It's a gross generalization.

Some corners are essential and make sense.

To limit a house to four corners is likely a false economy, like back to back plumbing.

On the other hand, 30 corners might be considered excessive. It depends.

Did you ask for things in your house that resulted in 30 corners? Have you asked your architect why there are 30 corners?

There has to be a really good story there...

I think a round house would cost more to build than a rectangular one. :)

Corners cost more, but prices vary geographically. Have you considered building on Earth?

If it's not the design you want start again instead of modifying something that already isn't working.

30 corners?

wowch!

do you mind posting this plan? I want to see what the roof looks like.

I also want to know how many linear feet of house it is

how out of budget are you?

I had been browsing plans online and had a few of them open, so I counted the corners:

36 corners for 1 story 4200 sq ft house

32 corners for 1 story 4700 sq.ft house

50 corners for 1 story 4300 sq.ft house which was more stretched out than the other 2 I listed.

Cost of corners is often over-rated.

Check out the configuration of a range of builder's houses. If corners were prohibitive, builders wouldn't use many of them.

- We have heard repeatedly from those in the trades that “a corner costs $10k.”

That's complete B.........! GC's say this so they can put ALLOT more profit in their pockets! I know this as a fact. So JUST the corners are going to cost $300 THOUSAND????????? SERIOUSLY for a 2500sf house???????????????????????????

Corners are different. Two corners that form a gable may need: gable trusses, structural truss, extra roof and sheathing, valley metal, roof trim, soffits, corner boards, siding, inside corners boards, shadow boards and backing, my foundation company charges me $100 for each corner after 6, because special care (foundation tend to crack on in the corners ), there is also increased waste, and custom roof or hip roof adds cost of stick framing...

Is that 10k? Who knows, is it free - no way

Of course they aren't free but if minimal cost was all that mattered in building a house there would be no granite countertops.

And I agree, a big driver of the cost of corners isn't so much the easily quantifiable counting of corners in a plan although numbers obviously contribute, it's the roof configuration that's needed to accommodate those corners.

Thanks, everyone, for the helpful information. We have been working on this for 1.5 years and in the beginning, builder said our budget of $600k for house and an outbuilding workshop was workable if design was with minimal corners and simple roof. This budget was for structures - not land or landscaping. Since that time building cost in our area has gone from high to astronomical and has now officially crossed over into crazy land.

If using a cost per sq foot model, we are told current build cost is $325-$350 per sq foot. These numbers are not for a high-end build. They are reflective of what we would be doing - around $5 sq foot flooring, Whirlpool level appliances, etc. It is also not including land. Every time we hear back from someone, which in the case of the builder often drags out into weeks or a month, the price has gone up again. First $600k was enough, then it was $700k, now we are at between $850-$900k. We took out the outbuilding garage, so this cost is for just a 2500sq foot house with 3 car garage, mostly on one level, with land that is flat and has no significant or complex excavation or foundation needed. We decided to do all the work beyond drywall ourselves, but even doing that the cost to get to drywall is now estimated at $700k. We are constrained by needing to meet certain HOA requirements, so need to be at a minimum for sq footage and vehicles and equipment housed within a garage.

We can go back and rework plans, which is itself frustrating to have to repay the architect to get to where we asked for in the first place in terms of simplicity. But there is only so much we will be able to save that way. We are told the drivers of cost are "the trades and trade wars," and those factors are out of our control. In our area, it is a small, resort-like town with a big city a few hours away that is booming. Trades have continually increased their prices and have been able to do so and still have plenty of choice for where to work. We think we are now just priced out of being able to build at all, which is so deeply painful given how much it means to us. I'm not sure who, other than the 1%, will be able to build at all until a shift happens.

Where are you located?

You're in a very high cost resort area. We also have them in the Sierras. The local style of building can be very labor intensive, with lots of timbers, high end windows, expensive exterior finishes, etc. Simpler homes can be built, but may not be encouraged by the HOA nor within the skills of the architect you've chosen.

Costs will change over time and 1.5 years is a long time to plan.

Regarding your original question... complexity costs money. A simple roof line with high pitch, heavy timbered structure inside will be more expensive than your budget. A simple exterior with heavy authentic stonework and thick timbered cedar siding might be more expensive than your budget. Stacking sliders are more than your budget. 3 car garage? You might find covered exterior areas cost nearly as much to build as interior in snow country.

