Average Cost To Build A HouseThe average cost to build a house is $248,000, or between $100 to $155 per square foot depending on your location, size of the home, and if modern or custom designs are used. New home construction for a 2,000 square foot home runs $201,000 to $310,000 on average. Show
Building a custom designed dream home will usually end up costing more than if you were to buy a new home already built in a subdivision, or if you work with a developer that has floorplans to choose from. New home construction takes up to one year to complete, and there are many steps to the home building process that we will cover in detail. Cost To Build A House
If you do decide to go custom, your dream home will only account for 75% or less of your final costs. Then you’ll have to factor in the cost of the land, financing, finishing out the lot, landscaping, and more which can add up to $80,000 or more. Cost Per Square Foot to Build a HouseAccording to the National Association of Home Builders, a general contractor's expenses are $85 per square foot for new home construction. Add overhead, profit, and finishing, and the average cost per square foot to build a house is $100 to $155 depending on the region. Cost Per Square Foot to Build a House
Data is from the US Census Bureau Survey 2017 accounting for inflation and appreciation levels. Prices per square foot in your area will also depend on local material and labor costs. For instance, you will pay about $175 per square foot to build a mid-range house in Austin, TX, and $135 per square foot in North Dakota. Table of Contents
Building A House Cost EstimatorThe chart below gives cost estimates to build a house across a range of sizes, using a low-end cost of $100 per square foot, an average modern build at $155 per square foot, and a high-end custom builds at $400 per square foot. Cost To Build a 2, 3, or 4 Bedroom HouseThe average cost of building a 3-bedroom house is between $248,000 and $310,000, while the cost to build a 4-bedroom house about $388,000 to $465,000, and the cost to build a small 2-bed home is about $93,000 to $155,000. Here are the average costs to build a single-family home by square footage. Cost To Build a 2, 3, or 4 Bedroom House
There will be many variables in your final cost depending on where you live, the total square footage, number of bedrooms, number of bathrooms, type of flooring, cabinets, appliances, etc. In a 2017 analysis of new builds by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development:
Cost to build a custom homeThe cost to build a custom home is $200 to $550 per square foot based on the location, choices in design, and interior and exterior finishes. Most people also need to buy land to build the house on. Hiring an architect costs $15,000 to $80,000+ more or 8% to 15% of the total construction cost for detailed drawing specifications, construction documents, and project management. To get accurate bids from general contractors, you’ll need to have an architect both turn your ideas into blueprints and to work with structural engineers and planning agencies. Hiring a custom home designer adds 10% to 17% more to your budget, and high-end professionals charge $30,000 to $50,000. By choosing all your design options up front, or by going with a developer with pre-designed options you can save up to 30%. Developers and Home BuildersNew home construction costs with a developer can be approximately 15% less than with a custom home builder. Developers plan subdivisions and offer a range of floorplans to select from. Developers build many houses at once, so houses typically cost less each than a custom home, and they’re likely to be completed faster too. Developments range in price from first-time buyers to established couples seeking a luxury home. Most developer planned subdivisions will also have a playground, picnic tables, a BBQ area, and even a pool. On the downside, it could mean there is construction around your home for some time, and it won't be custom designed. Custom home builders can develop anything you want once you have all the design features in the blueprint. However, your home will cost more purely because they are giving your home their exclusive focus and ordering in materials and hiring workers for one house. Additional Price FactorsWhen looking at prices to build your own home, the average prices we have listed here are just averages, and with the range of customization possible, there is a potential for the final price for your home to differ significantly depending on where you live and the options you choose. Some of the more significant pricing implications include
Return to Top New Home Construction CostsThe cost of materials and labor to build a house will average around 75% of your home's final price. Below we'll cover all the home building costs in our breakdown. Use the cost breakdown below to check bids provided by construction companies. These costs are based on a 2,000 square foot home built at an average cost of $125 per square foot. These prices are averages and will vary depending on the materials used, type of home, and quality of construction. New Home Construction Costs
Material Cost to Build a HouseThe material cost to build a house is about $50 per square foot or between 41.5% and 51% of the build cost. For a two-story 2,776 square foot home, the construction materials would account for around $140,000 and would cover framing, foundation, roofing, siding, interior and exterior doors, windows, insulation, drywall, siding, paint, flooring, electrical, plumbing fixtures, and light fixtures. Add an average of $8,729 for HVAC, $3,430 for cabinets, and $2,378 for appliances. Material costs will vary depending on your building material choices re long-term durability, eco-friendliness, energy costs, and social costs. Labor Cost to Build a HouseThe average labor cost to build a home is roughly 39% of the total build cost and works out to about $34 per square foot. The labor cost on an average 2,776 square foot home will run about $68,000. The ratio of labor cost to material costs is about $1.28 in labor for every $1 in materials—for baseline costs—and more with more ornate materials or custom work because of the higher cost of architects and master craftsmen.
