Construction costs are widely variable depending on the construction method, foundation type and most definately the interior finishes. It could be as low as $75 or upwards of $250 per square foot depending on the project.

If you can describe your project and expectations a bit more, perhaps someone can give you a ballpark estimate.

What we're looking at is Tideland Haven:

http://www.slhouseplans.com/exec/action/planimage/plnmdid/199468/section/homeplans

It's about 2400 sq feet and we will want Trex decking, hardwood floors throughout, custom made kitchen cabinets, Silestone or similar countertops, Pella or similar windows, and stainless steel GE or Bosch style appliances.

A tile shower and nice, but nothing too fancy faucets. And several ceiling fans.

That's about it--nice touches, but nothing too custom, like antique wood or anything like that. Mid-to high end touches, but not the fanciest. That's what we're shooting for.

The lot is a flat, easy to clear one and the foundation is a pier type of foundation. And it is in a hurricane potential zone.

What would be a ballpark figure we should expect given those parameters?

Thanks!

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There's an online free building cost calculator at www.building-cost.net. It's a starting point and will give you an idea.

Here's how my DH & I did it: Consult with 1 or 2 respected builders in your area and get them to work up an itemized quote for you based on your wants/needs. Be sure that they include what your allowances for appliances, plumbing and lighting fixtures would be in addition to itemizing each component of the build. Once you have the quote, go over it with a fine tooth comb. Get actual prices on the allowance items you want(and other components that are easily gotten: i.e. roofing materials, cabinetry, price per board for installed & finished sheetrock work, etc.) and make sure those allowances are enough. Based on the quotes we received, the appliance allowance was waaaaay off (upwards of $7,000 short), as was the plumbing allowance. Lastly, if you are planning to GC the build yourself, then remove the contractor's fee and compare to any other quotes you've gotten from other builders (make sure it's an apples to apples comparison) and voila, you've got a ballpark figure of the cost to build.

location plays a large part in the cost of construction. For many areas you can get a house built for a little over $100 a sqft, but some areas can range as high as $300 sqft like here in southern california. I would just assume you're at least $120-150 a sqft and then get some bids and you will see exactly what the averages are.

Some personal advice, simply because i just dealt with this, have a husband or some male negotiate with you. A lot of these builders can be sexist or simply assume a women has no idea how much things should cost.

I'd second iamsum's response, about getting bids from builders and assume their sexist (I'm male and they tried to pull things on me all the time because my work is in insurance, it wasn't till I proved how much I knew about building a house [through lots of research] that I got them to talk straight with me).

I'll add that you can call local contractors (not GCs) for specific items in the plan. You can get a quote for:
framing (although they usually aren't in the phonebook)
roof
brick (go to a brick showroom and talk with them, we got our mason off their recommendation)
kitchen cabinets
tile
hardwood flooring
pick and price out plumbing fixtures right now (you'll need shower/tub valves during rough in, so you'd make that decision early)
pick and price out lighting and appliances

Those are the big ticket items that really vary the cost to build.

Start talking to your neighbors down there. Keep a journal on prospective builders and subs. Now is not too soon to start. Ask who built their homes and what kind of problems they had or may still have. Ask about the subs, too. Ask how close the allowances were to reality.

Ask how long the build took. Some builders can manage things well enough that their average build takes six to eight months. Others can't build anything in less than a year or more.

Material prices fluctuate with supply and demand, which are affected by global economic conditions and changing regulations. There is no realistic way you can project those out two years. As an example, some materials, such as drywall, are currently much cheaper than they were a couple of years ago, while some items, such as concrete, are actually higher, despite the economy cratering.

Labor rates and what the subcontractors charge vary as well. Right now, subs want work and generally bid very competitively. Most have had to lay off people, and of course, kept the best. Now is a very good good time to build. Two years from now will probably be quite different.

Here is the house

Here is a link that might be useful: the house

Unless you know a professional who is willing to help you for free you can try one of the RS Means residential cost books.

According to RS Means, Tallahassee has one of the lowest location cost factors in the US.

Here is a link that might be useful: cost book

I agree with iamsum and creekside...definitely have a male talk with the prospective GCs/Subs. My DH & I just met with the framer that came highly recommended from everyone we talked to (in our minds, it was a given that he would be the one to do the job). As a female, I didn't even rank a 'hello' in the beginning of the meeting. At the end of the meeting, he didn't have any choice but to shake my hand in farewell as I just put it right out there.

My mom said it best when I told her about it:

"I just don't understand these builders...don't they know that the wife/female is the one they have to please in the end?"

Good luck & keep us posted on how it's going!

Builders want to deal with men because they can more easily develop a rapport of equals that will help them get through the rough spots of the project. Additionally, most men do not expect the same level of results, nor are they as persistent in tracking and holding the contractor to promises and obligations. In my experience a woman forgets nothing. God bless them.

A woman homeowner once asked me if she was being unreasonable in holding a contractor to the precise terms of his contract and I told her that persistent reasonableness was a contractor's worst nightmare.

Hi tfrielin,

If you haven't checked out persnicketydesign's '$64/sq ft' thread yet, here's a link. Her method (happens to be the same as mine) of finding bargains online and stockpiling materials for the build saved her thousands of $$$$, and it's well worth a look - especially for the pics of her beautiful house!

------------- Trilby

Here is a link that might be useful: Persnickity's cost thread

LOL, macv! My GC has done several houses for single women, so I think he's broken in already.