What is the average cost per square foot for new construction around the country?
If you were to build a small bath which will float on posts, and be outside the footprint of the existing house, what do you think the square foot cost would most likely be?
Thanks, Judy
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Replies
I'll bid $99, 999.96.
a lot higher than a small bath within the footprint of the home.
There is a book that lists the general price of materials and labor in regions. Obviously if library has such a book, it most likely is out of date. Sorry but I forget what it is called exactly. You might search words such as Regional construction cost manual, or something like it. Hope this helps.
way too many variables to properly answer this question. Especially for a bathroom, average national costs per square foot are not going to be at all helpful to your specific job.
More detailed info, such as your location, type of house, topography of the site, local permit/licensing requirements, location of existing utilities, impact on existing structural elements, (and the list goes on) can help to quantify your project. But it would be best to seek the advice of a local contractor to help you plan and price your project.
Edit: not to say people here cannot be helpful, but the question is too open ended to provide a useful (to you) response.
Edited 8/6/2008 8:11 pm ET by vintage1
the book he was refering to is RS Means. The thing is, it's just not that simple at all. When any one of here does a project professionally, we have to sit down and figure out each step of the way, labor, subcontractors, just about every piece of material, add overhead, profit, etc, etc, Nobody has a silver bullet for this suff.
Judy
No one can really help you because the details vary so dramaticaly. How far does the material have to be carried,, Is it easy to get at or will it be a real pain? What sort of time schedule are you thinking of. (If you double the number of people working on a job you don't double the speed the job gets done Plumbers get in the way of carpenters and so on and so on..
Thses numbers don't vary by a little but all over the board..
Kinda a bummer isn't it?
I'm really very sorry..
It's a small 3/4 bath, on sona tubes down 4ft, at the first floor level of the existing house. Materials are easily delivered; average fixtures, nothing fancy, walls and floor will be well insulated as we are in the Northeast; walls will be sheetrocked, floors will be tile, but assume just plywood for now, one window (Marvin Integrity or equivalent about 2.5'x2'), labor will consist of one builder, one helper, plumber, electrician, with average labor hourly at approx. $45.00. I remember that in the "old" days, people would quote $175.00 or so, per square foot to build a new house of average quality. That would just be a number to give someone a vague idea of cost. I haven't heard any such number for quite a while.
In the 'old' days, the # was probably more like $75, not 175.
New home builders in my area are now quoting $85 for your basic home on a basement.
But they are hungry.
I wouldn't try it for less than $100.
Bathrooms and smaller spaces cost more per sq ft, maybe in your $175 range.
Hard to say without all the details, even then, you'll find that the ranges vary greatly by region.
The average cost per square foot does not really work on a small addition. I am not trying to be rude, but you came to a group of builders that are "fine home" builders that pay attention to details and strive to give good advice. I am sure you can find someone that will tell you an average cost per square foot, but will you know if he/she is trying to buy a project or giving you good advice? What value is such a number? You may not find out it is wrong until things are too far along and at that point everything turns to #### if your contract is inadequate. Unfortunately, what you are being very clearly told is you need to sit down, formulate a proper plan, define the scope of works in the form of a drawing and get a contractor involved. At that point then you can make informed decisions if the project is feasible or if changes are necessary to reduce costs. Clearly you are very interested in doing the project, but right now you are trying to rush to the answer without formulating the question.
Brad
you have misinterpreted my reason for the question. I am not basing any decision on the answer - merely wondering if there is a very general measurement - one where you can say "in very general terms, you can use $100/sq. ft.(or whatever), with many variables; once details are determined, the price can go up or down from there."
I get the general idea of the question, and I do understand what you are trying to establish. You want to figure out a rough cost to see if you should think about the project anymore or shelf it. I think what has been demonstrated by the responses thus far is that there is no general average cost.
I should have explained why I dont agree with an average unit cost on a small reno. Lets say for example this addtion is 200sq ft. If you have a fluctuation in cost of $10k in the project that leads to an increase in the average equal to $50 per sq ft. $10k can add up on any house project in a hurry. Now I can already here the argument that it is less likely to see such an increase since the scope of works is less. The fact is, you still have almost all the same number of trades for this reno as do you with a new house. Plus there is the nuisance factor of renovation work. House projects nowadays seem to have a way of thousand dollaring you to death.
Good luck with your project.
I don't think anyone misunderstood you. It is a question that can't be answered. sorry!
Yes it can. We talk in sf generalities at about $100 per sq ft here. Bob's next test date: 12/10/07
Sold, come build me a kitchen off the back of my house!
snork!