Home Building Cost BreakdownThere are so many major components or stages in residential construction that your costs will vary considerably depending on the quality of each aspect of your home build. The National Association of Home Builders says that on average, for a 2,776-square-foot home, you’ll pay:
Cost of House PlansThe cost of house plans is $500 up to $2,500, while an architect will cost an average hourly rate of $60 and $130 per hour, or between $2 to $5 per square foot, for the design work. Our sample 2,776 sqft. home has the architect cost at $6,000. Site & Prep WorkSite work includes building permit fees of $400 to $4,000, impact fees of approximately $2,000 to $3,800 or more to cover connecting the property to local public services like water and sewer facilities, water and sewer inspection fees of around $5,000, and architecture and engineering fees of about $3,300. FoundationThe average cost to pour a concrete foundation is $26,750 for a house that’s 2,776 square feet which includes excavation, foundation, concrete, retaining walls, and backfill. A concrete slab alone costs $6 per square foot, soil grading or land could amount to $3,300, and if there are abnormal efforts required for excavation because of rocks in the earth, or if the addition of retaining walls are needed, the cost for the foundation could go up anywhere from an additional $5,000 to $20,000. Cost to Frame a HouseAccording to Craftsman’s National Estimator, the cost to frame a house ranges from $13 per square foot for lumber and labor costs for a single-story home and $22 per square foot for a two-story home. Framing a 2,776 square foot home costs about $42,850 or $15 per square foot, which includes framing the home and the roof, trusses, sheathing, and any metal and steel. The cost of lumber to build a house does fluctuate some, and it is the only variable that could have a significant impact on the final cost of framing your home. Exterior FinishesOnce the foundation has been laid, and the framing is constructed, creating the look for the exterior of the home is completed through the installation of the walls, siding, windows, doors, and the roof. In most cases the final cost for exterior finishes will total around $35,000 and include the following: Cost of Exterior Finishes
Building a Brick House CostA layer of brick over the wood frame costs about $35,000 for a 2,000-square-foot house. A brick or solid-masonry house has a brick frame rather than one made of wood. Finding a stonemason to build this can be nigh impossible, as these types of homes have not been developed for about fifty years. Cost to Build a Log Home or Stone HouseYour log cabin shell—the exterior—will cost about $2,800 to $7,075 per 100 square feet. If you’d rather live a sustainable life off-grid, you can build a solid stone shell with stones and mortar for about $10 per square foot. Stone siding on a wood frame costs about $0.31 to $7.59 per square foot. Major Systems InstallationMajor systems include rough-in plumbing costs, electrical work, and HVAC systems. Rough-ins are the elements that don’t fall under general construction but are essential to the use of the home. Their combined cost averages around $34,000 and can include the following: Major Systems Installation Cost
Interior FinishingThe combined cost for interior finishes typically is twice the cost for exterior finishes and generally accounts for around $71,000 of the cost to build a home. The interior finishing covers everything to make the interior of the home beautiful as well as useable and can include the following: Interior Finishing Costs
Final DetailsThe final details cost about $17,300 for our 2,776 sqft. house. These are a mix of some potentially necessary additions as well as some that are not essential and more of a nice-to-have feature. After the finishing touches, the final clean up will cost around $3,000 and can also include some of the following: Home Building Add-Ons
Return to Top Cost to Build A House YourselfFor potential homeowners looking to save money, building your own home costs about $70 per square foot and will save an average of 25%. On a typical home costing $248,000, you would save around $62,000. Cost to Build a Modular HomeThe average cost to build a modular prefab home is $80 to $160 per square foot. Of the three types of fabricated building structure options, modular homes are the most expensive, with a 2,500-square-foot home costing around $200,000 to $365,000.
