Costs to Build for Various Sizes of Homes (And Giveaway!)

This month we're talking about the book Be Your Own House Contractor. And this week, we're looking at some pieces from the book's companion website at http://www.byoh.com/. Today, we'll discuss the costs to build various sized homes:

Q: Is the cost per square foot to build the same for any size house?

A: No. Homes are measured in square feet of living area (heated space). More square footage equals more money. That's pretty simple. However, the actual building cost per square foot actually drops as the house gets bigger because the cost of certain expensive items is spread out over more square feet. For example, a 1500 sq.ft house has only one kitchen with all the normal appliances. A 3000 sq.ft house also has only one kitchen, so if tastes in appliances, cabinets, etc. didn't increase too much with the larger house, the house per sq.ft of a kitchen in the 3000 sq.ft house is the same as the 1500 sq.ft house. Let's say a kitchen costs $15,000. That's $1.00 per sq.ft in the smaller house, but only $.50 per sq.ft in the larger house. (Cost per sq.ft is usually spread over the whole house, even if only speaking of a certain room or item.) So, as the house gets bigger, the overall costs will rise (more lumber, more roofing, etc.) but the cost for some specific items, based on a cost per sq.ft of building will drop.

Let's take roofs as an example of how to increase size and decrease cost per square foot. Depending on the pitch of the roof (angle), a 1500 sq.ft house will have X sq.ft of roofing costs. If you double the size of the house to 3000 sq.ft, will you double the roofing costs? No. Only if you add the extra 1500 sq.ft adjacent to the existing square footage. If you put it under or over the existing square footage, the cost of the roof stays the same. This also applies to foundation costs. Get the picture?

Other design features to be leery of in shopping for your house plans - features that can destroy a budget in a heartbeat - are steep roof pitches; large (and many) windows; lots of turns and offsets in the shape of the structure; expensive siding; long, long driveways; soils that require engineered septic systems; large room spans requiring more expensive framing or structural steel, to name just a few. But if certain design features are important to you, to the point you don't want the house if you can't have them, cut back somewhere else (size perhaps) in order to afford them. Study cost estimating carefully. Do it carefully. It is a builder's most important tool. It is now your job, your budget. After all, you are the builder!

I had heard that it was cheaper to build a two story home than the same amount of square feet in a ranch style because of roofing and foundation costs -- and now I know why. Good information!

Want to know more? You can win a free copy of Be Your Own House Contractor. Here's how it works:

1. Leave a comment below -- any comment.

2. Sometime tomorrow, I'll stop by the post, stop the submissions, and name the winner.

3. It will be that person's responsibility to check back to see if they are a winner and then email me their contact information.

4. I'll send all the winners their books in one mass mailing going out the second week in September.

A few rules for these giveaways:

1. You can not win more than one prize.

2. I will be the complete and final judge.

3. Legal disclaimer: I can not guarantee safe delivery of the items. I'll send them via US Mail, so it's likely they'll be fine, but I can't control it and won't be held accountable if the mail system messes up.

4. If you win something and do not contact me within a week of winning, I reserve the right to give your prize away to another winner. Note again: I won't track down the winners -- it's your responsibility to come back and see if you won.

Good luck! Post a comment below for a chance to win this book!

Comments

[Scott Moonen]

Entering drawing; thanks!

[Dawger]

Being your own contractor can save alot of money in the house purchasing process.

Entering drawing!

[Jake]

If a kitchen costs $15,000 and you have a 1500 square foot house, the kitchen costs $10/sqft, not $1/sqft. If your house doubled in size to 3000, that kitchen would still cost $5/sqft, not $0.50/sqft

[JH]

.

[Thad]

I'm in for the free giveaway.

[Chad D]

count me in

[Scott Kustes]

Count me in too.

[Richard M.]

Plkease enter me again.

Thanks.

[FMF]

Jake --

Good point.

Carl (author of the book) -- you want to respond? Are we looking at something incorrectly?

[Carl Heldmann]

If a kitchen costs $15,000 and you have a 1500 square foot house, the kitchen costs $10/sqft, not $1/sqft. If your house doubled in size to 3000, that kitchen would still cost $5/sqft, not $0.50/sqft

Posted by: Jake | August 23, 2007 at 07:53 AM

Jake is right. That's a typo by my webmaster which will be corrected. Decimal points mean a lot! It happened during our site revision in July.
Thanks Jake! I think you deserve a FREE book for catching that. What do say FMF?
Carl Heldmann

[FMF]

I think he deserves part of your royalties. ;-)

Ok, Jake, email me your contact info and I'll send you a book.

[John B]

Please enter me in the giveaway.

[Richard]

I'm still looking to be a winner

[Justin]

Never tell me the odds.

