Good afternoon Carl, I have to admit, I love the posts you have up here as
they are very informative to me.
My wife and I have selected a house plan to build from Don Gardner plans.
The plan is The Manchester - House Plan# W-718.
Would you be able to use this as one of your examples?
Thanks!
Michael
Hi Michael,
Sure, I’d be glad to.
You chose an attractive “Traditional” house plan from Donald A. Gardner Architects, Inc.
They define a traditional home plan as a home that “typically features multiple gables, hipped roofs and covered entryways with a clapboard or brick façade creating a grand appearance.”
Their traditional house plans (Don Gardner plans) feature open floor plans in various sizes from 1600 - 5000 square feet.”
The Manchester is a 3 bedroom 2.5 bath Traditional home that has 2,261 Sq. Ft. of total living area and a Bonus room of 235 Sq. Ft.
I ran a cost to build estimate for this home plan for Pittsfield, MA 01201 (is that west enough?) with brick veneer and an unfinished basement and came up with a total cost to build of,$319,147 (including a General Contractor’s markup of $38,596) or $ 141 per sq ft of heated living area.
Without the brick veneer (using Hardboard or inexpensive stucco siding) I came up with a total cost to build of $288,760 (including a General Contractor’s markup of $34,700), or $128 per sq ft of heated space.
Except for the brick veneer (Quality Class # 2) and the unfinished basement (quality Class # 5 or better), I used the quality class # 6 throughout (Minimum Standard Quality) for all the other categories,
Single-family homes vary widely in quality and the quality of construction is a major cost variable.
These estimates are "rough" estimates for May, 2010.
Land is NOT included in the estimated costs to build.
Well Michael, by using the “cost to build calculator” found on my “Getting Started” page you can perform your own cost analysis, varying the quality of construction to fit your budget.
Have fun,
Carl
