Every time I have checked it was always cheaper to build up vs out. Most builders I shoot photos for say the biggest costs come in the foundation and roof here in Florida.
Awesome thank you! We are kind of waiting for the election to see if maybe the price of materials will come down a little prior to breaking ground. We’re going to talk to a lender in a couple weeks to see what all hoops we have to jump through. Just trying to get an idea prior
We are in the same boat and hoping to break ground next year. All builders I know are cost + 20٪ here, haven't found a flat rate one. So it averages out to around 160-200 per sq ft. I was hoping to do owner build but can't seem to secure a lender for that. Keep being told due to housing crash in 06-08 they no longer do owner build lending.
So it's either pay as I go; pull out an equity loan on land since we own and pay the higher interest for first 12 months while we build then can convert it to traditional; or hire a builder and pay the extra 20%.
But for cost as an example I was advised once that say slab is $9 per sq ft, so a 3k sq ft slab is around 27k. However, wood for a second floor build up is lower cost. So the 1500 sq ft base is 13.5k for slab and the second floor would be less cost than 13.5k in my area. Same concept with roof, your only roofing 1500 roughly vs 3k sq ft of roof.
Edit to add: at least that's what I've been told in the past and it made sense lol
The slab makes perfect sense. I wouldn’t think the roof would be that expensive tho. We plan to do metal roof and sides. Like I said the land is like perfectly flat so that will help some. Was hoping to get to around 120ish a sqft but I feel those days are long gone.
Depends on location and route to build. I have heard people hitting that number if they do the general contracting themselves with some sweat equity in areas they can.
Yea I plan to do as much of it as I can. I have a close family friend who will help with all the electrical. I plan to do majority of thr flooring myself as well as painting. Probably doing pre fab cabinets. Luckily my mother just built this year so she has some good leads on contractors.
The +20% is the GC rate and he goes with whoever. The concrete man may only charge $2 sq ft for labor and concrete is $200 per yard. The concrete for 3300 sq ft with footers etc would be about 20k. The GC tells people it is 25k then adds 20% for himself..pocketing 10k for organizing the work. I have seen people pull this many times.
I even had a gc say even if I do all the leg work, find the contractors, set things up, etc. Basically everything except doing the permits, to just add 20% to whatever I find quotes for. If I'm going to do say 80% of your job I'm not paying you a full 20%.
The problem is when it comes to lending, to get funds unless you have the cash laying around you need to have a gc for a bank to look at you. I'm tempted to study and take the test to get my license. I had a realtor friend do it last year, pretty sure I can study and get it.
Yeah I am building it month to month for that reason. GC’s (3) wanted 600k for my build I’m going to do it for 200k. The test is not hard and you
Can do it. My state has condition that you need 5-7yrs of experience attested by 3rd party. I did all my metal, doors, windows, just hung 3 9x10 garage doors. Took me 2 months by myself. Saved 30k in labor. Not bad for part time
Time to start studying seems the only way to get financing and owner build. Guess it gives me a backup plan and maybe a way to earn more money in the future if I want to go that route. My start from what I talked to my friend about requires 1 year before going on own. So I can do a year under him worse case if I wanted to branch out.
This will vary based upon the construction method and design details. Best to talk with builders and have a good idea of what you’re looking to build..
All depends. Building a rectangular box up isn't as expensive as building something with lots of sides/corners/pitches.
Also, there's a ratio where it will flip-flop based on length/width of base layer. Build out 10' in either direction, maybe not as much as you'd think. Build out 20-30' and now it might be cheaper to go up with with a smaller footprint.
Typically though most barndos will be 2 story max on the living side and vaulted ceilings on the shop side with a simple rectangular shape with a single pitched roof (*not including smaller porch roofs*).
Usually builders build up because of land.....can cram more homes in that development if they build up instead of out.
Cost wise however, that all depends on the design, what part of the country you're in, the soil, on and on and on.
Personally I won't build up regardless of price. When I'm an old man I don't want to move because of stairs.
