Ask Kevin: Cost per square foot
30 Apr '07 from Kevin Contreras
Kevin,
Was watching your show and wanted to know what the cost per sqare foot was for this house. I am planning to purchase\build my first house soon and would like to be able to compare prices. Thanks. Oh, by the way the house looks great.
Dante
Dante,
We spent about $250 per square foot, but we live in a very expensive area of the country for construction labor, and our earthquake codes require a lot of building that is not necessary in other parts of the country. Also, we went with top of the line fixtures to meet the standards for homes in this area. It’s not unusual for people to spend $400 or more per square foot around here. That said, straw bale building with earthen floors and other simple green solutions can be very inexpensive. Others have built straw bale homes for as little as $140 per square foot, and here is a link to a 1,200 square foot home in the Sonoran Desert that came in at $47 per square foot.
Good luck,
Kevin
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Renovation, Construction, and Demolition estimates
Hi Kevin,
I was wondering if you could help me out. I am doing a project which involves the Pacifica Beach Resort Hotel in Pacifica, California. I was wondering if you could help provide me with an estimate of the property, or the estimated costs of renovation or demolition and construction of a new facility in that area. An estimation of the costs per square foot for any of these would also be great. Any information would be of great help. Thanks for your time.
-Aristotle
Cost of contractor's labor
Dear Kevin,
I am hiting a contractor to work with me (me being his help) to renovat my home. I provide materials and tools. How much should I be paying for his labor only by day and by square foot in Kerhonkson NY?
Thanks
Solly
Cost Per Square Foot
Dear Kevin,
I have been building straw bale homes for over 10 years, the first being an "outlaw" home outside Santa Fe, and now as a General Contractor building large custom straw bale homes on the Central Coast of California. I am a huge proponent of straw bale buildings, yet I have had many clients come to me having heard stories of a custom straw bale home for $75 per square foot. The discussion of square foot prices for custom homes can be misleading as your posting suggests, yet I wanted to add a few more points on the subject.
In my experience it is more expensive to build with bales. The major factors in this are the following:
1. Materials/Installation. Traditional forms of insulation are incredibly inexpensive. Bales that are suitable for building can be expensive ($4-$5/bale), and the cost of trucking depending on where you live and how many bales you are getting can add more than $1 per bale. Installation is one of the reasons people love straw bale. Throwing bale raising parties is alluring to some, this can be a savings, but again if you look at the cost of installing traditional insulation materials vs. the time and effort it takes to throw party that is productive, safe and a gets a well built wall, I believe the savings in nominal in only the best case scenarios.
2. Plaster. Straw Bale walls typically have a plastered surface on exterior and interior surfaces. Almost all traditional construction uses sheetrock for the interior. Plastered surfaces are much more expensive than a sheetrock/paint grade trim.
3. Loss in square footage to the foot print. Often overlooked, owners will be paying taxes on that 2 foot thick wall.
I tell prospective clients that these factors may add 5% to the overall cost of the project. The important thing to remember when considering building with straw bales, if cost is a major factor, is using the bales to maximize the long term cost and emotional benefits of energy efficiency, indoor air quality and quality of life. If you are building a passive solar home, and have the space, straw bale is the best. The combination of insulation and mass from the interior plaster is ideal for passive design. In may cost more to build but what if you have lower utility bills for the life of the home, no HVAC system, including maintenance, etc. Indoor air quality is improved by using natural cellulose. Most importantly if you have experienced the "feel" of a straw bale structure you know that this can be quality of life issue that is difficult to put a price tag on.
All in all, when comparing square foot prices it is important to compare apples to apples and short term investments vs. long term benefits when considering building with bales.
-Frank Cullen
www.cullenconstruction.com
Green Luxe
Living in Southern California, I've seen some very expensive, very ugly houses, so it's never about how much you spend, but how much imagination and taste you bring. I say, if someone is going to spend $400 a square foot and keep artisans and tradespeople employed, more power to 'em--and better yet if they want to spend their money building a lasting work of art that is also green.
Quite a range
Wow that is quite a range. I guess the good news is that it doesn’t need to be any more expensive and in fact may cost less than conventional building. That’s what I was looking for! Thanks Kevin, I’m looking forward to seeing more episodes from you!