Unanswerable question. "A home" can be anything from a 1000 square foot retirement cottage at $400 a sf foot to a 10,000 square foot McMansion at $250 a square foot. Plus land costs. Which can be $500- 5M.

Look around you. What do existing homes cost that you would want to buy? Add 15% to that in order to build new in a cookie cutter subdivision. Add 50-100% to that to build full custom on a piece of land that you own.

For example in Vancouver and in particular North Vancouver the new purchase of land would likely be 1.5-2.5 million.

Homes are built for as little as $250/square foot with the average being around $300 from what we have been told. Depending on the size and finishes of course this gets higher quickly.

Design ranges too but for exterior packages we saw pricing as little as $15k and as high as $55k.

Permits are high and at least $20k

I agree that there is too much snark here on the forums. I wouldn't put Green Designs' response in that category though. Your question is difficult to answer specifically because just in my neighborhood houses range from a base price to three times that. It isn't just about square feet. Concrete block construction costs more than wood frame. The lots near the highway cost half what an interior lot does. Is there tile, carpet or vinyl flooring. Is the roof shingle, metal or clay tile. Hurricane windows and doors or not. Number of bathrooms - and it goes on. So two houses made from the same plans in the same residential area could vary $100 per square foot. And I hope it doesn't happen for you, but in many cases the price at outset is not the price one ends up paying in the end. I wish you much patience and good luck with your new home.

Well...mebbe $90-$100/SF to $500/SF. Mebbe more. Or could be less...

I wasn’t asking this so I could figure out my house more. I was just curious about other areas. Clearly my curiosity is unheard of. I would have thought many people knew ballpark build costs in their area with the understanding that of course there are variances and variables that impact that. Things like land values are generally averaged in an area and build costs likely could be too for the sake of discussion. No one is being held to anything by making a comment. It was just out of curiosity I asked.

I haven't heard of anyone in my area trying to get a ballpark based on square footage, because as mentioned there's such a wide range. Houses for teardowns range from about $400k and up (more for big lots.) Then what I've heard as an average rule of thumb is that the new home being built is typically 3 times or more what the teardown went for. So for example the little house behind me (tiny and in rough shape) went for $610k, and the replacement house, if listed, would probably list for about 1.8-2m. Chicago western suburbs, in a top school district and walkable to schools/town/train to the city, which matters for land costs. A short distance away costs could be very different, for example less when across a busy street / not walkable to train/town/schools, or in a different school district. Much more for certain areas of the (more affluent) town next door, where teardown homes sold for land have approached or even exceeded $1m. So as mentioned, too broad a range to estimate, but land cost times 3 for house cost is about the only estimate measure I've heard.

There are just so many variables in most areas that the question has no meaning. My lot would have cost me 25% more a few miles to the West in another township. Then again, I'll pay more because I have to put in septic and a well than someone in town who can tie into water and sewer. We looked at many parcels that ranged from 3 acres to 20, and in price from $49K to $200K. (Price frequently seemed unrelated to size, but rather to what the current owner thought it was "worth.")

The street where our property is located has everything from modular/manufactured homes to fairly high end custom builds (although none are huge). But I can imagine that it's possible to put up a small no frills house on a 1 acre parcel out here for something under $200K. While there are other homes you can find in the same township that would probably hit $1M to build. And none of them are going to be mansions, because we're just a bit too far out in the boondocks to appeal to the sort of people who have THAT kind of money. Plus, the zoning is loose enough that they might find a modular next to their palace.

Do try, Alison, not to overread snark into the comments here. Nobody is intentionally firing off personal insults. (Those are usually much more direct). You've already made the comment that in your area, all new builds are "custom". For most of us, that's not the case. When you have everything from full custom (there are lakehouses in my current town that sit on lots that start at $1M), to semi-custom, to tract houses, to modulars, to "DIY" it means that costs vary wildly. Both zoning and permitting are pretty loose. Therefore, "cost to build a house" is a nebulous thing. I can't say, "A 3K sq ft house would cost you $500K to build." because it might be considerably more or less depending on land, site prep, finishes, and overall quality of the build. To say nothing of whether or not it's on or near the water.