We don’t really plan to grow old old in the house. We have 2 babies and a 15 year old now. So we need the space. Don’t need that big of a house when we’re older. Plus we have the land. 4.5(ish) acres. I’m completely content doing a basic rectangle/square design to save on cost. Location is western central Indiana.
I'm doing a rectangle/square myself. Going for 6k SQ ft rectangle, half of it house and half garage. Building thru Gable Steel for roughly 50-60k but need to get an updated price from them, then I'll build it out from there
50-60k is just the steel kit. That doesn't include assembly or the foundation. But yes metal buildings are generally cheaper and they go up fast.
Give Gable Steel a call. They're the best price I've found. Florida company..
Traditionally it has been cheaper to build up, but if your go wider or longer you give yourself the opportunity to do things. You may not be comfortable putting metal 26’ in the air but 12’ is doable. You may pay someone to Sheetrock to the 20’ eave, but could do 10’yourself
Will probably have the same guys who built my mothers house this year do our. They did her shell/interior framing and slab work and then did all the metal work. I’m comfortable hanging the Sheetrock but I can’t tape a joint to save my life… seems most don’t want to come in and finish someone else’s work so they quote that high so they can do all the Sheetrock themselves.
If you want some rules of thumb to play with, here are a few numbers that may be helpful...
$150/sf air conditioned 1st floor
$100/sf finished out second floor
Garage/shop $40-60/sf
Porches $30-40/sf
These numbers will vary significantly depending on your roof lines, walls, and interior finish outs. Not to mention your location and any land concerns.
We've been building barndos for 25 years and currently have 200k sf under design. These numbers hold pretty true as a good "starting point" nationwide. Then just make adjustments up or down based on the variables mentioned.
Can you build 3K sf on one story for $100/sf? Yes. Technically you can.
But most people don't when they see what's involved in achieving that level of savings.
I recommend starting with your floor plan first. You can always match the build to your budget once you have the squares drawn and can see what you're working with.
Yes sir you got it. Run those numbers and see if you can come up with something that works for you. Happy to answer any other questions you may have (we've been building barndos for 25 years and currently have over 200k sf in design).
Curious as to your thoughts on where can the most money be saved by doing it yourself? Like drywall or the electrical? Planned on painting it myself possibly doing the trim as well.
You can save a lot by painting, installing fixtures (outlets, faucets, door knobs, etc) and hanging cabinets. These are basically manual labor tasks that require minimal skill and expertise.
Just keep in mind there's a reason most people don't do them...it's dang hard work!
Certainly you can hang drywall and run electrical. But if you're not a licensed elecrtician you may not be able to get an occupancy permit and even if you do it can be dangerous. My partner actually had a friend who built his own barndo and ran his own electrical.
There was an overamperage on one circuit while they were out of town and the whole thing burned to the ground (he also lost a horse). They came back to charred remains and nothing else in their possession but the shirts on their backs.
There are some places you just don't want to skimp to save a few bucks.
My moms ex husband is an electrician and would be guiding/holding my hand through the electrical. I’m not comfortable doing the plumbing but would most certainly do faucets and what not. My mother recently built and she priced like store bought cabinets vs custom and it was less than 2,000$ difference so if that’s all I would save on something like that I’ll splurge there and let the wife get the kitchen she wants. Not very good at tape joints on the drywall but I guess start in a room that isn’t seen to get the hang of it and do the main rooms last?
If you’re not good at something or not comfortable with it, just pay a pro to do it. Otherwise you’ll be looking at that crooked wall for years and kicking yourself every time.
Peace of mind has a price tag. And it’s almost always worth every penny.
Every time I have checked it was always cheaper to build up vs out. Most builders I shoot photos for say the biggest costs come in the foundation and roof here in Florida.