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Blue:
Exactly what framer52 said... (btw - glad to know someone here is older than me).
You threw out the # of $100. that's for a WHOLE house. Right? A house has probably one kitchen maybe 2.5 bathrooms, a family room, some bedrooms, etc, etc. I can build family room sq footage for - ah - Idon-know maybe $60 a sq foot. Doesn't even need a closet.... Maybe not even any doors... I can also build kitchen sq footage for - ah - le-me-see.... $300 a sq foot. Nice cabs? $400. Bathrooms???? Maybe $250 a sq foot. Big bathroom? $225. Small bathroom? Maybe $275. Mice faucets? $300... How many toilets are you gonna have in a big or small bath? See what I mean? New York city??? Multiply by 4.... Bum-fork where no body has a job??? Multiply by $.7 (materials are the same or more..)
Maybe a better way would be to say... maybe $90 for the basic structure. Add $500 per fixture for the plumber. Then add the cost of the fixtures. Maybe $4 a sq foot for the electrician. Need to expand the main panel? OK, make it $6 - OK wait a minute - maybe we aught to price that out... HVAC? Mini-split? $1000. Upgrade/expand present system since it's beat anyway??? $2500 Waitaminute... We better price this <whole> thing out... :-)
BTW - she said build on sono-tubes... Does anyone actually do that for a heated living area??? I really don't know... Just asking... I'd put a deck or out-house on sono-tubes.... Huhhh???? did I hear the words out-house??? :-)
"glad to know someone here is older than me)"You you WIPPER SNAPPER you.I am being hounded my insurance companies to sign up for medigap or medicare advantage plans now that I am a few months to 65.Probably one of the biggest variables in tying into the existing house and what affect tht has.Can the HVAC be extended or does it need to be replaced and with minor or major duct work. And is that old duct work covered with abestos that need to be removed.Can a new circuit be run or does that whole service need to be upgraded and if so does that trigger requirements additional work such as wired smokes or AFCI breakers.Does the addition of a bathroom trigger the requirment for a bigger septic. And if so they there are thousand different que$tion$.Where does the new bathroom tie into the existing house in terms of the floor. Can it be seamlessly added or does existing flooring need to be removed and replaced or mayb refinished..
.
A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.
>> Does the addition of a bathroom trigger the requirment for a bigger septic. <<
Good point - I forgot that one....
OP: even if it's not septic, Here is a rule of thumb for you... Regarding the main sewage pipe going out of the house... 3 toilets = 3" pipe..... 4 toilets = 4" pipe. Does that effect you?
"she said build on sono-tubes... Does anyone actually do that for a heated living area?"I have, but NOT for anything with plumbing in it. That is asking for trouble anywhere north of you.
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"I have, but NOT for anything with plumbing in it. That is asking for trouble anywhere north of you."
I totally agree with that!
Jeff
Nope...it's just $100 per sq ft. Remember, this is just the round number square footage that we know we can build something for. There's no qualifications and no need for them. Once we start talking specifics, we are moving out of the theoretical stage and into the reality stage. In the reality stage, we put real numbers to everything. The $100 number is just something to use as a starting point in discussing the possibility of building something. Frammer wants a kitchen off the back of his house and wants to pay only $100 per sf. I can do it if he's here in Austin. When we get down to brass tacks....he might get painted plywood for his countertops. Bob's next test date: 12/10/07
No you don't, don't go backing out on me now. You said 100/ft. That comes with custom cabinets and granite counters also.
Did I mention the finished basement?
Illegals on my house get reported to ice. Better hire some card carrin'amercans'
Edited 8/8/2008 12:07 am ET by frammer52
All the illegals have cards. They have your social security number on it.I'm going to deliver you a nice kitchen at $100 per foot. What do you want...a 12 x12? YOu get 2x6 joist. 5/8 ply with vinyl stickums. One sinkbase. One upper. You get plugs to code. The plug under the light is wired to the switch. Bring a lamp to plug into the plug. That way, when you switch the light on, something will light up. How you like your flat roof? White or black? YOu like black? Great, you get white. Gutters are extra. I hope you like white vinyl siding over thermoply. YOu want a door? Hahahahahaha. Anything else? No...we don't do garbage disposers. They've got nice strainers nowadays. Granite? Maybe in your next life. Bob's next test date: 12/10/07
Just like a woman, change the terms of the contract just after we have a deal!
