House Building Calculator | Estimate Construction Cost

Building Cost Calculator provides accurate construction costs for a new house. You can select different options for trim, quality of materials and other amenities, such as a garage and deck.

Construction cost estimate includes: architectural plans and typical engineering, excavation and erection of a concrete foundation, framing, insulation, heating/cooling, electrical, plumbing, roofing, siding, exterior & interior finishes, as well all materials and labor.

House Dimensions:
x ft.
Number of Bathrooms:
Build Quality:
Number of Levels:
Roof Type:
House Exterior:
Flooring Type (in bedrooms):
Estimated Cost: $0


How Much Does It Cost To Build A House?

Building a new house is the best option for those looking to have the design of their dream (which is usually hard to find in the secondary house market).

Moreover, building a new construction house it is often less expensive than buying an existing home.

On the low-end of the cost spectrum you can build a new 2,000 sq. ft. house for as little as $150,00 to $190,000. The average cost of most new construction homes is around $275,000 to $340,000. High-end new construction homes start at $500,000+ and go up to as much as your budget allows.

House Building Cost Calculator provides a variety of construction options for you to choose from.

You can customize flooring options, number of bathrooms, roofing and siding materials, type of windows, add a garage or a deck, etc.

The calculator has a progressive cost per sq. ft. formula, so you can get the most accurate cost estimate.

This means that when your Total square footage is LESS than 1,500, the cost / foot gradually increases to account for additional expenses incurred by the builder, with fewer “billable” square feet.

Typical Cost To Build a New Custom Home Average: $148,640 - $410,880
See costs in your area

How To Use Home Building Calculator

1) Enter the foundation size of your home (do not include garage)

2) Enter the number of bathrooms. Note that each additional bathroom requires additional plumbing and materials.

3) Choose build quality. This includes your framing, kitchen, bathrooms, HVAC (AC) system, a heating system (furnace or boiler), house insulation (fiberglass or spray-foam), and other options that you “cannot” select in the calculator.

4) Select the number of levels (floors). Note that living area as well as the amount of siding and the number of windows will proportionately increase with the number of additional floors.

5) Select your roofing and siding (exterior) materials.

6) Extra options: you can select garage and deck size, as well as windows options.

7) Choose your location: Note that construction prices vary greatly depending on your region, and this includes both labor and materials. The difference can be between +11% for Pacific region to -5% for East South Atlantic region.

Click calculate, and you will have your personalized estimate!

Note that this estimated cost does not include the following:

– Land

– Demolition or land clearing

– Plot leveling / site work

– Architect / house plans fees

– Permits, engineering reports, and other paperwork

On average these miscellaneous costs can range between $15,000-30,000, excluding land and demo works.

Average New Home Construction Costs

Typical Cost To Build a New Custom Home Average: $148,640 - $410,880
See costs in your area

construction cost estimator

Homeowners across the US report spending an average of $190,000-420,000 to build a new 2,000 sq.ft. house. In many middle class areas, the cost of construction for a 2,000 sq.ft. space is $295,000

This is equivalent to the price of $147.5 per square foot.

Remember that in addition to the cost of building a home, you need to budget for the price of the land, as well as the cost of clearing and finishing the lot, landscaping, etc.

Adding extras such as a fence, a pool, a deck, will further increase your total construction cost.

According to the National Association of Home Builders these additional expenses make up about 20-25% of the total building cost, where as the house itself takes up 75-80%

House Building Cost Per Square Foot

The average building cost per square foot is $95 – 225, depending on a number of factors, such as:

– local labor costs

– architectural house style

– number of floors

– number of bedrooms

– number of bathrooms

– quality of building and finishing materials

– fees of an architect/design professional

– building permit costs

– custom vs. pre-fabricated home design

When planning your budget for a custom built home, figuring out the quality of materials and finishes you want to use will make a huge difference in the total remodeling budget.

The cost of materials varies widely, so the products you select will add or subtract tens of thousands of dollars off the total building cost.

For example, you can install a GAF asphalt shingles roof on a 1,500 sq.ft. home for about $5,000-6,000 or a standing seam metal roof of the same size for $12,000-13,000.

Among the most expensive items in a new construction project are:

Roof

Siding

Windows

HVAC (heating and cooling)

Flooring

Kitchen (cabinets, countertops, appliances)

Bathroom (any special bathroom features: sauna, steam shower, hot-tub, etc will further increase the cost)

You can use our detailed Remodeling Costs Guide to get accurate estimates for the cost of the most popular interior and exterior remodeling projects.