[Armel]

I'm back for a book!! Can I be lucky now?

[Adam]

i hope I win

[Kevin]

Jake must be an accountant...good catch.

I'd like to enter for the book drawing.

Thanks.

[Seth H]

Trying again!
Thanks!

[Dave]

Psalm 127:1

[Eric G.]

damn how many of these books do you have.

[Ken]

As I'm getting ready to buy a house in the next 2-3 months, I find this topic pretty timely. I know we are only discussing building costs here, and I understand that the roofing expenses for a 3000 sq ft home will be more for a single story home than a multi-story home of the same sq footage. But I will be looking for a house in Texas, and I was thing that a single story house may be less expensive to cool than a multi-story house. I'm renting a 2-story home now and the second story is always hot, not matter how cold the first story is. So I have really crank the A/C to make the upstairs remotely comfortable. And I work from home with an upstairs office. Am I right in thinking that a single story home would be less expensive to cool? (Everything else being equal?)

[JMS]

Giving it another shot...

[Taylor Brooks]

I've gone back and forth on whether or not it would be worth time/stress/money to build versus buy. Good article. Gimme the book!

[Rick]

Here's my entry.

[Hemal]

and again

[Cory]

Trying again!

[Dee Whit]

Trying again to win but, today's topic is very "common sense" but I never even thought about some costs are standard and that you can reduce costs even when building a bigger home.

[Cherly]

Another day...

Count me in!

[Carl Heldmann]

From Ken: As I'm getting ready to buy a house in the next 2-3 months, I find this topic pretty timely. I know we are only discussing building costs here, and I understand that the roofing expenses for a 3000 sq ft home will be more for a single story home than a multi-story home of the same sq footage. But I will be looking for a house in Texas, and I was thing that a single story house may be less expensive to cool than a multi-story house. I'm renting a 2-story home now and the second story is always hot, not matter how cold the first story is. So I have really crank the A/C to make the upstairs remotely comfortable. And I work from home with an upstairs office. Am I right in thinking that a single story home would be less expensive to cool? (Everything else being equal?)

Posted by: Ken | August 23, 2007 at 10:50 AM

From Carl: I always suggest discussing questions like this with your local energy (electric) company. They always have very accurate info. I think you'll find that the cost savings of building a 2 story 3,000 sq. ft.home will more than offset the cost of adding a separately zoned, well insullated upstairs central cooling system, which is what any 2 story home SHOULD have, even in Northern climes.
Even a one level 3,000 sq. ft. house should have 2 separately zoned systems for heat and/or cooling. That's too large an area for one system to maintain equal comfort throughout.
"Don't mess with Texas"
Carl Heldmann

[Brad]

Okay, that's twice you picked the post right next to me. Trying again.

[lily]

ask and you shall receive

[Littlerick]

would be a dream come true !!!!!!!!!!!!1

[Ron]

Do various regions of the US vary in construction cost, ie; coastal vs inland building. I have priced contactor's in both the Dallas/Fort Worth area and Gulf Shores, Alabama and have found the costs to be quite different.

[Harold F]

Posting for the book. Please let it be mine this time!

[Carl Heldmann]

Ron asked: Do various regions of the US vary in construction cost, ie; coastal vs inland building. I have priced contactor's in both the Dallas/Fort Worth area and Gulf Shores, Alabama and have found the costs to be quite different.

Posted by: Ron | August 23, 2007 at 02:55 PM

General Contractors might vary significantly, but building costs do NOT. The the only building cost that varies a lot is the cost of obtaining permits (California) & insurance (Flood & Hurricane areas) in some areas. But, To verify what I am saying, check out "Building costs by City & State" which is # 5 on my resource page, and is FREE information provided by the most respected name for cost estimating in the building industry, Craftsman Books.
That's one of the beauties of learning how to be your own General Contractor...shooting down myths.
Bang, bang, there goes another myth.
Carl Heldmann

[Nathan]

Book please.

[Jim]

I wonder what habitat for humanity houses cost compared to the for owner use types.

[John]

Interesting advice. Good thing to know as I plan on building a house by 2009.
Thanks.

[esther]

hopefully enough people have stopped trying such that I get decent odds of getting a book :)

[Reto]

This time it shall be mine.

[Christina]

Trying again :)

[GeekMan]

Memememememe!

[FMF]

This giveaway is now closed. The winner is Richard M. who posted at 8:24 am yesterday. Congrats!

Richard, please email me (see: http://www.freemoneyfinance.com/2005/04/free_money_fina_4.html ) and we'll arrange to get you your book.

To the rest of you, stay tuned. I still have plenty of copies (6) to give away!

[mary nichols]

i would be honored to be in your giveaway. please enter me.