FineHomebuilding.com
not
FastanddirtyHomebuilding.com
Jeff ;o)
Yer right.I'm going to slope Frammer's roof 1" in 12". That will give him a designer ceiling. Bob's next test date: 12/10/07
How would that look with my gambrel roof?
That will look tacky. We'll flatten that gambrel roof but that is going to be extra. Bob's next test date: 12/10/07
Co's are killing me!
Killing you? Funerals are extra unless you let me bury you, in your current clothes, in the footings. Bob's next test date: 12/10/07
Oh yeah....sign the check now. Bob's next test date: 12/10/07
Would you sign it for me?
"Would you sign it for me?"Yes, that will be $765 extra. That covers my professional time, and the office time that I need to get a power of attorney form filled out. What do you expect for $100 per foot? Bob's next test date: 12/10/07
Hey, you are the one that bid that number not me!!!!
You didn't tell me I was going to have to be your personal secretary! Now that I'm spending so much time discussing it, I'll have to up the change order bill by one hour. Tack on another $150 for consultation time...and another $45 for office clerk charges. Bob's next test date: 12/10/07
Durn, another co.
That's another $25 for making me read your reply.Am I up to $150 per square foot yet? (don't reply without a twentyfiver in your hands). Bob's next test date: 12/10/07
Reach for it, oh don't find a 25 in the wallet,
But that has to be whole house, not a bath addy
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Yes unless the bathroom addition is 10 x 20 and the three builder fixtures are mounted right next to some adjacent plumbing. We'll put in 12" self stick vinyl floors and do a simple slab construction. Bob's next test date: 12/10/07
Actually I think it's fine that you ask the (vague) question - that way you are gonna find out that you aren't gonna get a bath addition for $100 a sq ft... While we all argue amongst ourselves... :-) Anyone who has done worked with home owners has heard... OH... <puzzled look> I thought I could get a new bath for $2000... I saw it on HGTV.... :-) Deck? $900? Whole house make over? $4000.... Get it ready to sell??? $850... :-)
this way when (if) you actually pick up the phone you will know you aren' t gonna hear that $2000 #.... Maybe not even waste someone's phone time...
deeper into that other side of things -A lot of people only hear what they want to hear.
( no insult meant to the OP - don't know you, but it is way too common)
So having read here that it can run from 100-400, it is possible that she - or somebnody else lurking - will go away with only that hundred dollar number locked in the brain - or even that sixty dollar figure that floated out someplace.That does a dis-service to any decent contractor who is called then. By comparison to a vague and ridiculously low number like that, he will look like a shyster or con artist.
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When you word it that way, I would reply that it can be possible depending on location, to do a decent bathroom addition for 150-200/sq ft.
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
"floors will be tile, but assume just plywood for now"VCT?
Ceramic?
Stone tiles?Two dollar tiles or ten dollar tiles?
( just had a customer pull that switch on me and then complain about cost over runs last year)And that kind of variable and experience is why there are fewer builders stupid enough to talk in terms of sq ft price.Average fixtures? One man's average is another man's gold palace.
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How high is everything floating? Is there an escalator or elevator involved or one of those new fangled jet packs?
Bob's next test date: 12/10/07
You sure opened yourself up for this one.... after looking at the of posts you've had(newbie), there gonna get'ya
Look, every region(and micro region) is going to have variables(HUGE VARIABLES)
Start with what does a mobile cost in your area, a premanufactured home in your area and then the most reputable builder in your area. Your price (might) be in between.
Just like the old saying: Location, Location, Location
or should be Builder,Builder, Builder,
maybe even: How much can(can't) you afford
Where are you located? Fill in your profile.
I'm in Michigan and i'm guessing 35/40k. Of course were not gonna be floating a bathroom on stilts around here, the pipes wouldnt stand a chance. So, i'm also considering a block foundation.
Family.....They're always there when they need you.
You just asked "how much does gas cost?"
The answer is that it varies.
Biggest variation will be geographic. Those places with deep frost lines will cost more than those which are shallow (on average). Busier places will cost more than idle ones. Bigger cities cost more than smaller towns or rural areas.
You are aksing about remodel/addition costs, which are different from pure new construction (different, typically, in being more expensive, too).
You are introducing some terms whic will raise questions (at least for me, if not for others). "Floating on Posts" could have many meanings. Concrete piers drilled next to a house can be expensive; or they might be cheap. Driven pilings in bayou country can be a neat answer, but only if the pile driver can reach. That phrase makes me immediately want to know what sort of roof this brand new 'small bath' will have.
