How much does it cost to build a house?

[Chandra Tran]

Hey everyone, I'm wondering what the cost would be to build a house from scratch if I had land? (permitted to build on, of course) I'm in California, and I'm curious about building a home since the cost of buying one is quite expensive. I'd love to hear from anyone experienced with this or who's done research on this as well.

[J Scott]

It depends.

When you California, do you mean downtown San Francisco or middle of nowhere?

How big is this house?  A 10,000 sf house is typically going to cost less per square foot than a 1000 sf house, just because there is a lot more empty space, which is cheaper to build than space that contains things like kitchens and bathrooms.

What style of house?  Different style houses cost different amounts.  Are you building a row home or a castle?

What finishes will you use?  Carpet or Italian marble floors?  Kenmore appliances or restaurant style kitchen appliances?  Asphalt single roof or concrete tile?  That probably makes the biggest difference.

Who's building it?  You?  Contractors you manage?  A GC that you hire?  Or a high-end builder that you contract through?

Are there utilities to the property yet?

Do you have to cut down trees and level the lot?

20 foot driveway made of crushed stone or 200 ft concrete driveway?

Do you need a bioretention pond in this area?  Or any other environmental requirements?

1 level house?  2 level?  Basement?

Are you a good negotiator or will you get ripped off?

All of these things factor into the cost.