A good rule of thumb to start with is the cost of new construction home sales in your area. A lot of builders build a spec home to sell before they have a buyer. I would imagine if you are spending over a million on the lot, you probably will spend more than $250,000 on the house.

If you want to get a better idea across the US, go to zillow and search by new construction homes there. It would give you a quick idea what you could get for various prices across the country.

Thanks for the idea of looking online. I was more looking for personal experiences but oh well. It is still valid to check out new build pricing. I know it’s how we decided if it made sense to build ourselves or just buy new or newer.

Holly I get what you are saying but even in your reply you were able to give ranges and comments on location and parcels and what you valued in your purchase. That was all I was curious about. Different folks in different areas and what it costs to buy and build for them.

I'm going to give this a shot, to the best of my ability. I'm in Hawai`i (read: expensive). Land is scarce and really expensive, though it's island dependent. It is possible to find lots for under $500k, but it's probably on a smaller, less populated island. Most folks building actually buy tear downs and start over. It's also typical for the land to assess higher than the actual house. It happens when you live on an island with not much available land.

Permits: so far we've spent $6k and expect to spend another $8. We're building a 2100 sf house + 500sf garage.

We were told that most "custom" homes start around $250sf, but there are obviously a lot of variables there. Our bids ranged from $300sf - $800sf, for example.

Who has money left over for landscaping?

I haven't bought or built a home in years, so I can't answer your question. I do know that housing costs here in Northwest Arkansas are low compared to other parts of the country. Check out this quick fact page on the US Census Bureau website. There's a section on housing costs. You can plug in different cities/counties and compare their costs side-by-side.

Teardown lot here $400k in the city. Typical build is 4000 sqft for $750k with brick exterior, hardwoods everywhere, granite/quartz, semi custom cabs, 10 ft ceilings, wolf/subzero or comparable.

Spec houses on my block last 3 months from 1.21M (4000) to 1.8M (5500 sqft). Typical lot is .3 acre - nice size for in the city.

ROT in my area is house costs roughly twice land costs I guess. Our last build was $170 land, $620 build - suburbs not the city. In our area and I suspect many places, no individual lots left for custom builds close in (any reasonable commute). It is all teardowns or larger parcels that are tract built in the $500-$800 range.

Yes David Vancouver is same with only tear downs. I see a random few lots with nothing on them but rarely. Most people are buying up old homes and tearing them down. We did.

I'm in Australia, smallish town south east of Melbourne. Well established town, with some character - more White Rock than Surrey. Consruction beach side of the highway is almost all redevelopment; the other side, construction is mostly new subdivisions on farm land.

We built beachside two and a half years ago: the builder tore down an old house in town, subdivided the lot and put up two semi custom houses. Ours is about 2000 sq ft, single story, no basement, on a pocket sized lot. Finishes are well above builder grade but not top of the line.

Land cost $480,000 plus $25,000 "stamp duty." House cost $440,000 and we avoided stamp duty on that because we built. Our neighbours, who bought the other house, after it was complete, got hit with an extra $30,000 or so. They also paid more for their house even though it's a bit smaller.

The houses are now in the $1.2 million range, and climbing. Location is a huge factor in all of this.

We're building a house ourselves on our farm in rural Alberta well away from Calgary and Edmonton; my husband is a builder and this has been a project for us for the past few years, which has allowed us to spread out the cost and buy supplies whenever the price is lower; we're thankful we bought drywall before the cost started rising in western Canada about a year ago. So land costs are entirely different, and permit costs are lower in a rural area. We're not constrained by the concept of resale, and the nearest neighbours aren't very near : ) . Though as Holly mentions, we've had to put in septic and a well, much of which we were able to do ourselves. And we'll do the landscaping ourselves too.

