How Much Does It Cost per Square Foot to Build?
In our industry today the most commonly asked question by prospective clients is, “How much per square foot does it cost to build a home?” Many builders advertise and promote their companies by publishing a cost per square foot price, with each company trying to outdo the next with lower figures. Lower prices certainly don't mean better value. In the past, many professional quality home builders incorporated quality and value oriented products in their homes to provide sustainability and customer value based on many factors like product warranties, reputation, and longevity. Nowadays many of those considerations by builders are being replaced by the objective of lowering initial costs while minimizing considerations of long-term value and sustainability. Obviously, the first question is what constitutes a square foot price.......
- "Is my project "turn-key", or are there extra costs not in the price?"
- "What features are optional?"
- "Are my Allowances sufficient?"
- "The Building Code requires storm protection for all exterior doors, windows, and skylights. What form of storm protection will I get?"
- "The Building Codes in many cases are minimum standards. What features of my home will exceed the requirements of the Code?"
- "How will changes to our project be handled?"
Buyer beware, homes are a major investment. Consider it as you would when buying a piece of art, a new boat, or a car. Don't fall in the trap of making these investment and quality of life decisions based on costs per square foot, per square inch, or length of boat. Homes and their builders vary greatly among the providers.
When evaluating your selections for homes or builders consider some of the following:
- Complexity and Intricacies of the Design: The overall design and architectural layout and details of the home including considerations of 2nd floor space and design efficiency of sharing roof and foundation cost/benefit ratios, Exterior living spaces, covered areas, added garage space, or workshop space and perimeter areas and aesthetics,
- Style of the Home: Exterior details including the number and sizes of exterior windows & doors, shapes, operation (fixed or operable), casement or double hung, impact or non-impact, exterior trim detailing, soffit and fascia design, the shingle life and type, etc.
- Site Conditions: Topography and soil conditions on the home site,
- Quality and selection of Finishes: (Interior & Exterior) Interior selections, including cabinets, appliances, floorings, tile, paints, fixtures, accessories, hardware, etc.
- Visible & Hidden Engineering & Details: Specific structural details including size of studs (interior & exterior), ceiling heights, rafter & joists sizes, beams and header components, columns, tray & coffered ceilings, ceiling heights, mechanical fasteners including anchoring systems and tie downs to foundations, roof and floor decking, including attics,
- Structural Engineering (Beyond simple "meet the code requirements"): Concrete footing design, rebar sizing and placement and structural interior footings, or raised foundations heights, floor systems and other sustainable design considerations,
- Properly sized and Engineered Systems: HVAC sizing, manufacturer, type of duct work, number of units, registers, fresh air, humidity control, SEER, warranties, etc.
- Plumbing considerations include how many sinks, exterior faucets, toilets, showers, tubs and their type, surround material, water heaters and their location and types, etc.
- Electrical fixtures, switches and types, dimmers, lighting, panel sizes, and so much more,
- Millwork casing, baseboard, and door types, etc.
- And, of course quality of construction, Builder Reputation, Financial Integrity, Builder Experience, and Builder Warranties.
Your home can vary in price by 40% to 50% based on these considerations above.
Contact us for more information and let us provide you with what you need to truly make accurate comparison and help determine a proper value for your investment. We are experts in Value Engineering the products, systems and design of your new home. Become a partner in the process.
