Building custom homes in Back O' Beyond, one of Sedona's most private and established neighborhoods
Back O' Beyond sits on the south side of Uptown Sedona, tucked near Tlaquepaque and within walking distance of Oak Creek. It is one of the city's oldest custom-home areas: mature trees, established lots, direct views toward Cathedral Rock and Bell Rock, and a quiet residential character that persists despite its proximity to everything. Buyers choose it because the land is already proven. Building here means working around that history, not erasing it. Fenn Rogers has active projects in the Sedona area and understands the City of Sedona review process that governs all exterior work in this neighborhood.
What makes this neighborhood worth building in
Back O' Beyond is the kind of address that rarely comes available. The neighborhood occupies a corner of Sedona's south side where the terrain levels briefly before the red rock formations take over to the east and south. Cathedral Rock and Bell Rock are visible from many lots without being immediately adjacent. Oak Creek runs nearby. The shops, galleries, and restaurants of Tlaquepaque and Uptown are a short walk. And unlike newer master-planned communities with HOA design committees, Back O' Beyond is a traditional residential neighborhood: you deal with the City of Sedona's review process, not a layered community board on top of it.
The neighborhood's maturity is both its appeal and its primary building consideration. Many of the homes were built in the 1970s and 1980s. Some are well-maintained. Others have reached the point where a full teardown-and-rebuild is a more practical path than renovation. Available lots on raw land are rare here. If you are acquiring a parcel, it almost certainly comes with an existing structure that needs a decision made about it.
View orientation toward Cathedral and Bell Rock. Many Back O' Beyond lots face southeast, which puts the most dramatic Sedona red rock formations directly in the sightline. Maximizing those views while respecting neighbor privacy lines is one of the first design conversations we have on any lot here.
Mature trees and established landscaping. Decades-old cottonwoods, junipers, and ornamental landscaping are common. The City of Sedona's design standards favor preserving native and mature vegetation where feasible. We work around what is worth keeping, which usually means a more careful site plan than a raw-land build requires.
Walkability to Uptown and Tlaquepaque. This is a genuine selling point in a market where most luxury properties require a car for everything. Proximity to walkable dining and retail does not hurt resale value, and it is a real part of daily life in Back O' Beyond.
Quiet neighborhood character within earshot of the city. The neighborhood reads as secluded. That is partly topography and partly the dense mature planting. New construction should respect that scale. Oversized structures that read as imposing from the street will draw DRB scrutiny and neighbor attention.
What is different about building in an established Sedona neighborhood
Building on a raw Sedona hillside and building in Back O' Beyond are two different problems. The raw-land build is primarily a site-work and jurisdiction question. Back O' Beyond adds the complexity of working within a developed neighborhood where your project is visible to existing residents, where mature vegetation is part of the character the city is trying to preserve, and where the lot boundaries are fixed and tight.
Teardown-and-rebuild vs. renovation. For older structures in Back O' Beyond, this is often the first real decision. A major renovation of a 1970s or 1980s home can cost more than expected once you open walls and discover what the original construction actually involved. A teardown clears the slate but triggers a full DRB review cycle for the new structure. We help clients assess both paths honestly before committing to either. Our design-build vs. general contractor page explains why single-contract accountability matters especially in these situations.
City of Sedona Design Review Board. All new construction and significant exterior modifications in Sedona go through the Sedona Design Review Board. The DRB evaluates massing, materials, color, rooflines, and how the proposed structure relates to the street and adjacent properties. Back O' Beyond is not a historic district with special overlay rules, but the DRB does pay attention to neighborhood scale and character. A design that looks appropriate in an empty field will not necessarily pass review in this context.
Small-lot fit and setbacks. Lot sizes in Back O' Beyond are not the expansive parcels you find in newer luxury communities. Setbacks, height limits, and coverage ratios set by City of Sedona Building Safety determine what is actually buildable on any given parcel. We review those constraints before design work starts, not after a plan is already drawn.
Neighbor relationships matter. This is an established neighborhood with long-term residents. We approach projects here collaboratively, not adversarially. That means communicating with adjacent owners early, respecting sight lines and privacy, and managing construction activity in a way that does not create lasting friction. A custom home in an established neighborhood lives or dies partly by how the builder conducted themselves during construction.
Jurisdiction note. Most Back O' Beyond parcels fall under City of Sedona jurisdiction. Some lots on the outer edges may fall under Yavapai County Development Services instead. We confirm which authority governs your specific parcel before any design work is scoped. The answer affects permit timelines, which review bodies are involved, and what design standards apply.
