Make it much smaller or remove the garage.

You are welcome to cheap out on things that are easily replaced (ie. not INSIDE a wall). Like a builder-grade kitchen. Keep bathroom "count" to an absolute minimum. Hollow construction interior doors. Boring-as-heck baseboards and trim. No built in-anythings. No "complicated roof lines". No "bump outs".

Basic. Basic. Basic. Basic. A georgian square with a basic roof structure will save you tens of thousands of dollars. A complicated roof line (like all the McMansions you see) will add $25K - $75K without batting an eye.

The KISS rule applies: Keep It Simple Sally!

Pay good money for excellent "bones" (insulation, etc) and high-efficiency HVAC and plumbing. Once you have all the good, expensive stuff tucked away, you can always change out the 'builder grade' stuff at a later date.

You need to look at each bid and compare line by line. That's a big disparity in costs. I can't imagine building 2550 s.f. for $100 s.f. That's what construction prices were 10-12 years ago in a low cost of living area. Even 478k seems a bit low. Does that include all of the site work including utility hook ups, etc?

Ask your architect.

No one can give you a useful answer without posting your plans and elevations.

Your architect won't know! Ha what a joke. The only thing that helps is going through the quotes line by line and seeing who has included what, what is realistic in terms of allowances what the contract says about overages etc.

No one can even begin to guess what the differences are between the quotes but there is no way where I live that you can bulid anything for 100 a sq ft.

The architect will know areas of the design that are not reflected in the quote breakdown. On one of my projects I had to tell my client, "If you eliminate the lighthouse tower from your cottage, you will save nearly half." The quote did not include "lighthouse tower".

Architects and designers also notoriously just design a beautiful home with no attention to budget or what structural engineering will be needed to create the space. Our builder was the one who caught countless design choices that were insanely expensive and saved us in the planning. Almost everyone I know who has had a house designed has loves the design and then when it went out to bids was grossly over budget. And yet all those people gave their architects and designers a budget too.

*sigh* I do miss the tower... ;-)

Most likely your architect wont know the cost. The cost is really depends on the products you want to use and your location.

One way to have an idea is you have to be specific on your products and have multiple bids.

I would double-check my house plan, to trim any "fat".

Make sure your starting point is a good, decent house plan without any bloat, like an overly large, complicated roof, "fat" house, lots of corners, etc.

$100/sq.ft seems low. Normally the range is around $135 and up. With mid range I would say $150-175 for two story house.

No house in my neighborhood that is midrange will only cost $150-$175. That would be lower end in my neck of the woods.

I say that to show that you can't tell someone without knowing where they live what the pricing should be.

Agreed CP!

I agree with Alison. Where are you in the country? That can make a HUGE dif. Tx is one of the cheapest places to build. Over 200k dif......that's INSANE!!!! Housing is picking up big time in allot of areas and GC's are taking advantage. Like they did before the great recession.

south carolina

There will be nothing, not even in South Carolina, that you will want to live in .......that isn't 250/275 a sq foot to build. Even that could have a popcorn ceiling, there will be no coffers, ship lap, and no pro style range either. The "dream house" is more accurately the 450 per sq foot. ..........and it is STILL semi custom in most non coastal areas of the country.

"$100/sq.ft seems low. Normally the range is around $135 and up. With mid range I would say $150-175 for two story house."

zageer, you cannot make that as a statement of fact.

And there is robin, lol. Obviously for a 200K swing things are not EXACTLY the same. Period. Stop. Do you have a complete set of drawings and list of exactly what you want in the house? Have you confirmed that the lists are apples to apples?

Many architects have a good handle on construction costs, structural design, architectural design, HVAC design, interior design, and the myriad of other details that go into a building project. Obviously not all architects are the same and all have their strengths and weaknesses for whatever reason. To group all architects into a singular category and making a statement damaging to any of the professional's reputation is not fair. Even though it may be true in some cases, it is certainly not true in all cases.

Southern Midwest $450+ a sq ft would buy you a literal mansion, not a McMansion but a 1920s Georgian that is completely kept up to date. You can’t buy a 2500 sqft house for that price unless it sits on acres of farm land. I really wonder where some get their info.

