires a disclosure summary of ad valorem taxes at or before signing, and it warns the buyer not to rely on the seller’s current property taxes.
How do you compare two builders’ prices?
Put both on the same lines: base price, lot premium, options, selections above allowance, and every cost paid outside the contract. Date each number, and compare the totals only after the lines match.
A price sheet tells you what a builder is asking, and the contract tells you what you are agreeing to. Read both, and the number on the brochure stops being the number that decides.
This article is general information about how new construction prices are presented and which costs can sit outside the base price. It is not legal, tax or mortgage advice, and it does not describe any particular contract or community. Prices, price sheets and contract terms change, and what applies to a specific home depends on its purchase agreement and its lot. Verify your own numbers with the sales office, a Florida real estate attorney and your lender before making a purchase decision.
All prices are subject to change without notice. Home prices refer to the base price of the house plan and do not include options or lot premiums.
Mountain Cove Homes also publishes additional legal disclaimers.
About Mountain Cove Homes. Mountain Cove Homes is a boutique home builder based in Miami, Florida, building single-family homes and townhomes in small communities across Miami-Dade County. Its personnel have been constructing homes in South Florida since the early 1980s. More about how the company works and where it builds.
Talk to Mountain Cove Homes
Mountain Cove Homes is a boutique home builder in Miami, Florida, building single-family homes and townhomes in small communities across Miami-Dade County — most of them with no HOA and no CDD tax. If you want to walk through lot availability, pricing, and what is included at this stage of construction, we will give you the numbers directly.
Office 4878 Southwest 74th Court, Miami, FL 33155 786.458.1805 [email protected]
Florida developer registration DE46760. All prices are subject to change without notice. Home prices refer to the base price of the house plan and do not include options or lot premiums.