We've been able to use a number of salvage items from previous construction projects, including large laminated beams from the demolition of several commercial spaces, and an old grain elevator staircase which was used for the lintels. It's been a mix of splurge and save, from a BlueStar range which hopefully requires limited repairs to Ikea kitchen and bathroom cabinetry on sale. We also realize that Alberta taxes are a third of what they are in Ontario and the Maritimes; and my husband gets a trade discount for building supplies, at the paint store, etc. The insurance valuator who came out was beyond impressed by the Ikea in-drawer lighting -- a last-minute decision by my husband -- which he said he'd never seen before, even in the millions-dollar Calgary mansions. Go figure : ) .

Some other things to throw into the mix besides custom, semi-custom, tract or production, spec -- minimal change orders or many (which can undo a budget quickly, and can be a temptation for a custom project when the homeowner figures, "It's our dream house, let's go for it!")? Location -- flat land or slope? Unfinished or finished basement, bonus room, attic? Siding -- stucco, wood, vinyl, cement, cedar shingle, brick, fake stone, real stone? Basement, crawlspace, slab? A rambling ranch with a large footprint can cost more than a narrow two-story townhouse, even if both have the same square footage, when you take concrete foundation costs into account. Wood or vinyl windows, and many windows or few? Solid or hollow-core doors? Built-ins? Hardware from the big box store or eBay or Rocky Mountain Hardware at $50-$100 for each cabinet pull and $1,000 for each set of interior door hardware? Trim and moulding -- baseboards and casing in MDF or wood (if wood, hard or soft, paint grade or not?); crown moulding in wood, MDF, plaster, foam, polyurethane, or PVC/vinyl? There are regional differences for some things, like drywall finishes (smooth ceilings are uncommon here, so that cost us more than the usual stippling). Add in the cost of a top-notch real estate lawyer, especially for going over all contracts. Trades and subs each have different formulas for figuring out their own overhead and profit. Different builders also calculate square footage differently -- for example, some include the garage, porches, decks, attic space, and others don't -- which in turn affects the price per square foot.

Holly mentions overall quality of the build, which I heartily endorse and to which I'd add overall quality of the design. Unfortunately we've all seen expensive houses with top-of-the line finishes and appliances with poor design, exterior and interior, that would require tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars (Canadian or US), or more, to remedy.

Becky your house sounds very well thought out and organized! I’m impressed you’ve been able to take this time. Yes so many variables with any build. I think we all know that. ;)

Some of the timeline was planned, and the rest just happened, with some family emergencies including, between my husband and me, three parents' major illnesses/ailments and deaths. And it helps considerably when you already own the land, don't have to sell your current house, and live with the builder...

You'd be surprised how easy it is to overlook some of the variables and other basics. That's pretty much what keeps this forum going : ) .

We're in upstate SC, 15 miles out of Greenville. We paid $10/k an acre for rural land, and it can still be found for that, although 'quality' land without issues is more. In the many subdivisions now springing up, lots run from $20K on up to ridiculous. Unless they've gone up suddenly, permits are cheap and quick. The permit for our house was $400 and took 15 minutes. Fill out a single page; no plans review. No other costs for inspections, etc. Taxes are cheap; less than $1K/year on a new house, barn, and 7 acres of land.

I designed and built our house, but riding around, the signs on the subdivisions show typical low-end tract homes starting at $160K, with many in the mid-200's. There are a few high-end subdivisions topping one million. Downtown Greenville is a different story, with much higher housing costs and taxes.

South Carolina has a very low cost of living, along with low wages, poor schools, and bad roads, like much of the South.

Now that we have learned what it costs to build a house--some sort of house--all over the globe...what have we learned? And of what use is it?

Is there more to this thread than what first appears?

Nope total curiosity. Super interesting hearing where people build, stories of how they got their lots, what they value in their build and varying costs from land to permits and beyond. I find it all super intriguing!

