Whether you know how to build a house or not, the thought of building your own has probably crossed your mind. It may be that you have been searching for the right home for you and your family, and you have yet to find it. Then the thought comes, “I could just build the right house.” While this could sound like the ideal scenario to get the home best suited for your family’s needs, there is a lot to consider first. Knowing how to build a house is more than comes to mind on the first pass. That is why we will discuss how to build a house, from start to finish, and calculate the cost along the way.

How to build a house

It is important before we start to list the variables to consider when building a house, so take a look around at the room you are in. We suggest this because each aspect of that room is a dollar sign, even the pieces you cannot see; the drywall, door frame, lights, wiring behind the wall, and plumbing. All of this needs to be on your mind when you think of how to build a house.
Before you think about what kind of home and where you may want to be, the first thing to consider is how much can you afford? You’ll need to budget not only for the cost of the home but also the living accommodations that you will need during the build. In a previous article, we gave tips on building a house, and one of the essential aspects of that article was budgeting. Treat your budget like a reservoir, expect it to overflow on a rainy day, and be prepared for when it does. Prepare for any eventuality which pushes your budget, as there is uncertainty in the road ahead.
The variables that will determine the cost of building a home regard location, materials, and who you work with for the project. However, there are averages we can look at for the cost of building a house. This is about $100 to $200 per square foot or a national average of $286,032. Where you fall in that range is determined primarily by those three factors.

Location

Different parts of the country have varying land costs. The areas of the country that are already fairly developed will have more expensive land for sale, as it is much higher in demand. For example, an acre of land in New Jersey will set you back $196,410, whereas an acre in Wyoming will cost $1,558. This makes a world of difference for the budget of the home.
Beyond the cost of the land itself, there needs to be a consideration made for whether the land is finished or unfinished. Depending on where you are buying, the land could come connected to utilities, cable lines, and sewer lines, but if it is not, that means it is unfinished. If you are buying unfinished land, some additional costs will need to be accounted for in your budget to finish the land. This includes connecting the water, sewer, and electricity to utility providers in the area and preparing the land for building. This preparation is important for deciding how to build a house, as the soil and ground you are working with may change the materials you need.

Materials

When it comes to the budget of your home build, almost half should be set towards the building materials. Building a house is variable, based on what style you want it to be and how big. Based on the square footage of the home, your building costs will scale with it. The quality of those materials also has a significant impact on the cost. For example, vinyl siding is far cheaper than stone or wood siding. So, based on the size of your home, the contractor you are working with should be able to estimate the costs of materials for the home.
This is also an opportunity to save money by using reclaimed material for siding and structures. Depending on the home’s style you are looking to build, some options will save money in this area. Look at how to build a house, as architect Michael Reynolds designed; these are homes that lower the impact on the environment they are built in. Learn more about that here.

Labor

This part of the project will take up the rest of your budget, as many professionals will need to be consulted during the process. Architects, engineers, a draftsperson, and general contractors are the majority of the professionals you will encounter before beginning work on the house. All of this will take time and money, spent to make sure the house can be where and how you want it. This will also help to give you an estimate on how much it will cost.
After that is taken care of, and everything is permitted and ready to build, the building of the house can commence. Building starts when the foundation is dug out and prepared, the frame goes up, the wiring and plumbing go in. Then all the finishing touches like the siding and the roofing. This is why we suggest that you look at the home you are in and imagine all the pieces that go into it before starting to visualize the many necessary components of a new home. Costs will be determined mostly by the size of the home, as the time to build it will go up based on the size and intricacy.

Final Thoughts

It is a wonderful goal to build your own home, as it will be exactly what you want, but depending on your budget and where you are, it may not be cheaper than buying an existing home. Regardless, now you know how to build a house, which may be the right move for you.