Said roof will need to attach in a secure and waterproff sort ofway to the existing house, typically. Unless you really mean separate, witho some sort of connecting bridge to the bath (which would likely be expensive).
Lastly, as a rule of thumb, other than kitchens, bathrooms are the singulat most expensive rooms in a house. That's because all the fixtures are included in the price. And those fixtures add up fast. It's not hard to have $1500-1800 of fixtures in a 40 (5x8) sf bathroom. Same footprint can hold $6000-10000 in fixtures, too. Makes a "per square foot" price a hard target to hit.
$100 (average) - $150 (nice) / sq. ft. should get you close enough.
ROTFLMAOWhoo-hoo - 100-150You kill me!;)
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
Big thread on $/SF (107 replies) just wound down on this very board a few days ago.
http://forums.taunton.com/tp-breaktime/messages?msg=107677.1&redirCnt=1
As I said in that one, trying to figure a building budget based on $/SF is like trying to budget for a car based on $/pound. Big difference between a Chevy and a Lexus. Also, addition work can be much higher because there isn't the economy of scale.
Runnerguy
Edited 8/7/2008 6:29 pm ET by runnerguy
Something between $50 and $500 or so
Welcome to the
Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime.
where ...
Excellence is its own reward!
Piffin
I understand her frustration though, she wants to know if something is affordable or even worth considering before she goes further and we're here detailing her to death.
Those are really valid concerns of contractors and really impossible to give good answers to. On the other hand if it's massively higher than she thinks she can afford it's senseless to pursue it further!
It's reasonable on her part and it's reasonable on contractors part. I'm sure she wouldn't worry if someone was off by a few thousand dollars but say $30,000 dollars off would prevent her for going further..
We need some sort of short hand so people can consider their options..
These are rough guildline numbers for a bedroom and for a closet etc.. people come on here all the time and try that cost per sq. ft. because that's all they know. we should figure out a way to answer the question so they can either drop it or move to the next step..
"need some sort of short hand "Way prices fluctuate for materials, it would need weekly updates.And a modifier for people who fall into that frenchie segment of the readers here, who are able to buy lumber for less than 20% of what the rest of us do, and plane and finish themselves....;)
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
Piffin
Wackos like me enjoy the thrill of the hunt and will seek out solutions for ourselves.
Normal people aren't like that.
I certainly wouldn't ever consider myself mainstream. So don't worry about the tiny percentage I represent.. figure out some short hand for the innocent person who would like to dab their toe into the waters of of home contruction. without getting a soaking..
We have the perfect answer. Right to the point and accurate. The "or so" was a great touch.
Brad
Wow. So many variables.
From a home owner/remodeler's perspective, I can tell you that I've done two remodels for about $50 per square foot in each bath, mid range finish in each case. I looked at building a new one off the side of the house two years ago and was quoted about $210 per square foot for 100 square feet, low end finish. In the end we decided to go with remodeling and repurposing some space inside the current footprint of the house. Good luck.
In our area your project cost would be around $230/SF - $275/SF depending on your taste in finishes and choices like tile shower enclosure vs. fiberglas, quality of faucets, etc.
For those of you who think $100/SF we haven't seen costs like that since the early 1990s but good luch - you'll likely be contributing the labor for free. Costs and charges do vary by locale ($45/hour labor is about right for here - northeast) if not a little low.
At say 10 x 16 x 100 thats 160 SF @ $100/SF = $16,000 - rotsa ruck!
For those in areas with weak-to-limited building departments you need to know that permit costs (which should be averaged into project/construction costs) are way up. Average permit cost for a major house addition = $5,000.
Jeff
We can get illegals here for $8 per hour. They can do the electrical, plumbing, and hvac, tile and roof. The same guy.What do you expect for $100? Bob's next test date: 12/10/07
Will you tie the plumbing to the existing or use a 'seepage drain'?;)
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
55 gallon barrel.What do you expect for $100? Wait till you see frammer's kitchen. One sink base, pulled out of one of our remodeling jobs. That 3' countertop is going to get a lot of use. Are windows required for kitchen? He's getting thermoply sheathing and a flat roof. I hope he likes rolled roofing. Bob's next test date: 12/10/07
Our 24sqft 1/2 bath, inside the footprint, over a walk-in basement, entirely new framing, plumbing, mid-level fixtures, electrical, tile floor, recycled cabinetry was around..............
$1500 completely DIY.
That's $62.50/sq ft and includes NO LABOR.
You can't judge it.
A La Carte Government funding... the real democracy.