| What is the square ft. cost of the homes you | | | | Permits are another issue when planning on |
| build? I'm sure that every veteran builder | | | | building a new home. In most areas, the |
| has heard this question many times. In truth, | | | | permit costs of tapping into the sanitary |
| only a range can be given. There are just too | | | | sewer and water line make up the biggest part |
| many variables to give a price based on just | | | | of the total permit costs. This cost is the |
| square footage. These variables range from | | | | same, regardless of square footage of home. |
| design, materials used, and size. | | | | This is also the same from a labor and |
| | | | material cost stand point when the contractor |
| How is the square footage calculated? Do you | | | | connects the piping involved from the main |
| count the garage, a basement, what about | | | | lines to the new home. |
| rooms that are cathedrals or raised? I've | | | | |
| seen these questions answered differently by | | | | The examples go on and on, making it |
| many builders or their marketing departments. | | | | impossible to state a builders square footage |
| | | | costs on all the homes they build. Obviously, |
| The design alone is a huge factor with a | | | | once a plan is bid, the square footage price |
| ranch home being the most expensive to | | | | can be calculated. |
| multi-story homes which offer the lowest by | | | | |
| dividing the foundation and roof cost by the | | | | If a low square footage cost of your new home |
| number of stories. With the building | | | | is your goal, it is suggested that you build |
| materials that are available to most | | | | a large two story home with standard |
| builders, a square floor plan or box shaped | | | | materials. The reason is a large home is |
| home offers the highest ratio of floor space | | | | likely to have a lower square footage cost, |
| to the area of the exterior walls. This | | | | is that there are so many costs that are or |
| certainly may not be the most pleasing | | | | to close to the same on a small home as a |
| design, but it is the most efficient as to | | | | larger home using the same building |
| cost to construct on a square footage cost | | | | materials. The examples of this goes on and |
| basis. | | | | on. Here's some things to think about. If the |
| | | | lot and the materials are the same, the |
| The materials used can cause a huge | | | | exterior concrete costs will be the same. The |
| difference on the same floor plan. A brick or | | | | driveway, lead walk, and public walks. The |
| stone veneer usually has a very attractive | | | | front door, the house to garage door, and |
| appearance, giving the home a rich, | | | | garage door will cost the same. The garage |
| substantial look, but adding a tremendous | | | | door opener will cost the same. Going to the |
| amount of cost in comparison to the same | | | | inside is much more of the same. If there is |
| sized home with vinyl siding. One example of | | | | the same amount of bathrooms, the cost of |
| many. | | | | these will be the same. I'm sure now you can |
| | | | see the trend and these costs will be divided |
| The kitchen is the most expensive room in a | | | | by a smaller number of square feet on a |
| home. The cost difference of cabinets can | | | | smaller home than on a larger home. This |
| vary from affordable to very high end with | | | | effects the square footage costs when the |
| prices many times higher. Today, many | | | | building materials are the same. |
| customers are choosing granite countertops, | | | | |
| very nice but hugely more expensive. The same | | | | These are some thinking points for you to use |
| is true for appliances. | | | | if planning to minimize the cost per square |
| | | | ft. of your new home. |