Contractor Costs For New Builds In Massachusetts

[Victor Rodrigues]

Does anyone know how much does it cost a builder to build a traditional colonial, 4 bed 2.5 baths,  2500 square feet give or take. in Massachusetts

[Chris R. Gallo]

Coming from a construction background - I would agree with @Lien Vuong in that you should shop this around between 2-3 general contractors. Establishing a scope of work to be able to compare quotes would be a good starting point. Be aware that all GCs are not the same either, meaning some will handle multiple trades while others with perform limited trades and be a broker for outside trades at a cost. For instance you could hire a carpenter that can get your cabinets, roughy framing and drywall done but they have to hire out insulators and painters while typically adding 10% on top of their price. 

Some other things to be mindful of:

COSTS PER SF
Considering you won’t be able to really build a traditional colonial that size in and around Boston proper due to lot sizes, you would be looking at more of a renovation unless you’re willing to shell out a pretty penny closer to $300-400 per sf. Outside the city limits (approximately 20+ miles give or take) are trending around $200-$300. Both north and south of the city are already very busy. 

OUTSIDE FACTORS 
However there are multiple other factors involved here:

• - The labor/manpower availability of the GC
• - Fluctuating material costs ( GCs typically have contracts only valid for limited times due to this )
• - Their schedule and/or backlog of work
• - Level of finishes and depth of scope