Full custom builds, teardowns, and major renovations
Projects in Back O' Beyond fall into three categories, each with a different set of considerations and a different approval path.
Full custom new build on a cleared lot
When a teardown is the right call, we handle demolition coordination, site clearing, and construction under one contract. The new structure goes through a complete DRB review, which means design decisions need to be made with the board's standards in mind from the start. We prepare the submission package and manage the review process. See the full timeline on our custom home building process page.
Major renovation of an existing structure
If the bones of an existing home are worth preserving, a full renovation can be the right path. Significant exterior changes will still require DRB review. Interior work that does not alter the exterior form typically moves through permitting faster. We assess the existing structure honestly: what is worth keeping, what needs to go, and what the true cost comparison looks like against a rebuild.
Site evaluation before purchase
Before you close on a Back O' Beyond parcel, we can walk it with you. Buildable footprint, setback analysis, condition of any existing structure, tree preservation requirements, view orientation, and drainage all factor into what the lot is actually worth to you as a builder. We have helped clients walk away from parcels that looked good on paper and toward ones that delivered better outcomes.
Design that belongs in the Sedona landscape
Back O' Beyond does not have a single prescribed architectural style, but the neighborhood's character and the Sedona DRB's standards both point in the same direction. Structures that reference the natural landscape through material choice and form read as belonging here. Structures that import a style from another climate or context generally do not.
In practice, that means natural stone, warm-toned stucco, weathered or rusted metals, low-pitched rooflines, and a muted palette that recedes against the red rock surroundings rather than competing with them. One-story and step-down two-story forms are typically better received than vertical structures that read as tall from the street. Indoor-outdoor connection is both architecturally appropriate and practically valuable given Sedona's year-round climate.
The architectural vocabulary the DRB responds well to aligns closely with what we describe in our desert contemporary architecture guide. That page covers the material and design decisions that work in this environment in detail. For buyers who want a territorial adobe or Santa Fe style, those approaches can also work well in Back O' Beyond's context, given the neighborhood's history and the DRB's comfort with those forms in Sedona generally.
What the DRB consistently scrutinizes: high-reflectivity materials, bright whites, colors that contrast sharply with the surroundings, and massing that reads as oversized for the lot or the street. We account for all of this during the design development phase, before a submission is prepared.
We are building in the Sedona area right now
We currently have two homes under construction in the Sedona area. That means our subcontractor relationships are active, our familiarity with current DRB timelines is current, and our team knows the permitting process at City of Sedona Building Safety. A project in Back O' Beyond is a 24-to-36-month commitment from first conversation to move-in. It starts with an honest discussion about what you are trying to accomplish and whether the parcel makes sense for it.
If you want to visit an active Fenn Rogers project in the Sedona area before committing to a conversation, that is sometimes possible to arrange. You can also review our completed work portfolio or read about our background and approach before reaching out.
We take a limited number of new projects each year. If you are considering a 2026 or 2027 start, early contact is worthwhile to understand availability and discuss your specific parcel.
Honest numbers for the Sedona market
Custom home construction in the Sedona area runs at a premium compared to the Phoenix metro, for straightforward reasons: the pool of skilled subcontractors is smaller, material delivery adds logistics complexity, and the DRB review process adds time to the front end of every project. In Back O' Beyond specifically, demolition of an existing structure adds cost that raw-land builds do not carry.
As a general reference, custom luxury homes in this part of Sedona typically fall in the $3M to $10M and beyond total investment range for construction, not including land or demolition. Projects with extensive natural stone, significant site work around mature trees, or complex structural solutions for hillside lots move past that range. Our custom home cost per square foot guide for Arizona covers the full range of variables and what actually drives the number up.
We build a fixed-price contract after design development is complete and the DRB has signed off on the design direction. Not an estimate. A locked number that reflects the specifications you approved. Our Arizona cost guides library also covers renovation and addition costs in detail for buyers who are weighing a renovation against a rebuild.
From first call to occupancy in Back O' Beyond
The full framework is on our custom home building process page. Here is how the Back O' Beyond-specific steps fit in.
Parcel and jurisdiction review
We confirm which authority governs your parcel, assess the existing structure on the lot, review setback and coverage requirements, and identify tree preservation obligations. If you have not yet purchased the lot, we can participate in that evaluation before you close.
Design development with DRB in mind
Working with your architect or ours, we develop a design that meets your goals and the Sedona DRB standards. We prepare the DRB submission package and manage the review process, responding to any comments without losing months to rework cycles. This phase typically takes three to six months depending on design complexity and current DRB review loads.
Fixed-price proposal and contract
Once design is complete and DRB approval is in hand, we present a fixed-price proposal with every material, finish, and specification documented. You review and approve. We do not start construction until you have a number you can plan around. Learn more about our approach on the About page.