There are no reliable rules of thumb in construction.

I think you need to fire your architect.

The question which the OP has never answered is whether she asked for things which resulted in so many corners in the original design.

It's a little hard to believe that an experienced architect would simply go off on her/his own and create a design with 30 corners.

There's a story we haven't heard, I'm betting...

I dont think corners cost that much. When I showed my framer my four corner plan , he didnt give me a discount. The foundation guy quoted a per sq ft price with no add on for corners. I did get quite a discount on the roof quote but thats about it.

First, you can't count the first 4 corners.

Second, additional corners come in pairs.

So, each pair of building corners in excess of the first 2 might have a predictable approximate cost for a given location, construction type and detailing but I doubt it would be anywhere near $20,000 per pair.

Contractors build in a certain amount of framing complexity in their bids so the more relevant question might be whether or not you are getting credit for fewer corners than normal.

[oops I just notice that DE made the same point]

Its also possible for additional corners to make the plan more efficient in floor and roof area.

Not true. I just built a house with 20+ corners. Did not have a real impact on cost. Sq ft and finishes impact cost.

D E - what makes you believe you're getting legitimate pricing? You're getting the current price per foot for most jobs number.

Real prices come when the project is ready to go. Framers and foundation contractors are a few of the trades. A corner means a hip and valley, a break in the wall the engineer has to compensate for elsewhere for shear values. More pins, likely heavier for shorter walls. Wasted materials vs full sheets inside and out. Cuts to roofing materials, add valley metal, more felt, Etc.

Check out any tract home. Typically three flat sides and movement on the front. 8-12 corners at the lower end. My simpler customs have about 16-24. AIA designs I've done start about 24-36 except for a few specifically designed to build at certain moderate price points that were also 16-24.

I’m not a pro but my understanding from all our BTDT experience is that corners don’t necessarily cost a ton more but oftentimes, you can gain valuable square footage by eliminating some offsets. IOW, you might get more house for the same money.

If you build a round house, do you have an infinite number of corners or none??

Jeffrey Grenz - You are right that often those type of locales have a certain style that can be expensive and add complexity. We are not Aspen, Vail or Tahoe. The whole county only has about 10,000 people and is rural and heavily agriculture oriented. But the town of about 3,000 happens to have a lake and lots of old growth timber. The secret has started to get out and many out-of-staters and out-of-towners are building vacation homes (second, third, etc) and prices have continued to rise according to the demand and the deep pockets. So, that. "It's just a really expensive time to build," is what we have been told.

Virgil - Before we approached an architect, we spent considerable time thinking and talking about how we lived, what worked for us, etc. We were aiming for 2400-2500 s/f, Craftsman elements (strict bungalow not necessary, but some of the aesthetics of). We also developed three lists - "Must Haves," "Would Like to Haves," and "Would Be Nice to Haves, but are Luxuries." Here are the lists:

Must Haves:

1. Maximize trees on lot – goal in new house is to feel “tucked into the forest”

2. Ease with flow of space, especially for guests/dinner; also some sense of indoor and outdoor space flowing together

3. Master and office on main floor, “age in place” principles

4. If crawl space, 3’ or more (standard foundation in the area is crawl space)

5. Attached garage, not detached

6. Mud room, can share with laundry room

7. Windows that are easy to clean on the exterior, i.e not super high!

8. High quality insulation and windows/doors

9. Optimal roof design for snow shedding and ice dam prevention

10. Kayak/paddleboard storage and drying rack

11. NOT cooking in the sun; that takes precedence over passive solar gains (we currently have a south facing home on an open hillside and it can get hot!)

12. Exterior materials and construction to minimize pests and maintenance

13. Outbuilding garage for M’s workshop (this has been nixed)

14. Open space feeling but not so much that creates imposing or ostentatious affect; do not want the home to feel big, imposing or overwhelming in interior or exterior; "warm, cozy, inviting" would be the feel words (totally subjective, yes)

15. Soothing lighting – interior and exterior, include under cabinet lights in kitchen

16. Storage somewhere for Christmas, etc boxes; current attic is about 10x12 and is plenty

17. Bathtub in master that is separate from shower

19. Sound dampening in strategic locations – powder room, master bath, wall between great room and master

Really want:

1. Flagstone for patio large enough to have round table that will seat 6

2. Flagstone walkway to front door

3. Aspens as part of landscaping

4. Water saving toilets

5. Fireplace

6. Window seat somewhere please!

7. Green and sustainable choices as much as possible

8. Second fridge in laundry room or garage

9. Pantry large enough for Costco stuff

10. Rusted metal roof incorporated as accents in a few places

11. Entry door with sidelights

12. Apron front kitchen sink

Nice to have:

1. An arched opening inside somewhere

2. Boulders with landscaping

3. Kitchen counters of quartz or granite

4. Epoxy floor in garage

The only item I know of that led to corners is the window seat, which was created using a bump-out. Virgil, if you can point to anything else we asked for that led to corners or potential extra expenses, please do. This posting has been an effort to educate ourselves on where we might be able to redesign with a tight budget, as we have not made much headway in getting that information from the builder yet.

This is in no way a disparagement of the architect. Our understanding from the architect is that the corners are needed to achieve the look we want. We agree that it looks wonderful. We would LOVE to build the house that has been designed. It is beautiful and would meet all of our needs, but the finances just aren’t working. So we are trying to figure out what features to compromise that could make it possible for us to build. Or if we have to abandon the whole endeavor and potentially build later if build costs come down.

The keeping the trees item on your must list is an expensive choice. It limits home layouts to work around trees, and it limits site access as well. It increases the care needed to fence off and keep off machinery from around trees. Those things can raise production costs quite a bit.

This is one that I would revisit, and see exactly how that is being implemented in the design and build numbers. This is one that the elimination of a few deject trees for better access and a less restrictive home shape might pay off in big cost savings. He might be trying to save every tree on the site, and you might have meant that you were OK with a 20% loss in some areas, and a 100% loss in others. Find out those specifics.

Nothing else on your must have list strikes me as me as a potential cost increase issue.

The second list? If flagstone isn’t native to your area, that could increase costs. Pick a locally sourced stone. True wood burning fireplaces are expensive. Gas modules are much less expensive. Water saving toilets are mandated by code, so no issues there. The “green choices” can be a HUGE price increase in some choices. That’s one to ask what is being done to fulfill that, and the specifics.

Big walk in pantries are costly to build in square footage that doesn't pay for itself as well as a big reach in pantry will. Walk in’s, whether closets or pantries, need square footage for traffic paths. Reach in‘s do not, and provide more storage space per square foot because of that. They are a better value for someone looking to cut costs an quart footage

NOne of the rest of your list is a break the bank type selection either. You’re talking maybe 50K for the rest of the list in entirety. 50K is 50 K though.

The big big money on your list is the keep the trees and the green building choices. And the overall square footage and location. You can’t change the location though, and that is going to be your #1 cost driver. For a retirement home? Perhaps this location isn’t going to be the location that you need to retire to if the costs are this high and climbing. Maybe it isn’t so much the build design. Maybe it’s the fact that the present is the lowest that costs will be for living there. The future cost of living will only increase. That’s a bigger picture question of resources, time envisioned in the home, and ability to deal with that location’s increasing cost of living compared to a different location. Of course, the value of what you build will increase as well, but that’s an unknown enough to say that you will turn this into a spec build mentality to profit from it in a few years. Lots to think over!

Good luck!

I agree with Cook's Kitchen. In addition, I sense that the overall cumulative effect of your combined list has contributed to the economics being what they are.

I suggest you review your list with a very selective eye, followed by a meeting with your architect to uncover a new design strategy which will address the budgetary issues.

Virgil, why is it important to you that this be our fault? That it is something we requested that must have caused the number of corners? That there is “more of a story behind it?”That it is “the cumulative effect of our list?”

"Virgil, why is it important to you that this be our fault?"

because it's NEVER the architect's fault

My view was that you didn't initially tell the full story. Your subsequent information includes the comments that you love the house he designed and would love to build it.

Your posted list of needs and wants is a good step.

But...there are a variety of items which could easily be the reason the initial design is what it is.

Suggesting a critical review of your list, and a meeting with your architect is simply sound advice.

It is hardly fault finding.

Good luck with your project.

If you want more specific comments about your design, post plans, elevations and roof plan in a separate, new thread asking for comments.

Have you had a meeting with your architect to discuss cost-cutting strategies?

Details & complexity can change costs. Client moved a project to another architect (& struct eng) and the costs went up 1/3 using the same footprint (required a design release).

Gra8fulgal- Can I asked where you are from?