We are building 45 minutes outside of Salt Lake City. Our .53 ac lot cost $160K. Our building permits were $21K. We only have our basement excavated but, our projected cost for 2700 sf main floor, 2000 sf finished walkout basement, 1000 sf garage and 1400 sf of covered porch/deck is $960K not counting lot or house plans. I find it very intriguing too, Alison!

In Ottawa, 1.6 acre semi rural lot 90k, 20k development fees, 1,800$ building permit, 25k sceptic, 5-8k well. Building the 2,200 sq ft home will be about 500k, we were quoted.

In rural Indiana:

$8,000 to $22,000 an acre

My 20 acres cost $10,750 an acre

$300 to $700 for permits depending what all you need inspected

15% to 20% of home cost for architecture fees (I drafted my own design which I know many of you advise against, I just couldn't imagine coughing up $40,000 for something I could do. I did full structural, electrical, plumbing, and hvac plans as well as a 3D rendering using AutoCAD)

$120 for "basic bla" to infinity for cost per sqft to build

My 2,200 sqft house with attached 2,150 sqsf 6 car garage cost between $200,000 and $215,000 to build (I did LOADS of the work myself)

Dirt cheap to $150 for cost per sqft to buy existing home on 1 acre or less in a subdivision or in small town/medium city parcel

Landscaping...I have always followed the plans of a landscape designer who I have a good relationship with. He understands that he makes the plans for what I would like, I do the work and buy the plants from him. He doesn't charge me for the design. My last house he estimated that for him to do the work would be about $20,000 to $25,000 and I did it all per his plan for $6,500.

Other random expenses:

Running underground electrical 1,050 ft from the road to my panel - $11,000

Conventional septic system - $3,000

Well - $4,500

17 Windows 3' x 8' not including install - $3,500

I think it's totally normal to be curious about building costs around the country/world, knowing that it varies WIDELY.

I'm in Dallas and in my neighborhood, 15 minutes from downtown, lots are around $300K for a .5 acres. Move just 0.5-1 mile to the next neighborhood and the lots jump to $600-$800K for a .5 acre lot. Move just 2 miles further east and a lot is about $20K (low income area). Try to buy a lot with a teardown house on it in Highland Park, which is about 8 miles NW of where I live and it will cost you > $1M. Buy a lot through a builder in the northern suburbs and you're looking at about $50K-$100K.

Cost to build varies widely. Lots of spec home builders in the area and you'll get something between $100/sq. ft to $200/sq. ft for generic house plan, basic finishes on a small lot (< .25 acres). Go to the more affluent neighborhoods where of top of the line custom homes are being built, it's $300+/sq. ft.

We built a fully custom home for ~$110/sq. foot but we were the GC's and we did a fair amount of DIY (i.e. painting cabinets, painting interior walls, installing trim, hardwood floor finish, interior hardware install, back porch concrete and flagstone, foundation stonework, etc). All in with no DIY at all, it would have been $250+/sq. ft. Our finish out was mid to high end. Our permit was about $10K. And this does not include landscaping.

So all of this to say, that there is no "norm" just in my area. It's crazy how different costs are depending on what block you live on.

The area we are in has cheap cost to build and cheap existing homes, but land is expensive. So we are looking at about $140-160k for the parcel we want, plus another $250k or so to build what would be considered a high end home, doing most of the labor ourselves. If we had a contractor do it (faster, we will take two years) the cost would be more like $400k. This would be for a home that would turn around and sell for $700-750k with no other appreciation, because of the location and lot features.

And mind you, the median home price in this area is $250k and the median age is around 1960. But new builds and large homes go for a lot because there is a glut of smaller, older properties.

We are building in a rural farming area in Illinois. Land around here usually runs between $5,000-12,000/acre. We purchased our 26 acres for $6,200/acre. No permits needed for our area.

We are building a 1 1/2 story with unfinished walkout basement and 3 car garage. 1900 main level, 1100 upper level and 1900 basement in the low $400k.