At BuildZoom we are planning to survey contractors who build new homes in order to learn about construction costs per sq ft. We want the survey to be effective, but also keep it as short and simple as possible.
Below is the set of questions we have in mind–what are your thoughts? Are we asking the right questions? How could we tweak them to be more useful and to make contractors more likely to respond?
Dear [contractor],
Please tell us about your latest completed home-building project:
1. What was the initial total cost estimate given to the client?
2. What was the actual cost ultimately charged of the client?
3. Of the actual cost above, what amount corresponds to:
- Materials?
- Labor?
- “Soft” costs?
4. What was the total interior square footage of the project?
5. In what year and month was the project completed?
6. How long did the project take?
7. In what zip code area was the project?
8. What was the project’s address (Optional)
9. In the future, may we display your responses on our website?
10. Do you have any additional comments? (free text)
These questions all look good. But a major factor would be regarding the quality of the materials used and also the level of quality on the overall project. If people use very high end materials or fixtures this can drastically alter the price per square foot. Also, some additions require additional heating sources while others don’t. It would be good to include some questions to accurately identify the scope i.e. what systems are being upgraded. The hardest thing right now are customers looking on line and seeing a per sq foot number that doesn’t match what their intended scope is.
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It’s so hard to answer this question because it really depends from case to case, the price can differ from state to state and even in within the same state. To build a home in SF totally different than building it in Tracy. Rough materials and labor make more sense. Finish materials is such a huge variable.
Asking a contractor the sq ft cost of construction for a house is like asking how much a bag of groceries cost at the grocery store.
The simple answer is… "it all depends on what you put into the house or the bag of groceries.
Often times smaller homes can have a completed cost per sq ft that is higher than a larger home.
