That is a question without an answer.

Did you factor in how much of that goes into Madigan's pocket?

If you are working with an architect which I strongly suggest they should be able to give you a close idea. If you are just researching contact a few local good builders ask lots of questions and listen to what they are not saying too.

Nice area. Without knowing anything about the design, but knowing the area, $950k sounds about right.

Congrats on being ready to build :)

You won't have much of a yard putting that large of a house on a small lot. But maybe no one in the area has a side yard. No way to know what your bid will come in. Mine came in at $195, but I live in a totally different area. And of course it's possible to build a 4/bed for $500K but you have to live with smaller rooms, and basic finishes and 2 baths. I grew up in a 4BR farmhouse with one bath, the rooms were small, the bedrooms had a bed & dresser, no desk, no tv, no computer it was a room for sleeping and dressing, not playing. It depends on what you can live without. And you will be able to get good quality vinyl on the floors, carpet and laminate counters. Nothing wrong with any of that, just depends on what your standards are and how much you want to stick to a budget.

Do you really need 4 bedrooms and especially 4 Baths? Can the kids double up? Can they share baths? Take a look at your NEEDS vs WANTS start out just working on the needs and if you have budget left add in the wants. It sounds like you are building in an expensive area.

Costs are doing nothing but rising. By the time you are really ready to build, they will be over that preliminary estimate.

How do you know what a House will cost? Buy an existing one.

Or, for new construction, find a house in the area that you would buy, at the finish level you would want. Multiply by at least 1.5 to get the cost of a new custom build. Maybe more, if you’re in a hot to build area. That’s not a cookie cutter subdivision “semi-custom” where you get to choose one from Column A, and one from Column B. build.

Western burbs of????

imstillchloe: Chicago. (OP - I'm nearby. I like WS - nice area. Good luck with your build!)

Costs are doing nothing but rising. By the time you are really ready to build, they will be over that preliminary estimate.

Yes. From a couple of recent articles:

Spokane Journal:

John Mandere, president of Rathdrum-based Mandere Construction Inc. and Northwest Building Components Inc., says the price jumps for lumber have affected both companies. He says material cost increases have been climbing for about 18 months, but they really started jumping in the past five months or so. ... Price increases have made it difficult for both companies "to hold to a quote," he says. "We used to be able to guarantee a bid for 30 days," he says. "Now, we put about a five- to seven-day window on how long our quotes are good for because material prices are moving so erratically."

And here's Equipment Journal from last week, "Tariffs are already taking toll on construction costs".

I think it's funny the OP named the town as if we are supposed to know where in North America that is. S/he should not be building a house - one needs to be very detail-oriented to take that on, and a careful communicator, even if you leave the whole thing to the architect and GC to do.

It is very difficult to estimate the final cost of a build. My advice would be to get the ball rolling by engaging an architect to draw-up an initial set of plans and work from there. Once you have a more accurate idea of what the things you want cost in the construction world, your decision making will be much more informed. Bathrooms are an expensive part of a build, so it might be better to plan a better use of say, three or three and a half bathrooms rather than four full ones. Your choice of roof line can also run into a big ticket item - the more complicated the more expensive. If you have plans to work with it is easier to see where the potentially money saving decisions can be made. As stated above, the cost of construction is on the rise and even if you started consultation with an architect today, it would probably be twelve months before construction actually begins. My family's construction business are currently fully booked for work up until February, 2020. Building a house is not an overnight thing -if you really want to build you need to be brave and take the first step.

I remember when a family friend bought his first house in Western Springs when he landed a nice, high-paying job. He was an idiot who sold it a couple years later after realizing the $25k in property taxes he was paying wasn’t a good idea.

If you’re looking to spend $500-600k on a house, you can’t afford western springs. Go look in Plainfield.

I would not depend on an architect to have an accurate idea about building. They design. They aren't in the *building* trade.

Sophie is right. What are similar existing homes selling for in your area? Give Zillow a price range, and see what's buyers are getting for their money. You will pay much more to build than to buy, and you will not have all the things that 'come with' an existing house. Yes, some of those things may be problems, but you will also get thousands of dollars worth of landscaping, fences, sidewalks, driveways, and a lot of other things you have to buy after your new house gets a certificate of occupancy.

Unless you have unique needs, it is also soooo much *easier* to buy existing.

"I would not depend on an architect to have an accurate idea about building. They design. They aren't in the *building* trade."

??