Missing from this discussion is an understanding that "cost" results from a variety of decisions. When consumers want to cut "costs", they typically think of changing counter tops, appliances and other equipment. In other words, they think of the most superficial aspects of the design and construction of a residence. It's not that money cannot be saved, but it's very little compared to issues such as:

--Site planning and site improvements: how much time and labor is needed to prepare the site for construction?

--House footprint and configuration: how challenging is the house to layout and construct?

--Interior and spatial volume: that huge entry double height space with the grand winding stair and all of the second floor "loft" area isn't free!

--Roof framing: related to the previous issues--is it a complicated roof to construct, flash and finish?

--Exterior materials and gee-gaws: how many different exterior materials and details are there?

--Interior finishes, fixtures and equipment (FFE): here's where many consumers spend their cost-cutting attention...

It's generally the case that architects are not up to the minute on materials and labor costs. Even builders are often not in escalated, rapidly changing markets. Architects do not have a way to project a builder's overhead and profit. And the fact that every builder's business goals are different adds to the complexity. Architects do not have the ability to predict a builder's schedule and the level of business that he and his subs may have, and thus, the time they will allow to any individual project schedule. What architects do have is a level of understanding and past experience to draw on, and to guide design decision-making.

It's also fair to point out that many consumers have no idea of construction methods, sequences or costs. Too often, in their quest for their forever house, HGTV seems to dominate consumer thinking and aspirations more than needs vs. wants and common sense decision making. And then, there's the situation of consumers saying, "well...as long as we're doing this...let's just add one of these and one of those...we've always wanted them!"

The point is that everyone involved in a design and construction project has a role and a responsibility for cost control and expenses.

If strict cost control is a goal, generally the best approach is to retain an architect and a compatible builder from the project outset, to work together with the owner to achieve the desired goals for the new house.

@Ryan Snow and in some places $450 sq foot gets you at best a cramped condo or a tear down shack on a tiny lot. Where I live there are plenty of <2500 sq foot houses - old and new - at $450 sq foot or more because it is all about location, location, location, and views and all of that. I don’t live in one of those. I may not have a stellar view but I at least feel I have room to breathe with a smaller mortgage ;)

Anyway, what is your point? It should be no surprise to anyone that costs vary across different markets. Those costs include the cost of land, cost of supplies, labor, and so on.

@Rai Kai read @Jan Moyers post.

Don't listen to people telling you to do builder grade in kitchen and bathroom. It is so expensive to remodel. Just do simple design, and nice countertops, will cost you just 20% more then basic kitchen and bathroom instead of paying extra 150% to remodel. Friend of my put basic floors and tear them up in a year to put hardwood. I think it is crazy to waist so much and go through remodel instead of enjoying your new place. Do save on simplifying floor plan/ open design and more modern finishes (no crown molding or elaborate trims). Do spend on high ceilings and 8' doors. Good appliance not high end that will add up 40,000 to your kitchen and will be more expensive to maintain.

The devil is in the details. First, your design may include expensive engineering and design issues. Second, who provided the specifications? How detailed were these specifications. Third, how detailed was the returned bid? The more detail, the greater the accuracy on the part of everyone involved. Even with good design and engineering, a great, detailed-oriented builder and good weather things can and will go wrong.

Sit down with the most expensive and detailed contractor and ask him for an honest assessment of the challenges of your design. If you have an architect, get him in the meeting, too. It's often better to modify a design when the builder explains what is involved.

Megan....I'm beside Charlotte, NC. My home state is SC (N. Augusta). Jan, you must be in Ca or the NE where it's insane to build. Prices in SC should be in the range of $135-150k s/f for a decent house. Two story houses are cheaper to build because it's less foundation which is expensive. GC's hide this.

Megan - do you have a lot yet?

The most basic thing (and it has been mentioned) is lot prep and slope. Cost me $7k to take out a few trees. A really surprising amount and it was multiple quotes. But the land is very level (where the house is) so I am able to do a slab. Another lot I was looking at didn't have the trees but would have required a high crawl (or partial basement which we didn't really want) and cost $20k more.

Then there is the impact fees (or hookup fees) for water and sewer. Or the alternative well and septic. Last septic house cost me $17k and that was to share a system with my neighbor.

Beyond those things, it is simple design with less windows. But who wants that? Of course, simple within reason is always a good idea.