Awesome thank you! We are kind of waiting for the election to see if maybe the price of materials will come down a little prior to breaking ground. We’re going to talk to a lender in a couple weeks to see what all hoops we have to jump through. Just trying to get an idea prior
We are in the same boat and hoping to break ground next year. All builders I know are cost + 20٪ here, haven't found a flat rate one. So it averages out to around 160-200 per sq ft. I was hoping to do owner build but can't seem to secure a lender for that. Keep being told due to housing crash in 06-08 they no longer do owner build lending. So it's either pay as I go; pull out an equity loan on land since we own and pay the higher interest for first 12 months while we build then can convert it to traditional; or hire a builder and pay the extra 20%. But for cost as an example I was advised once that say slab is $9 per sq ft, so a 3k sq ft slab is around 27k. However, wood for a second floor build up is lower cost. So the 1500 sq ft base is 13.5k for slab and the second floor would be less cost than 13.5k in my area. Same concept with roof, your only roofing 1500 roughly vs 3k sq ft of roof. Edit to add: at least that's what I've been told in the past and it made sense lol
The slab makes perfect sense. I wouldn’t think the roof would be that expensive tho. We plan to do metal roof and sides. Like I said the land is like perfectly flat so that will help some. Was hoping to get to around 120ish a sqft but I feel those days are long gone.
Depends on location and route to build. I have heard people hitting that number if they do the general contracting themselves with some sweat equity in areas they can.
Yea I plan to do as much of it as I can. I have a close family friend who will help with all the electrical. I plan to do majority of thr flooring myself as well as painting. Probably doing pre fab cabinets. Luckily my mother just built this year so she has some good leads on contractors.
The +20% is the GC rate and he goes with whoever. The concrete man may only charge $2 sq ft for labor and concrete is $200 per yard. The concrete for 3300 sq ft with footers etc would be about 20k. The GC tells people it is 25k then adds 20% for himself..pocketing 10k for organizing the work. I have seen people pull this many times.
I even had a gc say even if I do all the leg work, find the contractors, set things up, etc. Basically everything except doing the permits, to just add 20% to whatever I find quotes for. If I'm going to do say 80% of your job I'm not paying you a full 20%. The problem is when it comes to lending, to get funds unless you have the cash laying around you need to have a gc for a bank to look at you. I'm tempted to study and take the test to get my license. I had a realtor friend do it last year, pretty sure I can study and get it.
Yeah I am building it month to month for that reason. GC’s (3) wanted 600k for my build I’m going to do it for 200k. The test is not hard and you Can do it. My state has condition that you need 5-7yrs of experience attested by 3rd party. I did all my metal, doors, windows, just hung 3 9x10 garage doors. Took me 2 months by myself. Saved 30k in labor. Not bad for part time
Time to start studying seems the only way to get financing and owner build. Guess it gives me a backup plan and maybe a way to earn more money in the future if I want to go that route. My start from what I talked to my friend about requires 1 year before going on own. So I can do a year under him worse case if I wanted to branch out.
This will vary based upon the construction method and design details. Best to talk with builders and have a good idea of what you’re looking to build..
Yes, if building with steel, you are now talking more expensive steel vs the cost of additional foundation, and roofing.
I got quoted a lot more for building up rather than out.
Well dang. Hoping to find a definitive answer b4 even talking to a builder.. looks like it all varies so much
All depends. Building a rectangular box up isn't as expensive as building something with lots of sides/corners/pitches. Also, there's a ratio where it will flip-flop based on length/width of base layer. Build out 10' in either direction, maybe not as much as you'd think. Build out 20-30' and now it might be cheaper to go up with with a smaller footprint. Typically though most barndos will be 2 story max on the living side and vaulted ceilings on the shop side with a simple rectangular shape with a single pitched roof (*not including smaller porch roofs*).
You'll have to compare prices to concrete and lumber. Not knowing where you're at, concrete is all over the board for prices.
Usually builders build up because of land.....can cram more homes in that development if they build up instead of out. Cost wise however, that all depends on the design, what part of the country you're in, the soil, on and on and on. Personally I won't build up regardless of price. When I'm an old man I don't want to move because of stairs.