Demolition and construction
If the project involves a teardown, we coordinate demolition as the first construction phase. Your dedicated project manager handles all trades and daily site management throughout. Jeff Rogers and Brady Fenn remain accessible throughout the build. We hold regular update calls and document progress.
Punch list and occupancy
We do a thorough walkthrough with you before closing out the project. Every item gets addressed before we consider the job complete. Then you move in.
Practical commitments for a project this size
Fixed pricing after design
We lock the number after design development and DRB approval, when every material and specification is known. We do not use large allowances as placeholders. If you want a different finish, we tell you the cost before it goes into the contract.
Direct access to the principals
Jeff Rogers and Brady Fenn are reachable throughout your project. A build of this scale and significance should not be managed by someone who was not part of the original conversation.
Limited project volume
We do not take on more work than we can staff properly. Your project manager has genuine bandwidth for your build, not a dozen sites competing for the same attention at the same time.
Back O' Beyond, Chapel Area, and Soldiers Pass
Back O' Beyond is the right choice for buyers who want an established neighborhood with proven character, walkability to Uptown, and southerly views toward Cathedral Rock and Bell Rock. It is not the only Sedona neighborhood worth evaluating.
Chapel Area
Southeast of Back O' Beyond, toward the Chapel of the Holy Cross, the Chapel Area offers larger lots with some of the most dramatic red rock exposure in the city. More raw and less walkable than Back O' Beyond, but the view corridors on the right lot are hard to match. DRB review applies throughout. Falls under City of Sedona jurisdiction. See our Sedona luxury home building page for a full neighborhood breakdown.
Soldiers Pass
North of Uptown on the west side, Soldiers Pass is a quieter residential area with trail access directly from many lots. Less view-oriented than Back O' Beyond but with a different kind of adjacency to the natural landscape. Lot sizes vary. City of Sedona jurisdiction and DRB review apply. Worth considering for buyers who prioritize trail access and a more removed residential feel.
Seven Canyons
On Sedona's west side near Boynton Canyon, Seven Canyons is a member-owned gated golf community with its own Architectural Review Committee on top of City of Sedona DRB review. More community infrastructure and a different lifestyle model than Back O' Beyond's traditional residential character. See our Seven Canyons custom homes page for details.
Recent Fenn Rogers projects
There are so many cool features at our Skyview 5 project, like the floating steel staircase to access the bedrooms upstairs right off the kitchen. Stay tuned as we are nearing completion on this amazing custom home 🙌🏻
We’ve wrapped up the framing portion of phase 2 at our Mariposa Estates project. Phase 2 consists of building a game room to connect the main house to the casita with a game room as well as adding 3 additional garage bays 👊🏻
Most people would look at this project and say you should’ve just scraped the house and started from scratch! But this home has sentimental value to our clients so we are preserving as much as we can 🙌🏻
Design: @homesmithdesign
🎥: @hoppinphoto
Pool & Landscape: @worthdevelopmentaz
With the heat starting this week…I’ll be dreaming about this soon to be finished pool!📍 Gilbert, Arizona.
#gilbertarizona #arizona #customhomes #dreamhome
There are a lot of finishing touches being installed at this project. One of our favorites is the contrasting paver boarder around the walkways and driveways, installed by @sherwood_outdoorsaz.
The kitchen of your dreams 😴 💭
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@burdettecabinetco @alishataylorinteriors @summitstoneaz @sunlighting_official @reecebathandkitchenusa @subzerogroupsw @armed_electric_llc @pinnacleconceptions
This modern farmhouse is a timeless classic, and a magnificent showpiece in the neighborhood. @alishataylorinteriors designed the most beautiful home that fit our client’s lifestyle perfectly. We are extremely grateful to all of our trade partners and their hard work to assemble this masterpiece! THANK YOU! 🎥 @hoppinphoto
Foundation is poured at 69th 🙌
Design: @britanysimon
Architecture: @pinnacleconceptions
Build: @fennrogers_customhomes
Listing: @jamartaylor_
Video: @select.media.co
Golden hour at this beautiful property 👌 👌
@sherwood_outdoorsaz @visionmakersinternational @alishataylorinteriors @ocwindowanddoor @windsor_windows
#customhomes #arizonahomes #fennrogerscustomhomes #dreamhouse
I could watch these guys install wood floors all day! Really cool entry way detail, designed by @alishataylorinteriors.
Phase 1 of our Mariposa remodel is all wrapped up and turned over to the design team for furnishings. We are beyond thrilled with how this project turned out!