Obviously the spread in quotes are not apples to apples.

Masonry is a big drive of cost - brick and stone.

Jan Moyer - $450/sf construction cost in a LCOLA? You need to get out more.

I really like the way Virgil Carter spelled things out. This is completely consistent with my experience. People focus on cheaper faucets and lighting and that portion of the total build is tiny it is nearly irrelevant. Just look at a builders "draw schedule". That is where the builder lays out to the lender, each phase of the project and when they will need what lump of money. You will quickly note, the dollars are in the first 3-4 months of the build, everything else is peanuts by comparison. So you must research each cost component and your "market" area to begin to get an appreciation for the cost of building. The only architects I work with have a VERY GOOD APPRECIATION OF current market costs. They are specifying and costing out the basics. Where people really get in trouble is when builders say "we can make it a "contingency" item" and then plug in a completely unrealistic number that results in terrible trouble way past time when you can recover. When I work a new build with a client, we price out everything. We monitor the costs as they come in and adjust if needed. No decision making while building, except for changes needed due to a material or item no longer available. This is how you stay on budget. The builder knows his costs for the infrastructure and he adds on to that what you want in finishes and final items. I'm in Texas on the Gulf Coast and while our new homes are priced below many markets, for a 2550 sq. ft. home in a moderate neighborhood, you are looking at $125-$145 per sq. ft. I really hate that way of looking at things however, because it can be so very misleading. Thanks Virgil, you hit the nail on the head!

Every market is so different in South Tampa you can get a new build for $200 a sqft and a mile away pay $400 a sqft. Some of it comes down to how much the land cost. That 200 a sqft house sits on a 75k lot the 400 asqft is on a 150k lot. Again here it's all about location, location, location seen both in land prices and home values.

I have 26 acres with no land prep needed.

Is this a custom build or a tract/develpers home? Are all of the houses in that spread the exact same set of drawings with the exact same specs or are they different builders models with the material choices being all over the place?

Totally agree with Virgil, you can't give good advice without knowing how complex the roof design is? Are there a bunch of dormers? How many outside corners does the house have? Are you building on a hill? How complex is your foundation? How are you meeting the energy code? A good architect will know how to simplify your plans with these questions in mind.

No land prep needed? I call hooey.

There is a finished driveway capable of supporting a concrete truck, and with room for a fire department vehicle turn around at the house site? There is an existing power drop to the house site? There is a septic system, and an alternative site for the septic already created and mapped out? There is a well? There are no trees in the way of construction vehicles, and the site is perfectly 100% flat with no excavation needed to create a flat spot for the slab, or a hole for the basement?

Or no existing home that has all of those things and needs to be torn down and hauled off?

Baloney.

Flo - I disagree but it may be a matter of perspective. Cabinets, appliances, counters, flooring, lights are expensive and represent dollars at the end.

My appliance budget is bigger than my foundation... by a lot Flooring+cabinets+counter roughly equal framing. And my house is not a simple shape at all.

Obviously you can light a room for $10 or a $1000. So it really depends on what level house we are talking about.

But, in my experience, mechanicals are 50% rough and 50% final. That is house level independent.

Lastly, permitting is relatively cheap and can take a while. I have been "building" since September and have only spent $70k or so. Or 10% of budget. Hope that doesn't mean that this is a 7 year build....

Foundation -6%

Framing - 13%

Brick/siding - 4%

Rough plumb, electric, hvac -4%

All rough estimates of course.

David- you aren’t wrong but I am addressing this particular 2550 sq ft house. Their kitchen will be builder package special for probably under $2,000. You are right that if you go to all high end finishes you will drive that end of the project very high. It’s all in the detail choices.

Wow David! interesting numbers. Here in upstate NY, you can expect to pay 20-40k for your foundation = 10%...I usually budget 10k for appliances....So, I am really curious what your foundation cost, if it's Soo much less than your appliance budget...or How much are you spending on appliances?

Also,if permitting is cheap for you you’re very lucky. That is not the case for all of us. We have high permit fees and required the services of a structural engineer, a civil engineer, angeotech engineer, and a landscape designer (all in addition to the architect) just to produce all the required documents. Oh, and a permit expedited if you don’t want to be in permit limbo forever.

One word, and listen well despite the pain: Sophie.