After this, there could still be costs related to land, utility hookups, landscaping, driveways, permits, taxes, and fees.
Cost to Build a Pole Barn HouseThe cost to build a pole barn house can run as high as $120,000 or more depending on many factors. A basic unfinished 2,400 square foot pole barn shell costs between $20,000 to $40,000. The price of your pole barn will largely depend upon its size. Cost to Build a Shipping Container HomeYou can also finish out a shipping container for about $60,000 to $90,000. A large home built from shipping containers can cost between $150,000 and $175,000, which is generally about half the price of a traditional home of the same size. Shipping container houses take about 30% less time to build than a traditional home. The following costs are related to turning a container into a home.
Return to Top Cost to Build a Tiny HouseThe average tiny house will cost from $25,000 to $35,000, but you can build one for less. One couple built a 24-foot-long, 8-foot-wide and 13-foot-tall tiny home for $8,000 by using cheap or free lumber, along with sourcing items for free on Craigslist and Habitat for Humanity Restore locations. Finally, for the base structure of the home, they built the house on a trailer frame. Tiny homes are generally considered dwellings of less than 500 square feet. Another option in this arena is to purchase a new prefabricated tiny home. Simple Terra offers a 1-bedroom container home with 320 square feet of interior space and a 160-square-foot outdoor covered deck for $38,000. They can be delivered with or without interior walls. Cost to Build a Small HouseSmall houses of around 600 square feet average about $50,000 to $70,000 to build. If a tiny house is too small for your family, you could build something that qualifies as a small house to save money. Building materials account for just over $31,000, and labor costs total $25,500. In addition to those construction costs, another $20,000 will be needed for utility hookup, building permits, construction plans, and contractor overhead and profit. Cost to Build a Guest HouseThe cost to build a 600-square-foot guest house is about $50,000 to $70,000 for an average quality version, $120,000 for a custom version, and as much as $330,000 for a high-end custom guest house. Other options for building a guest house include tiny homes, container homes, and modular homes. In many cases, one of these could be cheaper and finished out faster. Return to Top Is It Cheaper to Build or Buy a House?Depending on a wide range of factors, it could be anywhere from $0 to $50,000 or more to build a home versus buy a home. If you already own the land, the total cost of building your own home will compare better to buying a home. If you buy an existing home: The National Association of Realtors’ says the median cost of buying an existing single-family house is about $260,000. The seller's real estate agent and appraiser will determine the sales price when buying a home. Also, your location will factor in considerably into the final price. For example, homes in the Northeast are about 55% more expensive than homes in the South. If you build a new home: According to US Census Bureau, the median price to buy a new home is $302,700, with the lowest prices in the South at $100.40 per square foot, and the highest rates in the Northeast at $155.21 per square foot. This price does not include the cost for land or a septic system and water and electrical lines for new construction—if you are building in a rural area. The main difference is that you'll be getting a brand new home instead of one that may be 20 to 60 years old. Buying Land and Building a House CostsAnother significant element in the cost to build a house is the price of the land, unless you already own a plot where you would like to build your home. Your location could make a difference of millions. A plot can cost as little as $5,000 in Arizona, New Mexico, and Nevada, or as expensive as $2,000,000 or more in California or New York. Even if you own the land, demolishing an existing house costs $4 and $10 per square foot before the construction of your new home. The cost to build a house on your own land could still be higher than buying an existing home, because of the cost of a land survey, grade the land, put in a septic tank, bring utility lines and systems to the property, etc. Return to Top Building A New House ChecklistCompared to buying in a subdivision that is being developed, you have a lot more control and influence on the project when building a custom home with your selected general contractor. However, you'll also have a higher degree of responsibility and decisions that will need to be made along the way. Unless you are well acquainted with everything that needs to be done, the following checklist will help you navigate the home building process with confidence.
