So, you have made the exciting decision to build your dream home. It’s going to be a worthwhile endeavor filled with decisions on interior finishes, bedroom designs, and the potential add-on of high-end amenities. Before you get to that part of building a home, you must first assess your budget and answer one vital question. How much does it cost to build a house in Pittsburgh?
Contact us for an initial budget assessment for building your custom home!
Costs to Build a House in PA
When thinking about building a house, how much does it cost is the main question that comes to mind? The cost of building a custom home in Pennsylvania starts at around $650,000 and can vary depending on the exact location, size of home, and unique features. The cost to build can be an unclear concept that drives people away before they have a true understanding of their budget and how that relates to labor costs, sales price, and cost per square foot.
The average cost to build a new home does vary, but your home builder or general contractor can help guide you through what you’ll need to build your dream home on your land within your budget. With the new construction of a single-family home, you have control over the cost to build including total cost around the land, materials, and design.
You can also work to make sure the sales price of the real estate is where you’ll need it to be to balance out with the budget and the cost of construction for your new home.
Let’s dive into the steps to build a home to break down where the cost to build comes into play:
Steps to Build a House
What is Your Vision?
Determining what kind of house you want, how much you want to spend, and what land you want to build your house on can be a large task. A new home needs to be perfect, with the right floor plan at the cost per square foot you can afford. You have to make sure you can get the home you want for the budget you have.
You don’t want your plans for building a home to have manipulated or hidden costs that could lead you to go over your budget. It’s important to keep in mind from the beginning what size house and architectural style your family is looking for. With planning for building one house, no detail is too tiny to include when you are determining the cost per square foot.
Build New or Build on Existing Foundation
There is something special about having a new home built on the land you select. Whether it’s a property you discovered on a drive one day or a parcel that has been handed down generations, building your own home on that particular spot of land is important to you.
Perhaps you already own this land and are ready to build your dream home on this piece of real estate. The land could be out in the simple countryside, nestled next to a pretty lake, or the lot could be a special location near family. Regardless of how you decided upon the perfect real estate, building a new custom home can begin once you close on the land.
Another available option is to build on land that has an existing foundation. The average cost of this option is much lower and supports a small budget due to the price of land already absorbed into prepaid costs. Any home builders will also welcome the opportunity to start the process of home construction on your existing home.
Costs to Build on Your Lot
The cost to buy the land to build a house on can be a large part of the overall budget. Depending on your situation, the cost of the land may likely determine the amount of money you know you have left to build your home.
When you are buying land, it is important to make sure the property can support home building and the cost to build on the area will not take you over budget. That will save you time and energy later on and will prevent you from having to start the process from scratch before the building has even begun. You don’t want to have to go back to the beginning of planning and design.
Must-Haves VS. Nice to Haves
When you decide to build your own estate home, you start to imagine the look and feel of the house. You begin to look through other homes and pick out certain attributes that you want to include in your own home. Before you have started building, you imagine how you will live in every square foot of that house.
As you begin to build these dreams, create a list of the items you must have in your home and the amenities that would be nice to have.
Some examples of features we include in all our homes at no extra cost:
- 80-90% brick exteriors
- Garage door openers
- Floor drains in basement and garage
- Concrete sidewalk and driveway
- Deck or Patio
- Ceiling lights in all bedrooms
- Separate tub and shower in master bathroom
- Large concrete footers for a more stable structure
- Laundry tub
- Exterior hose bibs
- Exterior spot lights
- Basement rough-ins for future bathroom
- Engineered lumber
Once the basic cost of land and cost per square foot has been determined, you will be able to assign a cost to each of those items to balance out your ‘must-haves’ with your ‘nice to have’ items. You will be able to maximize the square feet in your home with the final layout and design.
You can assess the cost of each of your dream components to determine how that impacts your overall cost to build and how that will impact the cost per square foot. In understanding each cost, you will be able to make decisions on how many square feet your house will be and the final design of your home.
Paperwork & Permits Needed
If this is your first time building a house, you need to know each detailed cost in advance so you can see the full budget range. You don’t want to be two months into the process and find out you have less to build your new house with because of undisclosed costs.
By understanding how much everything is first, you can ensure you build a house with the right cost per square foot. The cost of filing paperwork and permits should be included in the budget to build a house. While this may not seem like a big deal, it could turn out to be the difference in appliances for your home or the best parts of the movie room you wanted in your basement.
Insurance Needed
Don’t forget to purchase insurance for your built home. You’ll need the coverage to protect your investment. While we don’t foresee or want anything bad to happen, this is something you must prepare for. The insurance agent will determine the cost of insurance based upon the square feet of your house and a list of other standard questions.
When you build a house, you will need to consider the cost of insurance into your overall budget. You can pay the cost of your premium annually or monthly, but it still a required payment that can impact your budget.
It’s another cost related to your home that you should be aware of and prepare for in advance.
Starting Construction
After reviewing each cost to determine the final cost per square foot for your home, you can begin building. By spending time understanding each cost, how your selections impact the final price, and making sure you get the home that fits you and your family, you can have a stress-free home building process.
Selecting the right builder will allow for a team of experienced professionals to guide you through each of the house building steps. They should have years of experience in building homes, understanding how to build a budget around your desired price per square foot, and be able to effectively communicate all of this with you.
Project managers are there to ensure you are comfortable with each part of the plan and the final price per square foot so everything is finalized before the house starts.
Why Costa Homebuilders?
We Are Your Choice For Preferred Luxury Home Builder in Pittsburgh PA
As a premier custom home builder, Costa Homebuilders works to bring a balanced budget to your home building project. Our team understands how important it is to understand the cost of building on your land before you get started and to be transparent about the cost of any changes that would arise. Our home builds are custom designed according to the money you want to spend and the things you want to include. We understand construction costs and how expensive things are supposed to be, ensuring you won’t waste tens of thousands of dollars on your land or to build a house.
With years of experience ensuring clients receive the new home of their dreams, our company has taken the housing market and turned it into a luxury custom home experience you’ll never forget. Our integrity and professionalism combine with our high standards for design to deliver the partner you need for your custom luxury home. Check out our testimonials and portfolio as they speak for the results of our homes and neighborhoods we have created.