Cost Of Professional Labor To Build A House

Building a new home typically requires the help of a General Contractor (GC). He oversees the entire project from start to finish, hires and pays all the necessary subcontractors, pulls permits, and buys building materials on your behalf.

A general contractor does NOT charge per hour. She usually takes 10-20% of the total house building cost.

For example if your new home costs $350,000, you can expect that the GC will charge $35,000-50,000 for her services. Many general contractors ask for a portion of this fee upfront.

It’s very important to draw up a detailed contract with your general contractor that includes their fees, itemized scope of work, list of materials, completion time line, potential extra fees or hidden/unexpected expenses, as well as the payment schedule.

Be sure that EVERYTHING is in writing! Many homeowners get burned when they verbally agree on one course of action and price with their General Contractor and then things “change” (i.e. cost you more money) when the project starts.

When undertaking such a massive project, its not worth it to try to save a few bucks on the cost of labor.

ONLY hire a general contractor who is licensed, insured and experienced in residential construction. He should provide you with at least 3 glowing references of recently completed projects that are similar to yours.

Can You Build A House For $100K?

If your budget for constructing a new house is only 100,000K you may run into some trouble if you want to build a custom designed home. In most areas, the average cost to build a new 2,000 house is $275,000 – 310,000.

So if you are looking to build a very small house $1,000-1,200 sq.ft. you may be able to get away with a budget of $100,000, but this will be a no frills home to say the least.

Another alternative for a 100K construction budget is to go for a prefab or modular home. These homes are much more affordable, while still being very comfortable to live in.

You can easily build a very nice 2,000 sq. ft. prefab home for a $100,000 budget.

Cost Of Prefabricated (modular) Home vs Original Design Home

One of the biggest factors that will lower or increase your construction costs is whether you want a custom designed house or a prefabricated one.

While an original architectural house plan has the tremendous benefit of giving you exactly what you want, it also costs significantly more.

Custom homes range in price from $150 -1,000+ per square foot, depending on the size, architectural complexity, materials, etc. Such a house will also take significantly longer to construct than a prefabricated structure.

By comparison, the cost of a prefabricated home is at least 25-35% less than a custom one. A small prefab house under 1,500 sq.ft. without numerous customizations costs as little as $50-60,000.

Average size prefabricated house (1,600-1,800 sq. ft.) costs $130,000-200,000, without major modification.

It is important to keep in mind that modifications, depending on what you are looking to change or add, will drive up the initial price by as much as 30%.

These can include things like a 2-car garage, better roofing and insulation materials, high-end kitchen appliances, hardwood as opposed to engineered wood floors, better quality siding, more expensive windows, etc.

Still, you will be getting a brand new home that will be cheaper than building a custom design from scratch.

Typical Cost To Build a New Custom Home Average: $148,640 - $410,880
See costs in your area


About Leo Bender

Leo has been a contractor since 2003, specializing in: roofing, siding, general contracting (GC) and residential remodeling. Leo is also a Certified HVAC, Oil & Gas Heating Technician/Installer. In addition to roofing and remodeling, Leo is passionate about Solar, green building and energy conservation, so a lot of my time and energy goes to installing energy efficient heating and cooling systems.


See more about Remodeling Calculator team here


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24 comments on “House Building Calculator | Estimate Construction Cost

  1. Chris Harris

    I am looking to build a custom home in Milton,Fl. I tried using your calculator but it want allow for my zip code. We have been told that it would be $200 /sqft, we have our land and it has been cleared…. basic home , 3 bedrooms, a great room …. open flr plan with 3 car garage. Will you give me the real cost or does it depend on builders

    Reply
  2. ALFRED MULAUDZI

    I STAY IN MUSINA LIMPOPO PROVINCE.HOWE MUCH SHOULD I BE HAVING TO BUILD A12ROOMS HOUSE ( CALCULATE ) AND CONSTRUCTION COST ESTIMATION PLEASE. I DO HAVE LAND . STARTING FROM FOUNDATION TO ROOFING

    Reply
    1. Leo Bender Post author

      Alfred, this calculator is aimed at US home building market, and prices would not be anything that you can expect to pay in LIMPOPO

      Reply
  3. Randa Langerud

    Great article! On your diagram listing percentages of cost you did not include foundation. What percentage of total cost do you think that would be?

    Reply
  4. MM

    Looking to recreate building costs from 1996 for income tax capital gains in state of NJ. all receipts were destroyed. Please advise if your company does this.

    Reply
  5. Bonnie

    Would you be able to put a foundation type of stem wall or piers crawl space into the calculator as a choice. Some people need this type for their area.