Not a pro and no clue as to cost (other than you should expect a new home to be very expensive), but a few things you might consider:

In lieu of a garage, a front double drive through that is a front or side car shelter could cost less and it could decrease the likelihood of fumes entering the home or be used as a porch for large gatherings (as long as there are other parking spaces):

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/173107179405819212/

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/306455949627372338/

You could build an bedroom and bath and walk in closet above it, either connected to the rest of the upstairs via hall or at least accessible via a stairwell from the entry. You could add an exterior and interior door to the front entry so the room and bath and storage spaces over the car shelter could be a separate suite for guests or home office.

Remember that rooms can built in "attic" space so a single story home can become a two story home or a two story home can actually be a three story home -- more room w/smaller overall "footprint" on a small lot.

Plumbing on all sides of the house will cost more than plumbing grouped together.

A single central great room for living and dining and kitchen will cost less than separate rooms for all three.

Making any mud room also be your laundry room and storage space and making any hallway have wall to wall and floor to ceiling cabinets can be more cost effective than having pantry.

Having an upstairs closet atop a downstairs closet that is approximately centrally located for the running of wiring and plumbing and H/AC duct between floors can be a time saver for builders and, thus, a potential cost saver for the owner.

Duplicate spaces for practically the same use can significantly increase the size and cost of a home:

... Separate spaces for a living room and a family room and/or tv/game room;

... Separate spaces for a formal dining room and a breakfast room;

... A kitchen with an island bar dining space in addition to other dining space.

Other things that can unnecessarily add costs to your home include:

Lots of gables and bump outs and indents and/or angles in the exterior walls; and/or angles in the interior walls that can waste space;

Elaborate windows;

Ornate fixtures inside or outside; (Remember that you can change that light fixture later as long as you make sure your overhead box can handle the basic light and/or ceiling fan you might want);

A fireplace you seldom, if ever;

Expensive tile or hardwood flooring rather than practical plank flooring in most of the living space; (Tile can make sense in kitchen and bath and mud/laundry room.)

A central vacuum system; (You can buy a good portable vac for a lot less.)

There are no doubt many more.

In short: To keep cost as low as possible, build ONLY the space you actually need with ONLY the basic features you actually need.

Not a slam, Mark. Even if an architect is drawing plans for a home in the same area where he lives/works, he is not focused on the current costs or cost trends in building materials or labor -- or every builder's profit margin. He can give rough estimates. He should know (for instance) whether trusses or stick built will be cheaper (or appropriate), and the percentage differences between siding, brick and stone materials. He knows something about waste for odd sizes of lumber, drywall, windows, etc. Even *builders* are 'ball-parking' many aspects, but they know what they are paying at lumber yards right now. They are hiring and paying subs. They know the cost of disposing of landfill, drawing permits, and the current *time delays*.

So a more accurate statement would be:

"I would not depend on an architect to have an accurate idea about building [costs]. They design. They aren't in the *building [cost]* trade."

Some architects have a good handle on construction costs. All architects have their strengths and weeknesses (like spelling); as in anyone that is human.

200-300 sq ft is an average cost of build for homes in the chicagoland area. And that difference in price range really does depend on style, size and location of home. That was what we were told last year when were were considering buying vs build in our area. I would recommend you meet with multiple builders to give you ideas of how they factor out their costs. Also, there are some well known builders in our area that I am sure their price point is way higher than others for multiple reasons. Keep shopping for builders, you probably will find something slightly lower. But I think for that size of house, your minimum build cost may be closer to the 800,000 range but I am not familiar with your area so it most likely will be much higher.

Have you looked at current homes for an idea of the local marketplace?

Current homes for sale in WS:

3 beds 2 baths 1,412 sqft: $640,000

4 beds 2 baths 1,423 sqft: $585,000

3 beds 3 baths 2,962 sqft: $850,000

4 beds 3 baths 2,700 sqft: $639,000

4 beds 4 baths 2,435 sqft: $849,900

How in the world can you get that many square feet on such a small lot and still meet the city setbacks? And who did you have to kill to find a lot in WS?

Grew up near there and it's was very pricey 50 years ago. Great schools. Good luck with your build. There are some nice small homes in Naperville that could be enlarged and remodeled for maybe that price. Try Julian St. However, a small 60's split level has taxes of $6k and maybe about 1,600 sq. ft.

That seems high for Chicago burbs. But, it completely depends on the materials you choose, the quality of contractor, etc. Also, does that cost include appliances, furniture, decor, etc? If so, it’s probably right on, and even low. A house that size should cost about a million in an average area using mid grade finishes. And don’t forget to add 15-20% for unknown costs. Get at least 3 estimates before you decide on a builder, and make sure you review the contract with a lawyer.