Create BudgetYou will need to contact a lender and figure out what kind of mortgage you will qualify for. Once you have a handle on the total budget for your new home build and have some idea of the costs per square foot, you can begin to draw up your plans without getting carried away and designing something you won’t be able to accomplish. Purchase PropertyYou will need to find the right spot for your new home. If you are buying a plot that currently has a house which will need to be demolished, you will save a little when it comes to electrical and sewer connection fees, since those would have already been in place for the previous home. If you are buying raw, undeveloped land in a rural setting, you might have to add a septic tank for your wastewater needs. You will also need to run utility lines back to your property, and possibly factor in the cost of grading the land and laying a driveway. Choose a Construction MethodIn most cases, the budget for your project will determine the type of construction to be undertaken for the new home. In addition to traditional construction methods, others available include complete prefabricated homes, modular homes, home kits, barndominiums, container homes, pre-built tiny homes, and the newest process—3D printed home structures. Develop Plans or Designs
Obtain Permits and InspectionsYour contractor can accurately schedule out the inspections that will need to be carried out during construction. Depending on where you live, your building permit costs will range between $400 and $4,000, and inspections will cost an average of $5,000. Purchase Construction InsuranceFor the most peace of mind, select a contractor who has adequate insurance to cover the project through all phases of construction. Alternatively, if you are doing a low-cost hybrid construction project with many different contractors involved, including you doing certain portions of the work, you won’t need to purchase construction insurance. Begin ConstructionWith your land purchased and prepared for construction, your construction loan approved, budget finalized, plans drawn up, your contractor selected, and your permits approved, your contractor can be scheduled to break ground and begin the prep work for the foundation as the first phase of your construction. Book a Final InspectionOnce built, you or your contractor will need to schedule a final inspection to obtain a certificate of occupancy. This is the official document that verifies that all work on the home was done to code and the structure is safe for people to live in. Complete LandscapingYou can either wait until the entire home is complete before getting the landscaping done or start as soon as the foundation and framing of the house are finished. The other major factor at play regarding when this will take place is related to what you are having planted on your property in respect to trees, plants, and shrubs and what time of year they are best planted in. Return to Top Frequently Asked QuestionsHow Much Does It Cost To Build A 1,500 Square Foot House?The basic price most homeowners will pay to build a 1,500 square foot home is $128,475 while an entry-level custom home of the same size will average around $300,000, and a high-end custom home around $675,000. How Much Does It Cost To Build A 2,500 Square Foot House?The basic price most homeowners will pay to build a 2,500 square foot home is $250,000, while an entry level custom home of the same size will average around $388,000, and a high-end custom home around $1,000,000. What Is The Cheapest House To Build Per Square Foot?A pole barn house completely finished out will cost $30 to $45 per square foot which makes it the cheapest house to build with quality in mind. What Is The Cheapest Way To Build A House?
Get free estimates on HomeGuide from trusted general contractors: Get free estimates How long does it take to frame a 3000 sq ft house?Framing a home usually takes 5-8 weeks.
How do I estimate the cost of framing?The cost of labor is typically between $4 and $10 per square foot. Materials run between $3 and $6 per square foot. Demand and urban builds tend to increase the cost of labor.
What does framing a house include?Wall framing in house construction includes the vertical and horizontal members of exterior walls and interior partitions. These members, referred to as studs, wall plates and lintels, serve as a nailing base for all covering material and support the upper floors, ceiling and roof.
How much does framing cost per linear foot?The cost of interior walls framed with drywall can range between $20 to $30 per linear foot. However, this estimate does not include other costs such as drywall screws, joint compound, and joint tape.
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