Just looking for average square foot cost as I consider my custom home design, and how big to make it.
Thanks!
In LA area, lowest would be $250 per sq ft and it can go up depends on the type of finishes at the end and the foundation / framing requirements
On average, a custom-built home with top-of-the-line materials is $200-$400 or more a square foot, or $700,000-$1.4 million for a 3,500 square foot house. However, building a modest custom home in a low-cost area might drop costs as low as $100 a square foot, or $350,000 for 3,500 square feet.
With over 30 years of personal hands on construction experience, and having used several construction estimate manuals such as: RS Means, BNI General Construction Cost Book, and National Estimator, we have established our own cost per square foot, in the San Francisco Bay Area. An average cost per foot for a 2,000 single family home from the foundation to the roof, including basic inexpensive finishes found at Lowes or Home Depot runs at $400 per foot. This does not include grading or any earth work. So 2,000 square feet times $400 per foot is about $800,000.
Another method to double check the square foot cost is to multiply time in weeks projected, 25% labor cost, and 75% materials profit and operational overhead. Thus, a 2,000 square foot home depending on conditions, should take 10 months. When multiplying 10 months with 4 weeks that totals 40 weeks. If the 25% labor cost is $5,000 weekly, then we would multiply $20,000 x 40 weeks and get close to the $800,000 per square foot. (The $20,000 is $5,000 weekly labor cost and $15,000 weekly material, profit and overhead - Sub contractors are figured in)
It varies greatly on location. But a custom home could vary from $150 to $300 a square foot.
In some areas, you can start around $150 per sf. in other areas $400 per sf will be low.
In the LA area we see the range to be from $250 per ft. to $500 and up.
Think a safe budget number in San Diego County is $225-$325 PSF. That would exclude hardscape.