Planning Your Project

Although there is a correlation between the size of the building and the cost, the specifics of the project must be taken in account. For example, if a one room, 200sq' addition cost 100k, it would cost considerably more to build two, 100sq' additions at opposite ends of the house, even though the net square footage would be identical. This is one reason why square foot pricing is highly inaccurate.

Complexity is probably the most important cost factor. The more corners, intersections, and angles a building has, the more it will cost. To use a simple example, it would be less expensive to build a square box with a flat roof than a ten-sided building with a turret roof. Time is money, and complexity slows a project down. It may also require you to hire more highly skilled (and highly paid) workers, who may not be cost effective on the more straightforward aspects of the job.

Project feasibility: Cost: Market conditions

If contractors are busy, prices will be higher. This explains why, in boom times, it may cost 1 1/2 times as much to build the same addition your neighbor built last year. This rule also applies seasonally, you will pay more if you plan to start your project in the spring (at least in New England), when contractors have many projects to choose from.

Project feasibility: Cost: Choice of materials

Granite costs more than Formica, marble costs more than ceramic tile, slate shingles cost more than fiberglass, etc. there are hundreds of material choices in every project; they can add up significantly and create a large cost variable in any given scope of work.

Project feasibility: Cost: Logistics

If you live on the sixth floor of a walk-up, expect to pay more than your ground floor neighbor. More common logistical issues are machine (backhoe, cement truck, etc) access to the worksite, site features like trees that must be worked around, restricted work hours due to neighbors or zoning, parking (in-town locations are a nightmare for tradespeople, who must lug their tools from down the block or risk daily parking tickets), or restricted work areas.

Any attempt to give even a rough estimate for the cost of a project must at least consider the items listed above. A simpler method is to ask a friend or neighbor the cost of their recently completed project , and then compare it to your own plans and adjust for the differences. For example, if you'd like to build a family room with a fireplace, and a friend recently built one without a fireplace, you could add the estimated cost of a fireplace to her cost to get a rough estimate.

Keep in mind that all construction cost estimates are incorrect to some degree. Never get attached to a particular estimate in the preliminary planning stages, the specific choices you make as the process develops will determine the real project cost. To help understand this, think about the cost of a car. Even if we describe a car specifically- front wheel drive, 4 doors, stereo/cd, sunroof, etc., the cost could vary from 20 to 120k depending on the model. Just as there is no "typical" cost for a car, there is typical cost for a kitchen, or family room, or new house.