    Reply
  6. Lesley

    3 bedroom, 2.5 bathroom colonial with attached garage. Wood deck. Geothermal heat. Office 1st floor. Great room open to kitchen
    Wood floors

    Reply
    1. Leo B Post author

      Lesley,

      Are you asking how much that would cost? If so, the rough estimate would be about $6,000 to $10,000 for excavation and/or drilling the ground, plus heat exchange loops (about $2000-2500) plus equipment ($10000-15000) plus labor. On average, a geothermal will cost $25000-$35000.

      If you have lake or river nearby, you can save about $5000-9000 on excavation. You still need to dig trenches to run the loops to the lake/river, so $1000-2000 for that.

      Hope this helps, Leo

      Reply
  7. Moonlight

    Dear builder ,
    I wanted to breakdown the house in my land then build new house , around 6500-7000 sq , 6 bedroom and 5 bathroom . 2 story building and 4 car garage and swimming pool. Area code 74137
    Do you think how much can cause?
    All need hard flooring
    Thanks

    Reply
  8. Azimuth Builders

    Such an easy calculator to start with. Now I can calculate the construction of any and every building type whenever required. Very well made item.

    Reply
  9. Stanley

    We are looking to build a small retirement home 1500-1600 sq feet in zip code 65571. We need a 3 bed 1 and 3/4 bath. We need a pantry/ mud room laundry room The added bedrooms will only be in use when the family arrives We would like an open space home We are looking for the most cost effective layout. Considering a loft area for 2 of the bedrooms. Is it still cost effective to go up with a loft. My concern is the open area would look great but its heating and cooling unused space This house will be in a wooded area so we would like the back of the house to have a lot of glass The area is remote and the few Nieghbors live in older farm or prefab trailer style houses. Again we are looking to build something that it cost effective but not over the top. We have looked at manufactured homes and although once inside the price tag is inviting but the exterior material and roof pitch is a turn off Any suggestions.

    Reply
    1. Joey

      The roof pitches aren’t as bad now, and the materials are just as good. In fact, manufactured homes are known to have much less issues

      Reply
  10. Jeff Goins

    Thanks for a really detailed article. We built our dream house a few years ago and I could have benefited from a post like this!

    Reply
  11. Richard Kramer

    Thank you for the building calculator. Very useful. Does the calculator include the cost of a basement? If not, what kind of foundation is assumed?
    Thank you,
    Richard

    Reply
    1. Leo B Post author

      Richard,

      The calculator assumes poured concrete foundation on level, easy to excavate land. Any obstructions / difficulties in digging and pouring the foundation should be assumed as extra cost.

      No finished basement costas are included. That’s also extra.

      Leo

      Reply
      1. Richard Kramer

        Leo,
        Thanks for your quick reply. Assume a completely destroyed, 1920 two story vintage home with rough fieldstone, gypsum cement, basement about 26 X 42 Ft. Any estimate as to cost to remove the old basement walls and replace with poured? Obviously, the excavation work is not required. Location is Massachusetts.
        Thanks for any guidance you can give. I’m sure any estimate you make will be better than mine.
        Richard

        Reply
        1. Leo B Post author

          Richard,

          For demo work in MA – I think you are looking at $25-35K easy. Assume there will be like 10-15 dumpsters at $500 each. Maybe less.
          Then, heavy equipment, permits, workers, etc.

          On old foundation, you only need to remove walls. You can pour new concrete over old footing. I would not build new home over old field stone – it’s asking for problems right away.

          I know these are rough numbers, but demolition and foundation work is my direct trade 🙂

          Best thing – get a few local quotes – https://www.remodelingcalculator.org/free-remodel-estimates/ – choose GC or New Home Construction as “project”

          PS – i’m also in MA, welcome to remodel calc 🙂

          Reply
          1. Richard Kramer

            Thanks again, Leo. No, I wouldn’t rebuild on the old fieldstone foundation. Remove it and pour new. May need new footings as well, as code has probably changed since 1914. Don’t even know if house actually has footing under fieldstone, but almost no subsidence in 100 years.
            I’m assuming that your building costs are based on the year 2015 costs. Correct?
            Am enjoying your site. Thank you.
            Richard

          2. Leo B Post author

            Richard,

            Yes the calculator was made in 2014 and we updated it in 2015. There weren’t many changes in costs – gas went down in price … materials pretty stable, labor also stable. Also there are many factors that we cannot account for anyway.

            PS – i’d appreciate if you share it on Facebook or twitter or google+ 😀