Design: @alishataylorinteriors
🎥: @hoppinphoto
Ready to talk about your Back O' Beyond project?
We take a limited number of new Sedona-area projects each year. If the timing is right, the first step is a direct conversation with Jeff or Brady about what you are trying to build. No obligation. Use the form below or call us at (480) 699-3105. You can also request a formal quote here.
Start the ConversationQuestions about building a custom home in Back O' Beyond
What makes Back O' Beyond different from other Sedona neighborhoods?
Back O' Beyond is one of Sedona's oldest established custom-home areas, located on the south side of Uptown near Tlaquepaque and Oak Creek. It offers a walkable, secluded character with direct views toward Cathedral Rock and Bell Rock from many lots, mature landscaping, and proximity to Uptown dining and retail without the feel of being in the middle of it. Unlike master-planned communities such as Seven Canyons, it does not have a community HOA or Architectural Review Committee. Exterior work is reviewed through the City of Sedona Design Review Board directly.
Is Back O' Beyond in the City of Sedona or Yavapai County?
Most Back O' Beyond parcels fall within City of Sedona jurisdiction, meaning permits are issued by City of Sedona Building Safety and exterior work is reviewed by the Sedona Design Review Board. Some parcels on the outer edges of the neighborhood may fall under Yavapai County Development Services instead, which has a different permitting process and does not involve a city DRB. We confirm which authority governs your specific parcel before any design work is scoped.
Do most Back O' Beyond projects involve tearing down an existing home?
Many do. The neighborhood was developed largely in the 1970s and 1980s, and a significant portion of the housing stock has aged to the point where a teardown-and-rebuild is more practical than a renovation. That said, some structures are well-maintained and worth renovating. We assess both paths honestly before you commit to either. Demolition of an existing structure adds cost and a coordination step that a raw-land build does not require, but it gives you full design freedom on a parcel that comes with an established address and a proven location. Our Arizona custom home cost guide covers how to evaluate the comparison.
What does the Sedona Design Review Board look for in Back O' Beyond?
The DRB evaluates massing, materials, colors, rooflines, and how a proposed structure relates to the street and adjacent properties. In Back O' Beyond, they pay attention to neighborhood scale. Structures that read as oversized for the lot or inconsistent with the surrounding residential character tend to draw comments. Materials that blend with the red rock surroundings are preferred over high-contrast or high-reflectivity surfaces. The DRB review process typically adds two to four months to the front end of a project. We prepare submissions that account for these standards upfront, which reduces revision cycles.
How long does it take to build a custom home in Back O' Beyond?
Allow four to six months for DRB review and permitting on a typical custom home or teardown-and-rebuild, assuming a well-prepared first submission. If the board requests revisions, each cycle adds four to six weeks. Construction after permits are in hand typically runs 18 to 24 months for a home in the 3,500 to 6,000 square foot range. Projects involving unusual site conditions or significant structural complexity run longer. The full timeline from first conversation to occupancy is typically 24 to 36 months. Our building process page walks through each phase in detail.
What does it cost to build a custom home in Back O' Beyond?
Custom homes in the Sedona area typically fall in the $3M to $10M and beyond total investment range for construction, not including land. Demolition of an existing structure adds cost specific to teardown projects. Lots with significant mature vegetation requiring careful preservation, unusual setback constraints, or complex view-capture structural solutions move past that range. Our Arizona custom home cost per square foot guide covers the variables in detail. We build a fixed-price contract after design development and DRB approval, so you have a locked number before construction begins.
What architectural style works best in Back O' Beyond?
The neighborhood has a mix of architectural styles given its age, but the Sedona DRB and the natural setting both favor approaches that reference the landscape. Natural stone, warm-toned stucco, weathered metals, low-pitched rooflines, and muted color palettes that recede against the red rock surroundings are well-received. Territorial adobe and Santa Fe forms are also contextually appropriate given Sedona's character. High-contrast colors, bright whites, and materials with high reflectivity tend to draw scrutiny. See our desert contemporary architecture guide for a detailed look at how these decisions play out in practice.
Can Fenn Rogers evaluate a Back O' Beyond lot before we purchase it?
Yes. This is a useful step on any Sedona parcel. In Back O' Beyond specifically, we look at the condition of any existing structure, the buildable footprint given setback and coverage requirements, which authority governs the parcel, tree preservation obligations, and how the lot's view orientation relates to a potential design. Some parcels in this neighborhood look appealing on a listing sheet but present real constraints once you walk them. A pre-purchase review costs you an afternoon and can prevent a significant mistake. Reach us at (480) 699-3105 or through the form above to set that up.