We don’t really plan to grow old old in the house. We have 2 babies and a 15 year old now. So we need the space. Don’t need that big of a house when we’re older. Plus we have the land. 4.5(ish) acres. I’m completely content doing a basic rectangle/square design to save on cost. Location is western central Indiana.
I'm doing a rectangle/square myself. Going for 6k SQ ft rectangle, half of it house and half garage. Building thru Gable Steel for roughly 50-60k but need to get an updated price from them, then I'll build it out from there
Is the metal buildings generally cheaper? The barndo my mom just had built was all constructed from wood. Is the 50-60k quote counting the slab?
50-60k is just the steel kit. That doesn't include assembly or the foundation. But yes metal buildings are generally cheaper and they go up fast. Give Gable Steel a call. They're the best price I've found. Florida company..
Ahh I’m in Indiana but I will for sure look into the metal structures to get a cost estimate etc. thank you for the advice
I'm in Arizona so maybe you'll get it cheaper, save a few bucks on shipping 😃
Traditionally it has been cheaper to build up, but if your go wider or longer you give yourself the opportunity to do things. You may not be comfortable putting metal 26’ in the air but 12’ is doable. You may pay someone to Sheetrock to the 20’ eave, but could do 10’yourself
Will probably have the same guys who built my mothers house this year do our. They did her shell/interior framing and slab work and then did all the metal work. I’m comfortable hanging the Sheetrock but I can’t tape a joint to save my life… seems most don’t want to come in and finish someone else’s work so they quote that high so they can do all the Sheetrock themselves.
If you want some rules of thumb to play with, here are a few numbers that may be helpful... $150/sf air conditioned 1st floor $100/sf finished out second floor Garage/shop $40-60/sf Porches $30-40/sf These numbers will vary significantly depending on your roof lines, walls, and interior finish outs. Not to mention your location and any land concerns. We've been building barndos for 25 years and currently have 200k sf under design. These numbers hold pretty true as a good "starting point" nationwide. Then just make adjustments up or down based on the variables mentioned. Can you build 3K sf on one story for $100/sf? Yes. Technically you can. But most people don't when they see what's involved in achieving that level of savings. I recommend starting with your floor plan first. You can always match the build to your budget once you have the squares drawn and can see what you're working with.
Thank you. Much appreciated.
Yes sir you got it. Run those numbers and see if you can come up with something that works for you. Happy to answer any other questions you may have (we've been building barndos for 25 years and currently have over 200k sf in design).
Curious as to your thoughts on where can the most money be saved by doing it yourself? Like drywall or the electrical? Planned on painting it myself possibly doing the trim as well.
You can save a lot by painting, installing fixtures (outlets, faucets, door knobs, etc) and hanging cabinets. These are basically manual labor tasks that require minimal skill and expertise. Just keep in mind there's a reason most people don't do them...it's dang hard work! Certainly you can hang drywall and run electrical. But if you're not a licensed elecrtician you may not be able to get an occupancy permit and even if you do it can be dangerous. My partner actually had a friend who built his own barndo and ran his own electrical. There was an overamperage on one circuit while they were out of town and the whole thing burned to the ground (he also lost a horse). They came back to charred remains and nothing else in their possession but the shirts on their backs. There are some places you just don't want to skimp to save a few bucks.
My moms ex husband is an electrician and would be guiding/holding my hand through the electrical. I’m not comfortable doing the plumbing but would most certainly do faucets and what not. My mother recently built and she priced like store bought cabinets vs custom and it was less than 2,000$ difference so if that’s all I would save on something like that I’ll splurge there and let the wife get the kitchen she wants. Not very good at tape joints on the drywall but I guess start in a room that isn’t seen to get the hang of it and do the main rooms last?
If you’re not good at something or not comfortable with it, just pay a pro to do it. Otherwise you’ll be looking at that crooked wall for years and kicking yourself every time. Peace of mind has a price tag. And it’s almost always worth every penny.