Construction costs in the US? (1 Viewer)

[Ricardo C]

I'm considering a move to the USA in the next year or two. Assuming everything goes according to plan (financially), I'd be looking at building a house from scratch, rather than buying. I have a very specific idea of what I would like my ideal home to be like, and if I'm gonna make the big leap and relocate, I might as well land in my dream home, right?

Anyway, I was wondering if there are any online resources where I could see the average construction costs per state. I also would be very grateful if any fellow HTFers who've built homes in the recent past, could tell me just how much of a premium over the average costs I should expect to pay.

Thanks in advance

 

[Eric Kahn]

If you ask a contractor, it is going to be $100 per square foot, minimum so they can make their standard 100% profit.

it really depends on where you want to build, the cost of labor varies from location to location here

 

[Robert_J]

We built a custom home last year just outside of Memphis, TN. It cost 0.75/sq ft to have my wife's sketches turned into actual blueprints. The lot price was about $36,000/acre on lots that ran slightly smaller than an acre. Home construction was about $68/sq foot. This included a few extras like hardwood and tile over most of the house (carpet in the theater room) and a $3,000 bathtub. It also included the builder's fee which was based on square footage rather than cost plus a percentage that most builders use. I felt better about this since a few times that he suggested that we upgrade to a more expensive option, he wasn't lining his pocket. He actually saved us money most of the time by suggesting cheaper options. I don't think a builder working on cost+ would suggest anything that would take money away from him.

I can go into a little bit more detail if you have questions.

-Robert

 

[Bryan X]

Just to echo what Eric said, atleast in the Ohio area $100 sq foot is typical.

 

[Ricardo C]

Guys, thanks a lot for your replies Robert, I'll probably have a few more questions as the time to build draws closer. Thanks for the offer

 

[Wade]

My wife and I are looking at buying a house in Chandler, AZ. The base price per square foot for the home is right around $73. After all the upgrades (structural and interior) we are looking at about $78 a square foot. This includes a 1/4 acre of land.

Wade

 

[D. Scott MacDonald]

It largely depends on where in the US you want to build. For example, labor is pretty cheap in Texas, but much more expensive here in the Seattle area. Also the land is much more expensive up here.

On a side note, what part of Venezuela do you live in? I used to speak pretty fluent maracucho.

 

[Grant B]

in san francisco you need to buy a house and tear it down to build anything. You might be able to get a standard lot (20 x100) for under $300,000. Most single family homes start at about $1.3 million (fixer upper)

 

[Ashley Seymour]

I have seen builders charge $75 sq ft here and that is for home around $250,000. With a 22% markup that would sugges that $60 per sq ft would be a possibility for 2,500 -3,000 sq ft home. Lots $45-70M in that range. View Lots from $125,000.

 

[ken thompson]

The larger the house the lower the $/sq.ft. rate all else being equal.